A native from Northern Germany, he studied medicine, psychology and biochemistry at the universities of Münster and Munich.
He did his residency at the University Eye Clinic Tübingen. He was chief resident at the University Eye Clinic Münster (1980) and from 1981 to 1985 chief resident and vice director at the University Eye Clinic Tübingen, Department for Vitreoretinal Surgery.
In 1985 he became C3 Professor of Ophthalmology at the University Eye Clinic Mainz as head of the Department for Vitreoretinal Surgery. Since 1995 he is Director and Chairman of the University Eye Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf.
Most of his research has been devoted to diagnostic and therapeutic improvements in diseases of the macula, the retina and the vitreous body. He developed fluorescein videoangiography (patent in 1985), which enabled for the first time the quantification of retinal and choriodal circulation and a better understanding of retinal dysfunction.
Dr. Richard designed different instruments for vitreoretinal surgery. He started very early with new technique of pre-macular and submacular surgery. He developed the first tracking system for the operating microscope in ophthalmology. He also developed the first microchips for the wireless measurement of intraocular data (e.g. temperature).
Since 1990 he has been working on an experimental research project on the transplantation of the retinal pigment epithelium. In 1999 he founded a laboratory for stem cells research. In these laboratory neural stem cells, retinal stem cells, retinal progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells are used in animal experiments to treat chorioretinal degenerations.
Since 2003 he guided the international multicenter study using a newly developed microchip in blind patients suffering from photoreceptor degeneration. In this study it was demonstrated that epiretinal stimulation of the human retina using this newly developed microelectrode array can create visual perception even in totally blind patients. The technology has proven to be efficient and safe. The results are encouraging with regard to a long-term implantation of the retinal implant which started in 2005.
Since 2005 he guides the international multicenter study for the implantations if the first wireless retina chip in blind patients with retinitis pigmentosa.
Dr. Richard was a founder and the first president (2001) of Euretina, the European Society of Retina specialist. He is currently serving as Euretinas general secretary.
Dr. Richard is the author of more than 250 scientific papers, he wrote 8 books and contributed to 21 books. He presented nearly 300 scientific lectures and more than 100 lectures for postgraduate education.
He received ten scientific awards, including the International GERO Wissenschaftspreis, Schweiz, 1999.