The Buchanan Ocular Therapeutics Unit (BOTU) conducts scientific research into new treatments for eye diseases (ocular therapeutics) and aims to translate these into the clinical setting. The types of treatments we investigate can be pharmaceutical, cell or technology-based. We also teach and educate undergraduate and postgraduate students to foster the next generation of ophthalmologists, optometrists, and vision scientists. Finally, we organize an annual Ocular Therapeutics Conference, a not-for-profit professional education meeting aimed at optometrists, ophthalmologists, pharmacists, ophthalmic nurses, as well as senior optometry and ophthalmology trainees. Through our work we promote professional relationships between ophthalmology and optometry.
School of Medicine
Buchanan Ocular Therapeutics Unit (BOTU)
BOTU was established with a generous philanthropic donation from the Buchanan Charitable Foundation and ongoing support from the University of Auckland. The goal is to become a fully self-sufficient unit, creating a long-term environment for multidisciplinary research and teaching in the area of ocular therapeutics.
Our research focusses on evaluating new treatments for sight-threatening diseases. These include novel drug molecules as well as targeted and sustained-release drug delivery systems. We also develop novel preclinical models to test these new treatments.
Our teaching focusses on the use of ocular drugs to combat common eye diseases with significant input into undergraduate medical, optometry and pharmacy courses. We also organize an annual Ocular Therapeutics Conference covering a wide range of basic research and applied clinical topics.
Associate Professor Ilva Rupenthal is the inaugural Director of the Buchanan Ocular Therapeutics Unit. As a pharmaceutical scientist working alongside clinician-researchers she is in a unique position to translate cutting-edge eye research from bench to bedside.
Dr Lola Mugisho is the Deputy BOTU Director and a Neurological Foundation First Fellow. She is a biomedical scientist with an interest in developing novel in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo disease models in which to study the mode of action of new ocular therapies.
Key Outputs
BOTU team receives HRC project grant
A recently awarded HRC project grant, led by BOTU Director Associate Professor Ilva Rupenthal in collaboration with Professor Jennifer Craig, Dr Stuti Misra and Dr Priyanka Agarwal, will investigate a novel eye drop that tackles both tear film instability and inflammation to break the vicious circle of dry eye disease (DED), one of the most common, yet undertreated, chronic ocular surface conditions.
For further information on this project visit the BOTU research page.
BOTU's fifth Ocular Therapeutics Conference held just in time
Organised by Professor Charles McGhee, Associate Professor Ilva Rupenthal and Dr Trevor Gray, this not-for-profit professional education meeting took place on 15th March 2020 at the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre in Auckland, just days before the COVID-19 lockdown. Aimed at optometrists, ophthalmologists, pharmacists, ophthalmic nurses as well as senior optometry and ophthalmology trainees, the conference attracted about 120 attendees with talks covering a wide range of basic research and applied clinical topics.
For further information on the speakers and the topics covered visit the conference website. You can also test your knowledge on the 2020 conference topics by completing this MCQ quiz.
BOTU team member receives several accolades
Dr Lola Mugisho, Deputy BOTU Director and a Neurological Foundation First Fellow, completed her PhD thesis entitled ‘Vascular breakdown in diabetic retinopathy: Role of connexin43 and possible interventions’ in 2018 and was placed on the Dean’s List of Excellence. She also received a special mention for her confocal image entitled ‘Eye like research’, showing glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP, red) labelling of the optic nerve in cross section, with cell nuclei stained with DAPI (blue).
For further information on Lola’s current research visit the BOTU research page.
Current Research and Team Members
A variety of research projects are conducted by staff and students from BOTU.
BOTU Team Members (L to R): Heather Lyon, Henry Louie, Lola Mugisho, Ilva Rupenthal, Avik Shome, Sairam Behera, Yosra Agban.
Our Research Areas
We aim to develop new drug-based treatments for sight-threatening and neuroinflammatory diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, by investigating the role of the inflammasome. We are also exploring novel biomarkers of these diseases.
Funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the Auckland Medical Research Foundation, the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust, the Save Sight Society, the Neurological Foundation, and the Buchanan Charitable Foundation.
New preclinical disease models
We aim to develop new in vitro cell, ex vivo retinal explant and in vivo animal models of ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and uveitis to test our novel therapeutics.
Funded by the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust, the New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes, the New Zealand Association of Optometrists National Educational Research Fund, the New Zealand Optometric and Vision Research Fund and the Buchanan Charitable Foundation.
We are investigating novel molecules and drug delivery systems that can be targeted specifically to diseased cells while also offering sustained drug release over time.
Funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the Buchanan Charitable Foundation.
Our Team
- Associate Professor Ilva Rupenthal – BOTU Director
- Dr Lola Mugisho – Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Dr Priyanka Agarwal – Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Dr Frazer Coutinho – Honorary Research Fellow
- Avik Shome - Research Technician
- Yosra Agban - Doctoral Candidate
- Charisse Kuo – Doctoral Candidate
- Henry Louie – Doctoral Candidate
- Santosh Bhujbal – Doctoral Candidate
