A team of researchers led by Neeraj Dhaun (Bean) at the Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research has received the prestigious Sir Jules Thorn Award for Biomedical Research to develop retinal imaging as a quick and painless way to spot and monitor chronic kidney disease. The project includes Miguel Bernabeu, Professor of Computational Medicine at the Usher Institute, who is co-investigator on the award. Just one application is selected by the Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust each year to receive the highly competitive Sir Jules Thorn Award. The £1.7m grant supports a five-year programme of translational biomedical research with clear potential to improve health and care for people living with serious long-term or life-limiting conditions.Chronic kidney diseaseChronic kidney disease (CKD) affects around 1 in 10 people worldwide. It can lead to serious problems, including kidney failure and heart disease, and is costly to treat. Doctors monitor CKD using blood and urine tests, but these are not very good at diagnosing early disease or predicting who is most at risk of getting worse.The Sir Jules Thorn Award will enable a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research and the Usher Institute to explore a new solution to this problem – eye scans.The eye as a window to the kidneyThe eye contains tiny blood vessels that closely resemble those in the kidney. Using an eye scan called optical coherence tomography (OCT), the researchers have already found that people with CKD have thinner layers in the retina at the back of their eye. These changes seem to reflect kidney health and even improve when treatment works.Creating a new tool to improve kidney careThe new breakthrough research bridges discovery science and clinical practice. The team will identify the shared molecular pathways that explain the relationship between the eye and the kidney. By combining advanced imaging with AI, they will apply this understanding to help develop and test a retinal imaging tool for diagnosing and monitoring chronic kidney disease. There is an urgent need to improve early detection of chronic kidney disease and to predict the longer-term outcomes for patients. We are delighted to receive the Sir Jules Thorn Award, which will enable us to investigate retinal imaging as a monitoring tool that could transform the care of patients living with kidney disease. Professor Bean Dhaun Professor of Nephrology, Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research and lead investigator on the award The researchers will work in partnership with patients and clinical practitioners to design software for interpreting the retinal measures taken from eye scans. This co-design approach aims to make sure the new tool is not only safe and reliable, but also simple and practical to use in community clinics such as opticians. While AI technology for estimating kidney disease risk from retinal scans has shown potential in research settings, it is now critical to move beyond algorithmic accuracy to develop innovative clinical pathways for its future integration. To fully realise the impact of this technology and encourage its widespread adoption, it is crucial to investigate its value proposition, user experience, and adaptability within the broader sociotechnical ecosystem. Professor Miguel Bernabeu Professor of Computational Medicine, Usher Institute and co-investigator on the award Ultimately, this work aims to lay a strong foundation for future large-scale clinical trials, which could improve care for patients and offer substantial cost savings for healthcare systems worldwide.Further informationInstitute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research | College of Medicine and Vet MedicineHome Page | Sir Jules Thorn Trust Publication date 26 Feb, 2026
