Tributes paid to pioneering eye researcher Professor Pete Coffey

Tributes have been paid to one of the world’s top eye researchers, Professor Pete Coffey, who has sadly passed away after a long illness.

Renowned for leading the research into a breakthrough treatment to help restore sight in people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), his work will continue to influence future developments in eye research and stem cell therapy.

Professor Coffey was widely recognised for his work to develop a stem cell therapy to treat AMD using retinal pigment epithelial cells.

London Project to Cure Blindness 

In 2008 the Macular Society supported his promising research with a grant of £100,000. This project went on to become the London Project to Cure Blindness. That early investment laid the foundation for a major clinical trial that went on to demonstrate, for the first time, that stem cell treatment could successfully restore sight in people with wet AMD.

The London Project to Cure Blindness, which was funded by the Macular Society in 2008, is a partnership between Professor Pete Coffey from UCL and Professor Lyndon da Cruz, retinal surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital. The Project was supported by the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre. 

The project started when researchers wanted to see if they could improve vision for people with sudden severe visual loss caused by wet AMD by replacing the diseased cells at the back of the patients’ affected eye using a stem cell-based treatment.

In March 2018 it was reported that the first patients to receive a new treatment derived from stem cells for people with wet AMD had gone from not being able to read at all even with glasses, to reading 60-80 words per minute with normal reading glasses.

Dr Amanda Carr, who worked closely with Professor Coffey at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology from the early stages of the London Project, said: “We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Professor Pete Coffey, a true pioneer who led groundbreaking stem cell trials for age-related macular degeneration.”

Dedicated to a cure 

She described him as “bold” and “collaborative” and said he was dedicated to finding a cure for sight loss by developing a cell therapy for AMD using retinal pigment epithelial cells.

She said: “He worked with this endpoint in mind, assembling a multidisciplinary team and uniting people from across the globe to make it a reality.

“It was a bold, collaborative approach that exemplified his ability to bring people together to translate cutting-edge science into meaningful treatment for patients. His contributions will leave a lasting impact on the regenerative medicine community and the development of new treatments for macular disease, work that has brought real hope to so many.”

Dr Carr described working with him as an “absolute joy”.

“Despite his many achievements as a world-renowned researcher, Pete remained incredibly modest and deeply generous with his time and knowledge,” she said.

“He had a gift for recognising people’s strengths and helping them grow into the best versions of themselves." 

An absolute joy to work with 

She added: “He was the most inspiring boss, colleague, and mentor, someone who built a team filled with brilliant people, great warmth, and much laughter. Working with him was an absolute joy.

“We have lost a dear friend and colleague, and we will miss him beyond words.”

Professor Coffey’s legacy will live on through the continuing work of the London Project to Cure Blindness and the many scientists he inspired. His groundbreaking research has brought hope to millions of people affected by AMD, and he will continue to positively shape the future of eye health.