Meet a Researcher: Dr Rachel Taylor
Dr Rachel Taylor is part of the UK Inherited Retinal Dystrophy Consortium (UKIRDC) team at the University of Manchester.
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Dr Rachel Taylor is part of the UK Inherited Retinal Dystrophy Consortium (UKIRDC) team at the University of Manchester.
Steve has been volunteering for Retina UK since its formation in 1976 and has been a part of the Helpline team since the early 1980s.. He remembers very well a caller named Khadeja, who called the Helpline multiple times, following her diagnosis with RP in 1999.
Dan found out he had retinitis pigmentosa in February 2022, but he feels it has been “on cards for years”. He said he had “an inkling something was up but never did anything about it: a typical guy I guess!”
Graeme's son is living with retinitis pigmentosa and he has decided to take on an extreme challenge - running 250km across the Sahara Desert, with 6 stages, varying in length from 21km to 82 km, over 7 days.
In August 2025, 8-year-old Rose Earnshaw is taking on a challenge like no other – completing 5 laps of her local village park (1 mile) every day throughout the month of August, in support of Retina UK’s vital work.
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With a significant proportion of inherited retinal conditions being caused by unidentified genetic faults, and many families unable to get clear results from genetic tests in clinic, the project set out to solve previously undiagnosable cases and discover more of the genes and mutations that are associated with sight loss.
Genetic testing, usually via a blood sample, is used to try and identify which gene contains the fault that is causing an individual’s sight loss.
Our community are the reason we are able to continue supporting those with inherited sight-loss conditions through research and practical support.
Jenny Dewing is a postdoctoral researcher working on a Retina UK-funded project with Dr Arjuna Ratnayaka at the University of Southampton.