Visionary alum receives MacArthur ‘genius’ award for pioneering retinal research

Neurobiologist and optometrist Associate Professor Teresa Puthussery, a University of Melbourne alum, has been named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow.

Associate Professor Puthussery, now  at the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, at the University of California, Berkeley,  received the fellowship for her work in exploring how neural circuits of the retina encode visual information for the human brain.

The MacArthur Fellow, sometimes dubbed the “genius” awards, recognises “extraordinarily creative individuals with a track record of excellence in a field of scholarship or area of practice, who demonstrate the ability to impact society in significant and beneficial ways through their pioneering work or the rigour of their contributions”, according to the MacArthur Foundation.

Recipients can be writers, scientists, artists, social scientists, humanists, teachers, entrepreneurs or individuals in other fields.

Associate Professor Puthussery received a Bachelor of Optometry in 2000, a PhD in 2005 and a postgraduate degree in ocular therapeutics in 2006 from the University of Melbourne’s Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences before moving to the US.

Her research into certain cells in the human retina, called retinal ganglion cells, is filling a long-standing gap in knowledge about the human visual system, which also has implications for treating diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Associate Professor Puthussery credited her PhD thesis advisor, Professor Erica Fletcher, who inspired her to pursue research after optometry school.

“Her lectures were so engaging and clinically relevant and it was clear to me that she loved her job. She was, and continues to be, an exceptional role model for me and many other aspiring young scientists,” she said.

“Another moment that I think shaped my path happened during my final year of optometry school when I saw a patient in the Low Vision clinic with an incurable blinding disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa.

“We had a lot in common - we were born the same year and we were both planning trips to Nepal. He told me he wanted to take his trip soon while he would still be able to see the Himalayas.

“I was so disheartened by the fact that a young person was going blind in the prime of their lives and there was nothing anybody could do about it.

“The experience made me realise we still had so much to learn about the structure and function of the normal retina and what goes wrong in retinal disease. That interaction was an important moment that shaped my decision to pursue a PhD in retinal neuroscience with Professor Fletcher.”

Professor Mike McGuckin, Acting Dean in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, said the University is proud to honour trailblazing academics and researchers who began their journeys here.

“The MacArthur Fellows are awarded to talented individuals for exceptional creativity and the promise of future advances in their fields,” Professor McGuckin said.

“Breakthroughs in science, medicine and health demand more creativity and new ways of thinking than many would expect.”

“I’m thrilled to hear of Associate Professor Puthussery’s achievements and applaud the global impact being made by University of Melbourne alum.”