The National Eye Institute (NEI) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) seeks to support the costs of high quality vision research with a goal of improving quality of life and eliminating loss of vision. UCSF Ophthalmology and Proctor Foundation are extremely proud and thankful to be one of the top NEI funded vision research groups in the nation. See more details of our NEI-funded vision research here.
UCSF Ophthalmology and Proctor Foundation faculty, along with their research teams, are gearing up for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting, scheduled from May 5th to May 9th, 2024, in Seattle, Washington. Their insightful presentations and contributions for this event are outlined below.
Faculty and Alumni, please join us for our cocktail reception at Metropolitan Grill, 820 Second Avenue in Seattle on Tuesday, May 7th, 2024 from 6:00 – 8:00pm. Please RSVP by the end of the day, Monday, April 22nd to Shelagh Stewart-Chung at shelagh.stewart-chung@ucsf.edu
Date: 5/4/2024, Time (PST): 08:00 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: ARVO Education Course
Session: Journal Peer Review Fundamentals
Date: 5/5/2024, Time (PST): 08:00 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, A0301
Poster Range: A0301
Session: A0301: Neuroradiology for the ophthalmology resident: Evaluation of a self-directed online curriculum.
Date: 5/5/2024, Time (PST): 08:00 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, 229-B0292
Poster Range: B0292
Session: AMD-1 (anti-VEGF)
Date: 5/5/2024, Time (PST): 01:00 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster,767 Session # 135
Poster Range: B0268
Session: AMD: Mechanisms and preclinical studies
Mentor: Aparna Lakkaraju,PhD
Date: 5/5/2024, Time (PST): 01:00 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, 797
Poster Range: B0386
Session: Retina miscellaneous 1
Mentor: Frank Brodie, MD
Date: 5/5/2024, Time (PST): 01:30 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Presentation Number: 405
Session: Retina miscellaneous: Translational
Mentor: Jacque Duncan, MD
Date: 5/5/2024, Time (PST): 03:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, A0126
Poster Range: A0114 – A0165
Session: Corneal surgery
Date: 5/5/2024, Time (PST): 03:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, A0351
Poster Range: A0351 – A0385
Session: Strabismus
Mentor: Maanasa Indaram, MD, Julius Oatts, MD, & Alejandra de Alba Campomanes, MD
Date: 5/5/2024, Time (PST): 03:52 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Presentation Number: 1033
Session: Beyond the Bottleneck: Nonaxonal signaling mechanisms in glaucoma and new approaches to neuroprotection
Date: 5/5/2024, Time (PST): 04:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Presentation Number: 952
Session: Advances in stem cell and organoid models of retinal development and disease
Date: 5/5/2024, Time (PST): 04:25 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Presentation Number: 1035
Session: Beyond the bottleneck: Nonaxonal signaling mechanisms in glaucoma and new approaches to neuroprotection
Date: 5/6/2024, Time (PST): 08:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, 1683-B0002
Poster Range: 1683 – B0002
Session: Poster Session-Retinal Cell Biology
Mentor: Deepak Lamba, PhD & Erik Ullian, PhD
Date: 5/6/2024, Time (PST): 08:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0088
Poster Range: B0088
Session: Diabetic retinopathy I
Mentor: Jay Stewart, MD
Date: 5/6/2024, Time (PST): 08:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0178
Poster Range: B0178
Session:
Mentor: Jonathan Li, MD
Date: 5/6/2024, Time (PST): 08:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0462
Poster Range: B0451 – B0499
Session: Corneal imaging and biomechanics
Mentor: John Gonzales, MD
Date: 5/6/2024, Time (PST): 08:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Abstract Number: 2078 – B0603
Poster Range: B0603
Session: Cataract surgery: Treatments and techniques
Mentor: Frank Brodie, MD, & Julie Schallhornm, MD MS
Date: 5/6/2024, Time (PST): 08:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Abstract Number: 2091 – B0616
Poster Range: B0616
Session: Cataract surgery: Treatments and techniques
Mentor: Frank Brodie, MD, & Julie Schallhornm, MD MS
Date: 5/6/2024, Time (PST): 1:26:00 PM
Location: 6E – Seattle Convention Center – Arch Building
Type: Presentation
Session: RUSH2A natural history study: 4 year progression data and implications for future trial design
