After 42 years in the NHS Professor Martin Snead has decided to cease clinical practice at the end of the year in order to focus the remainder of his career on research.
For the last 30 years Martin has led a research group investigating the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of retinal detachment and his research is recognised as world leading in the field of Stickler syndrome - the most common form of inherited retinal detachment and the most common cause of retinal detachment in children, where the visual consequences can be particularly devastating.
In 2011, the service he developed was commissioned by NHS England Highly Specialised Services (www.specialisedservices.nhs.uk) to provide the national service which now has over 2,500 patients registered with this disorder.
He is a panel member of NSHE Rare Diseases Advisory Group (www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/rdag) and has published over 170 papers in peer reviewed journals and 15 book chapters.
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Some key milestones of the research group have been:
1996 Defining genetic heterogeneity in Stickler syndrome according to vitreous phenotype.
1996 Identifying the genetic basis for Type 2 Stickler syndrome.
2000 Identification of the genetic basis for “ocular-only” Stickler syndrome
2013 Identification of the genetic basis for a recessive form of Stickler associated with total congenital deafness.
2008 -2023 Developed and established a surgical protocol that substantially reduces the risk of retinal detachment in Type 1 Stickler syndrome, highlighting the need to genotype patients (particularly children) in order to stratify risk and allow timely prophylaxis.
2026 Establish the effectiveness of prophylaxis to reduce the risk of retinal detachment in Type 2 Stickler syndrome (in press).
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From 2004 to 2014 he ran the London marathon every year to raise funds for Stickler Syndrome UK and Help For Heroes but on the advice of his orthopaedic surgeon has now switched to open water swimming to continue charitable fund raising. He will continue to take on the open water swim challenges with his daughter in aid of further research projects.
We know that so many patients will miss seeing Mr Snead very much and that we owe so much to his care over those 42 years. We've set up a page on Just Giving to allow us all to convey our warmest thanks and regards for all his help, and to celebrate his 42-year milestone in the NHS. People throughout the UK, EIRE and beyond our borders have an enormous amount of regard for this very special man and wish him all the very best in his retirement from clinical practice.
* Please note that since the Just Giving page has been created by the charity, any Gift Aid added to donations would need to be retained by the charity for charitable purposes as a matter of regulation. Of course, the charity thanks you for any Gift Aid inclusion that you agree to.
