• Lewis Fry was presented with his AIMES Supreme Award by North Harbour Club Life Member Gary Monk (right) and President Aidan Bennett.
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Winning the Supreme AIMES Award

By Lewis Fry, 2017 AIMES Supreme Award Winner

The lecturn was glaringly empty on the stage of the Bruce Mason Centre, when it was vacated for me to speak and unexpectedly accept the Supreme Award at the AIMES Awards dinner in November. It took a moment to collect my thoughts – in front of me was a sea of tables and a glamorous audience. Yet it was a celebration, there was a warmth in the air, and towards the back I could see my grandma sitting with my family, looking on with a little pride. It was a privilege to step forward to acknowledge the hugely supportive North Shore community, the North Harbour Club and Charitable Trust, Kristin School and my family.

The North Harbour Club and the AIMES Awards have played a significant role in my development over the last few years. In 2015, supported by a Bellingham Wallace sponsored North Harbour Club AIMES Emerging Talent Award, I took a year out from my medical studies to complete a year of lab research in glaucoma, a common eye disease. Soon after beginning this ‘taster’ year, I set my sights on doing further research. I love the spirit of inquiry, the challenges of creating new knowledge, and the brainstorming discussions with others. I even became accustomed to the frustration of how things go wrong, often. Research enriched my experience of medicine and healthcare, particularly when meeting patients. It is a fascinating perspective to be part of the work behind the scenes that seeks to understand how disease occurs, and how we might treat it.
Fast forward two years to today, and I have graduated from my medical degree and have commenced my PhD (or DPhil, as it is called) in Clinical Neuroscience, at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and AIMES Award winner.
Around the time I started in the lab, the scientific world’s fascination with gene editing exploded. It was propelled by the discovery of a technology called CRISPR-Cas9, a technique that allows for cutting and even editing of DNA. This carries the promise of changing how we treat genetic disease. I quickly became caught in the wave, and I saw moving to the University of Oxford as the best way to become involved in using this to treat genetic eye disease. Sight and vision impairment captured my interest due to the huge impact they have on the lives of those they affect.
The goal of my current work is to look at ways in which we might safely develop CRISPR-Cas9 for use in inherited retinal diseases of the eye – now the leading cause of untreatable blindness in young people. The eye will likely be one of the first places it will be used – the FDA just approved the first gene therapy for genetic disease in the United States, for an inherited retinal disease.
The prospect of editing our DNA can be daunting. We have, in theory, the tools to edit the building blocks of life. While science is some way off that yet, now is the time to consider how we might want to use gene editing, and in what ways we might regulate this. What risk (albeit small) that we might edit DNA in a place where we didn’t intend to are we comfortable with? Where is the line between the treating of disease, and human enhancement? How might these technologies affect different groups in society? In what ways might this benefit New Zealand, and what factors do we need to consider in our context – specifically with regards to Maori values and culture?
These ethical, moral and policy conundrums require leadership, and communication between scientists, policymakers, and importantly, the public. Together, we must decide to what extent we should pursue the benefits of gene technologies for human health and disability, against the risks and ethical considerations.
There is a breathtaking pace and momentum in gene editing and gene therapy research. Science may outstrip the speed at which we can regulate, particularly to build international consensus. The AIMES Supreme and AIMES Education Awards provide me with the opportunity to stay abreast of this fast moving field. It is vital to attend conferences – journal articles can be two years behind! Furthermore, I hope to use this funding to develop as a leader through engaging in discussions at both ethical and policy levels. I am working on developing links to biotech startups in Silicon Valley and to laboratories in China, where gene-editing technology is developing at a rapid rate.
Aside from research, there is plenty going on in Oxford. I tried my hand at rowing, I have started training in the Oxford Blues cricket setup, and I have bought a squash racquet to start my tour of the many squash courts. The Oxford Union is a buzzing centre for debate – I’ve heard talks from Anthony Scaramucci (Trump’s disgraced communications director of 10 days), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and a former deputy director of the CIA. Coffee with Helen Clark was also a highlight, amongst what was a very busy first term.
At the awards, I was approached by someone with glaucoma, excited for the prospect of future therapies like gene editing. It is wonderful to see a hopeful community invested in this work, and is a personal reminder of why this is important. Sight really does change lives. There is a long road ahead for the development of these treatments, before they might be used in humans.
With the help of the North Harbour Club and the AIMES awards, perhaps I will be able to contribute to this future.


Fourteenth Annual Issue 2017/18