Dr Chinnery completed her PhD at The University of Western Australia in 2009. She is internationally recognised as an expert in discovery research into corneal immunology, inflammation and neuroimmunology.

She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Optometry and Vision Science (The University of Western Australia), and is the Inaugural Constable Professorial Fellow and Deputy Director of Research at the Lions Eye Institute in Perth, WA. She is head of the Corneal Ocular Surface and Immunology laboratory.

Dr Chinnery’s current research is aimed at understanding the role of immune cells in ocular homeostasis, local inflammation and injury. Pre-clinical, discovery research studies are designed to closely mimic conditions affecting the human ocular surface. This mouse-human translation approach is strengthened by her close collaboration with Associate Professor Laura Downie, a clinician-scientist who leads the Anterior Eye, Clinical Trials and Research Translation Unit at the University of Melbourne. Together, they co-lead the FrontTear Research Centre.

Dr Chinnery is a long-standing member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), is currently on the ARVO Annual Meeting Program Committee as representing the Immunology/Microbiology Section, and is an Associate Editor for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology and the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.