Date: 5/6/2024, Time (PST): 03:00 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, A0314
Poster Range: A0314
Session:
Mentor: Catherine Sun, MD
Date: 5/6/2024, Time (PST): 03:00 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0513
Poster Range: B0513
Session: Cornea
Date: 5/6/2024, Time (PST): 03:50 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Presentation Number: 2111
Session: A roadmap for developing vision-restoring therapies for patients suffering from optic neuropathy
Date: 5/7/2024, Time (PST): 08:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, A0007
Poster Range: A0007
Session: Anterior segment, ocular trauma and surgery – Epidemiology
Mentor: Thomas Lietman, MD
Date: 5/7/2024, Time (PST): 08:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, 2933 – A0092
Poster Range: 2933 – A0092
Session: Dry eye: Clinical aspects
Mentor: John Gonzales, MD
Date: 5/7/2024, Time (PST): 08:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster,A0091
Poster Range: A0091
Session: Dry eye: clinical aspects
Date: 5/7/2024, Time (PST): 09:45 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Presentation Number: 2773
Session: AI in the retina
Date: 5/7/2024, Time (PST): 01:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, A0266
Poster Range: A0266
Session: Visual Psychophysics/Physiological Optics
Mentor: Tyson Kim, MD
Date: 5/7/2024, Time (PST): 01:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster,B0263
Poster Range: B0250 – B0273
Session: Intraocular pressure, corneal disease, and ocular toxicology
Mentor: Onur Cil, MD, PhD & Neel Pasricha, MD
Date: 5/7/2024, Time (PST): 01:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0364
Poster Range: B0310 – B0369
Session: Cornea: Other
Date: 5/7/2024, Time (PST): 01:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0387
Poster Range: B0387
Session: AI in Epidemiology and clinical research
Mentor: Julius Oatts, MD
Date: 5/7/2024, Time (PST): 03:00 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0364
Poster Range: B0364
Session: Poster Session
Mentor: Tom Lietman, MD
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 10:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0298
Poster Range: B0295 – B0358
Session: photoreceptor development and degeneration
Mentor: Aparna Lakkaraju, PhD
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 10:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0444
Poster Range: B0436 – B0487
Session: Functional testing and visual fields
Mentor: Yvonne Ou, MD
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 10:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0481
Poster Range: B0436-B0487
Session: Functional testing and visual fields
Mentor: Yvonne Ou, MD
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 10:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B4782 – B0445
Poster Range: B4782 – B0445
Session: Functional testing and visual fields
Mentor: Yvonne Ou MD
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 11:00 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Presentation Number: 4348
Session: RGCs and retinal output
Mentor: Xin Duan, PhD
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 02:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, A0433
Poster Range: A0428 – A0449
Session: Outflow pathway and aqueous humor dynamics II
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 02:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0051
Poster Range: B0043 – B0065
Session: Pediatric ophthalmology
Mentor: Maanasa Indaram, MD & Neel Pasricha, MD
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 02:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster B0052
Poster Range: B0052
Session: Pediatric Ophthalmology
Mentor: Julius Oatts, MD
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 02:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, 5228 – B0056
Poster Range: B0056
Session: Pediatric Ophthalmology
Mentor: Frank Brodie, MD
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 02:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0074
Poster Range: B0074
Session: Pediatric Ophthalmology and inherited eye diseases
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 02:15 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0088
Poster Range: B0088
Session: Pediatric Ophthalmology and inherited eye diseases
Mentor: Julius Oatts, MD
Date: 5/8/2024, Time (PST): 03:30 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Presentation Number: 4886
Session: Diabetic macular edema
