Associate Professor Richard Mills

ADULT OPHTHALMOLOGY; CORNEA AND EXTERNAL EYE DISEASES; CATARACT; GLAUCOMA

Associate Professor Richard Mills is an ophthalmic surgeon and clinician-scientist dividing his time between patient care, teaching and research. He is a Senior Staff Specialist and Head of Unit at the Department of Ophthalmology Flinders Medical Centre, and an Associate Professor at Flinders University.

Specialists fields and passions

Richard’s major clinical passion is corneal transplantation, in particular the newer forms of lamellar transplantation and the evidence-base for their adoption into routine clinical practice. Richard sub-specialises in cornea, external diseases and anterior segment surgery including cataract. In addition he collaborates with Professor Jamie Craig’s research team in the evaluation of inherited and genetic diseases of the cornea and anterior segment such as keratoconus, Fuchs corneal endothelial dystrophy, pseudoexfoliation and advanced glaucoma.

Previously

After graduating from the University of Adelaide Medical School Richard trained in Ophthalmology at Flinders Medical Centre, Western Ophthalmic & Moorfields Eye Hospitals London, and the Royal Perth & Sir Charles Gairdner Hospitals in Perth.

He also studied as Postgraduate Fellow in Cornea & External Disease, at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, where he was awarded the Fellowship Prize for research in corneal graft immunosuppression. He was Director of Ophthalmology at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Research and teaching

Richard’s current research interest includes investigating the complex genetics of keratoconus and Fuchs corneal endothelial dystrophy. The aim of this work is to better identify the pathogenesis of these diseases so that more targeted treatments can be developed to reduce their damage to vision.

He is also investigating the visual and visual disability outcomes of Descemets Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK), a new method of corneal endothelial transplantation. A/Prof Mills was the first surgeon to perform DSEK in South Australia.

Richard has helped train numerous ophthalmic surgeons and has a special interest in teaching ophthalmic microsurgery. He is also involved in the teaching and education of general practitioners, medical students, optometrists, ophthalmic nurses, Aboriginal health workers and the general public.

Helping those in need

Richard has extensive experience in managing and delivering eye health care to remote Aboriginal communities. He has been a visiting specialist ophthalmologist to Alice Springs Hospital since 1995 and the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands since 1999.

Memberships and fellowships

• Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
• Fellow, Royal College of Ophthalmologists
• Fellow, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
• Member, Cornea Society of Australia
• Member, Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand
• Member, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
• Member, American Academy of Ophthalmology
• Medical Director the Eye Bank of South Australia
• Board Director Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia
• Research Committee Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia
• Medical Director Australian and New Zealand Ophthalmic Surveillance unit
• Medical Director Australian Corneal Graft Registry