Board

PROFESSOR MINAS CORONEO AO

BSc (Med) MB BS MSc Syd MD, MD MS UNSW FRACS, FRANZCO

Professor Coroneo became a director of the GEF in 1982. He is an honours graduate in medicine, University of Sydney and has a Master of Surgery and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of New South Wales. His postgraduate training was taken in Germany and the United States.

Professor Coroneo is the Professor and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology, University of New South Wales and at The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick.

He is the recipient of numerous awards, with a special interest in the pathological effects of sunlight on the eye and the development of new technologies and ophthalmic devices.

Australia Day 2016 Professor Minas Coroneo was appointed a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO).

Professor Coroneo was recognised for his distinguished service to ophthalmology, research and development of innovative surgical technologies and devices, and commitment to eyes health in regional and indigenous communities.

Minas was thrilled to receive the honour and wishes to thank the Look for Life Foundation membership and board for their support.

HELLENE CORONEO

Ba Dip Ed. Dip Reading Education

Hellene became a director of the Genetic Eye Foundation in 1982. The Genetic Eye Foundation was renamed the Look for Life Foundation Limited in 2017.

Hellene has been the manager of a busy ophthalmic practice, M.T. Coroneo Pty. Ltd. Ophthalmic Surgeons, Randwick, NSW since 1991. Prior to this she taught high school remedial and special needs children in NSW for ten years. She has had research training, working as a laboratory assistant at the University Clinic in Wuerzburg, Germany for a two year period. During this time she became involved in conference planning and organization. As a board member of the Look for Life Foundation she has had experience in fundraising and event organization. She has co-compiled “feast your eyes – the eye health cookbook” for the Look for Life Foundation.

DR NAGI ASSAAD

BSc(Med) MB BS MBiomedE FRANZCO

Dr Nagi Assaad is a consultant ophthalmic surgeon based in Sydney. He completed his medical degree at the University of Sydney, ophthalmology training at Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, and a Fellowship in Medical Retina at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. His interests include Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Eye Disease and Cataract Surgery. He consults at a number of private practice locations across Sydney, as well as Prince of Wales and Sutherland Hospitals.

Patrick Maher

Since 2015 Patrick Maher has served as a founder and Director of Third Sector Strategy Group Pty Limited From 2003 to 2015, Patrick Maher was Chief Operating Officer of National Disability Services (NDS), Australia's peak body for non-government disability services.

From 2010 to 2016, Patrick was the International President of Workability International, the world's largest body representing providers of work and employment services to people with disabilities.
Patrick has been intimately involved with the development of the NDIS, frequently engaging with State and Federal Ministers, officials and sectoral representatives to ensure the Scheme was effective and deliverable.
Prior to his role with NDS, Patrick gained practical experience as part of the Board and executive team running a large disability service provider in regional NSW.

Patrick has also headed or served on many voluntary, community, not-for-profit or business bodies, including Chairing the NSW National Party, Chairing the Australasian Pacific Aeronautical College and was appointed to the Disability Business Services Review Implementation Group between 1999 and 2003. He also served on the NSW Innovation and Productivity Council.

Prior to his career in disability services, Patrick owned several businesses specialising in computing, marketing and media, business advice and events management.
Patrick, an Army Reservist for 14 years, is a former member, Past President and Paul Harris Fellow of the Tamworth First Light Rotary Club.

Dr Jacqueline Doust

BSc PhD UNSW

Dr Jacqueline Doust is a Retinitis Pigmentosa patient who runs an active household in Sydney. She completed a science degree with honours in Applied Mathematics and a PhD in Materials Science at the University of New South Wales. She did research on fibre composite materials while on postdoctoral fellowships at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem and UNSW where he also taught undergraduate maths and textile science.

As a mother of four children, Jacqueline developed and taught maths enrichment classes at Chifley Public School for eleven years and has represented the vision impaired on Council accessibility committees.

Jacqueline is interested in equipping people with the skills needed to cope with vision loss. She was raised in a family, whose members have dealt with blindness in every generation for centuries. Now, having three children of her own with vision impairment, she works to combine scientific literacy, numeracy and computer technology with ophthalmic treatments, devices and creative lifestyle choices for future social inclusion.

Alexandra Coroneo

Joining as junior board member in 2014, Alex has been a long-time supporter of the Look For Life Foundation's fundraising efforts. Alex was also instrumental in re-positioning the foundation for the future leading the re-brand in 2015. Alex is founder and director of The First Principle consulting firm who specialise in corporate marketing and communications services for financial services and tech clients.

Gus Clarke

Gus joined Look For Life as a junior board member in 2014 supporting fundraising efforts and the re-brand in 2015. With a background in management consulting, Gus is currently leading strategy and operations for Spotify Australia and holds a Masters in Business from UTS.

Dr Gaurav Dhardwaj

Dr Gaurav Bhardwaj is a retinal specialist and ophthalmic surgeon specialising in vitreoretinal surgery. His training commenced at Sydney Eye Hospital, followed by fellowships at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne and Moorfields Eye Hospital, UK. He is a consultant at Westmead Hospital, Liverpool Hospital and the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network and a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney Faculty of Health and Save Sight Institute. He has completed a PhD in the topic of retinal haemorrhages in children under the supervision of Professor Minas Coroneo, AO.

In 2019, he was a co-surgeon involved in performing Australia’s first ocular gene therapy on a child with retinitis pigmentosa associated with RPE65 retinal dystrophy at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. He continues to be involved with treating patients with inherited retinal diseases through the Ocular Gene and Cell Therapies Australia program.

He is also a principal and associate investigator in several clinical trials for macular degeneration.