Traian V. Chirilă is a Romanian-Australian polymer and organic chemist who is the inventor of AlphaCor, an artificial cornea in current clinical use throughout the world. His past and current research has contributed in several areas of biomaterials, polymer science and bioengineering, especially in the understanding of biomaterials and biocompatibility, in the development of polymers, hydrophilic sponges, artificial cornea, artificial vitreous substitutes and in topics such as interaction of laser radiation with polymers, photoresponsive polymers, supramolecular polymers, sustained release of bioactive agents, tissue engineering and the use of polymers in genetic therapies.
Contributions to the synthetic and structural chemistry of acetals, especially cyclic acetals.
Studies of hydrogels containing UV-absorbing agents. Correlating the concentration, absorptive properties and extractability of the agents.
Interaction of polymers with IR laser radiation – demonstrating that the monomer release following the irradiation of IOL materials with surgical IR lasers is too low to cause deleterious effects in the eye.
First investigation of interaction between poly and UV laser radiation. First use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to investigate the process of ablation of ophthalmic hydrogels with excimer lasers. General studies on the interaction between high-energy laser radiation and polymers.
Invention and development of melanin-containing synthetic hydrogels able to absorb UV and blue radiation and their application as IOL materials. First polymer-biopolymer combinations to be reported as interpenetrating polymer networks.
Invention and development of an artificial cornea. Initially known as "Chirila keratoprosthesis", this device has been commercially developed as AlphaCor and received approvals from FDA and other regulatory bodies and is used in human patients.
Development of hydrogels with very high water content as potential substitutes for the vitreous body, including a methodology for their evaluation in vitro.
Evaluation of porous hydrogel scaffolds for nerve repair.
Development and study of polymer matrices for the sustained release of bioactive agents, including therapeutic oligonucleotides.
Development of an orbital implant, currently commercialised as AlphaSphere.
Contributions to the history of ophthalmology and biomaterials.
Development of tissue-engineered corneal constructs for the restoration of ocular surface.
His research has resulted to date in 175 journal publications and 13 patents. He has contributed over 175 presentations at scientific meetings and he has been invited to present lectures in China, the United States, Japan, Romania, Italy, France, Switzerland, Korea, Germany and The Netherlands.
He spent his childhood in a small town in Transylvania, Chișineu-Criș, graduating from the local high school in 1966. He is nicknamed "Tanu". His mother is still living in Romania, in Timișoara where he graduated from the university. He is married to Mika, who is with Japanese origin. They have one child, Sebastian.
