Biography

Dr Mårten Brelén is an Assistant Professor at CUHK. He obtained his preclinical medical degree (MA) from Cambridge University where he graduated with 1st class honors. His clinical medical degree (BMBCh) was obtained from Oxford University and he has also spent 4 years in research at the University of Louvain in Belgium which led to the degree of PhD in Biomedical Sciences. Clinically Dr Brelén is fellowship trained at the Bristol Eye Hospital, UK in vitreo-retinal surgery and he is a fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists UK (London).

Research interests

Dr Brelén’s PhD research involved the development of an optic nerve visual prosthesis at the Institute of Neuroscience in Brussels, Belgium. This device aims to restore a meaningful sense of visual perception to patients who are blind from outer retinal degenerative conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa.

Dr Brelén is also involved various aspects of retina research ranging from electrophysiology, retinal imaging and genetics. The main focus of his research is on age related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Dr Brelen is also involved in medical instrumentation research and is currently developing new surgical instruments as well as diagnostic equipment. He remains actively involved in the setting up and running of clinical trials.

Publications

1. Lai HP Frank; Chan CKV; Brelén ME; Lo WL, Young AL, Fung C, Lo E. Combined pars plana vitrectomy-scleral buckle versus pars plana vitrectomy for proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Accepted pending minor revisions Int. Ophthal 2015
2. Ma L, Liu K, Rong SS, Brelen ME, Young AL, Kumaramanickavel G, Pang CC, Chen H, Chen LJ Association of genetic variants with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a systematic review and updated meta-analysis Ophthalmology 2015 (in press)
3. Wang JX, Brelén ME, Ng TK. Mesenchymal stem cells targeting for of systemic disorders in age-related macular degeneration. Current Tissue Engineering 2015 in press.
4. Liu K; Lai TYY; Tam POS; Ma L; Lai FHP; Young AL; Liang XY; Brelén ME; Pang CP; Chen LJ. Ethnic differences in the association of SERPING1 with age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Scientific Reports 2015 in press.
5. Lau LCM, Ma L, Young AL, Rong SS, Jhanji V, Brelén ME, Pang CP, Chen LJ. Association of common variants in TCF4 and PTPRG with Fuchs' corneal dystrophy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2014 Oct 9;9(10):e109142
6. Chen X, Rong SS, Xu Q, Tang FY, Liu Y, Gu H, Tam POS, Chen LJ, Brelén ME, Pang CP, Zhao C. Diabetes Mellitus and Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2014 Sep 19;9(9):e108196
7. Sallam A., Scanlon P.H., Stratton I.M., Jones V., Martin C.N., Brelen M., Johnston R.L. (2011). Agreement and reasons for disagreement between photographic and hospital biomicroscopy grading of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic Medicine Jun;28(6):741-6
8. Brelén M.E., Vince V., Duret F., Gérard B., Veraart C., Delbeke J. (2010) Measurement of evoked potentials following electrical stimulation of the human optic nerve. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science Oct;51(10):5351-5.
9. Brelén M.E., De Potter P., Gersdorff M., Cosnard G., Veraart C., Delbeke J. (2006) Intra-orbital implantation of the stimulating electrode for an optic nerve visual prosthesis. Journal of Neurosurgery 104(4) 593-597 (Article selected for front cover)
10. Duret F., Brelén M.E., Lambert V., Gérard B., Delbeke J. and Veraart C. (2006). Object Localization, Discrimination, and Grasping with the Optic Nerve Visual Prosthesis Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 24(1) 31-40
11. Vince V., Brelén M.E., Delbeke J., Colin I.M. (2005). Anti-TNF-α reduces the inflammatory reaction associated with cuff electrode implantation around the sciatic nerve. Journal of Neuroimmunology 165(1-2) 121–128.
12. Brelén M.E., Duret F., Gérard B., Delbeke J., Veraart C. (2005). Creating a useful sense of visual perception in blind volunteers by optic nerve stimulation. Journal of Neural Engineering 2(1) S22–S28 (Article awarded “IOP select” by editors)
13. Veraart C., Duret F., Brelen M.E., Delbeke J. (2004) Vision Rehabilitation with the Optic Nerve Visual Prosthesis Conference Proceedings IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 6 4163-4164
14. Veraart C., Duret F., Brelén M.E., Oozeer M., Delbeke J. (2004). Vision Rehabilitation in the Case of Blindness. Expert Review of Medical Devices. 1(1) 139-153
15. Hanna S.J., Brelén M.E., Edwards A.V. (1999). Effects of reducing submandibular blood flow on secretory responses to parasympathetic stimulation in anaesthetized cats. Experimental Physiology 84(4) 677-87.