Stewart Lake

Dr. Stewart Lake is a Consultant vitreo-retinal surgeon and Senior Lecturer at Flinders University, affiliated with the College of Medicine and Public Health and Flinders Medical Centre. He also serves as a Visiting Medical Officer at Royal Darwin and Alice Springs Hospitals in the Northern Territory, contributing to regional eye care. His academic and clinical work bridges engineering and ophthalmology, with a strong focus on retinal diseases and surgical innovation.

Dr. Lake holds a PhD in Engineering from Flinders University (2022), an MB ChB (Hons) from Sheffield University (1994), and a Bachelor of Medical Science in Clinical Pharmacology (First Class). He is a Fellow of both the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (FRANZCO) and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, UK (FRCOphth).

His research interests center on image analysis for retinal disease, genetics of macular degeneration and vitreous detachment, and clinical outcomes in vitreo-retinal surgery. He employs advanced techniques such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and AI-based image analysis to improve diagnosis and treatment.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend in genetic ophthalmology and surgical safety, with high-impact work in Nature Genetics on cross-ancestry genetic architectures of age-related macular degeneration, and studies on biosimilars, surgical laterality errors, and cost-effectiveness of ophthalmic services. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being.

• Crombie Medal (Primary FRCOphth), 1997
• Bronze Medal (final MB), 1994
• Prize Medal (clinical medicine and surgery), 1994
• JA Knowles medical scholarship (second MB), 1990

Dr. Lake actively supervises research and collaborates across institutions, including the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute and the Medical Device Research Institute. He has secured research grants related to retinal imaging and genetic studies. His work involves multidisciplinary teams integrating clinical ophthalmology, bioinformatics, and engineering. He is engaged in ongoing projects on tele-ophthalmology, AI diagnostics, and genetic risk prediction for retinal diseases.

He is a key contributor to rural and remote ophthalmology services, particularly in Northern Australia, and continues to advance both clinical practice and academic research in vitreo-retinal medicine.