Michael Griffith, founding member and current Chairman of the Irish charity Fighting Blindness was honoured by the Senate of Trinity College, Dublin with the honorary degree of Doctor of Science (Honorius causa) during a conferral ceremony on Friday December 11, 2009.

Long a champion of research into genetic blinding disorders such as the genetically inherited Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and more common Age-related Macular Degeneration, Griffith is a leader in Irish and international patients’ organisations. He has been instrumental in making Ireland a world-class destination for vision research.

Michael Griffith receiving the honorary doctorate from Mary Robinson

In announcing the honorary conferrals, Trinity stated: “For more than 20 years, [Michael Griffith] has played a crucial role in the development of biomedical research in Ireland in general and of Genetics at Trinity in particular. His support and fundraising efforts since the 1980s led to the mapping of the human genes responsible for Retinitis Pigmentosa, a form of blindness.”

Motivated by his own family history with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), with his father and other relatives affected, Michael Griffith has worked to bring patients’ voices to the fore by influencing policy makers in Ireland and abroad to take an active role in researching degenerative forms of blindness. He is an example of the important role that patients can play in the discovery of treatments and cures for conditions affecting themselves and their families.

“This is a great personal achievement for Michael and his family” said Fighting Blindness General Manager, Avril Daly, “And it also highlights the fact that patients can influence the development of future treatments by working with scientists to facilitate and support their work. Fighting Blindness was founded in the midst of a recession in the 1980s and funded ground breaking work that will lead to therapies in the not too distant future. Now more then ever patients must be involved in influencing policy makers and setting research agendas.”

Michael Griffith helped found Fighting Blindness in 1983 along with a group of other concerned patients living with RP. A banker by trade, Griffith retired after 31 years from AIB in 1996 to become the first Chief Executive Officer of Fighting Blindness. Under his steer, the organisation grew to fund 12 projects in Irish universities with one in the UK. He recently helped establish the Fighting Blindness Vision Research Institute (FBVRI), a body that funds and coordinates retinal research across the country.

In his career, Griffith has been very active in establishing and chairing national and international organisations including Retina International, European Platform for Patients’ Organisations, Science and Industry (EPPOSI), its Irish equivalent the Irish Platform for Patients’ Organisations, Science and Industry (IPPOSI), The Medical Research Charities Group and Debra Ireland. He is also on the Board of the Health Research Board (HRB). 

For more information on Fighting Blindness see http://www.fightingblindness.ie/