Mentor: Jacque Duncan, MD
Date: 5/9/2024, Time (PST): 08:00 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0360
Poster Range: B0342 – B0380
Session: Corneal endothelium: Dystrophies
Mentor: Matilda Chan, MD, PhD
Date: 5/9/2024, Time (PST): 08:00 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, 5966
Poster Range: B0629
Session: The Spectrum of Visual Impairment and Eye Pathology in a Population Experiencing Housing Insecurity
Mentor: Matilda F. Chan, MD, PhD, Sriranjani Padmanabhan, MD, Kieran O’Brien, PhD, MPH
Date: 5/9/2024, Time (PST): 11:45 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, 6249
Poster Range: B0159
Session: Diabetic macular edema
Mentor: Jay Stewart, MD
Date: 5/9/2024, Time (PST): 11:45 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Presentation Number: 6169
Session: Corneal epithelium
Mentor: Neel Pasricha, MD & Onur Cil, MD, PhD
Date: 5/9/2024, Time (PST): 02:00 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, 6723 – B0846
Poster Range: 6723 – B0846
Session: 551
Mentor: Aparna Lakkaraju, PhD
Date: 5/9/2024, Time (PST): 02:00 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, B0269
Poster Range: B0215 – B0279
Session: Tear film, meibomian gland, lacrimal gland
Date: 5/9/2024, Time (PST): 02:00 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, 6630 – B0753
Poster Range: B0753
Session: Posterior segment imaging and vitreoretinal interface disease
Mentor: Frank Brodie, MD
Date: 5/9/2024, Time (PST): 02:00 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Poster, 6643-B0766
Poster Range: B0766
Session: Posterior segment imaging and vitreoretinal interface disease
Mentor: Frank Brodie, MD
Date: 5/9/2024, Time (PST): 02:00 PM
Location: Exhibit Hall – Seattle Convention Center
Type: Presentation Number: 6472
Session: Functional testing and visual fields
Mentor: Julius Oatts, MD
A news story featuring how Dr. Douglas Gould’s work lead to the opening of the world’s first center of excellence to help families of children with Gould Syndrome is featured on UCSF’s News!
We are pleased to announce a story about the opening of the First Center of Excellence for Gould Syndrome, featuring our Dr. Douglas Gould and his research efforts leading to this new center to help families with children affected by this rare genetic disorder. This center is also includes pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. Alejandra de Alba Campomanes and is the culmination of years of Dr. Gould’s research group’s translational research work to understand the biological functions of a multi-system disorder that is caused by mutations in the genes encoding type IV collagen alpha 1 (COL4A1) and COL4A2. Dr. Gould is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Anatomy and a member of the Institute for Human Genetics, Bakar Aging Research Institute, and Cardiovascular Research Institute.
Learn more about their research here: https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/gouldlab/ and read the exciting full news story here: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2024/02/427141/ucsf-opens-worlds-first-center-excellence-gould-syndrome
UCSF Ophthalmology and Proctor Foundation Faculty are attending the American Academy of Ophthalmology “AAO 2023” annual meeting in San Francisco, from Friday, November 3rd, 2023 to Monday, November 6th, 2023. Faculty presentations and contributions for the event are listed below.
The Francis I. Proctor Foundation, the Department of Ophthalmology, the Frederick C. Cordes Eye Society, the H. Bruce Ostler Association of Proctor Fellows, and All May See Foundation will host a cocktail reception to showcase the Wayne and Gladys Valley Center for Vision Saturday, November 4, 2023 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm (1st Floor – South Lobby). We are also planning a tribute to Robert L. Stamper, MD, on the occasion of his retirement from 7:00 -7:30 pm in the Hoffman Auditorium that evening. Please RSVP by October 20 to attend.
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 8:43 AM
Location: West 2005 -NEU02
Type: In person Live Broadcast On Demand
Session: Section I: What Meds Is My Patient On? Adverse Reactions of Systemic Medications
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 8:55 AM
Location: West 2002 – PTH02
Type: In person, On Demand
Session: Ocular Oncology & Pathology
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 10:40 AM
Location: West 2005 – NEU03
Type: In person Live Broadcast On Demand
Session: NEU03: Swollen Optic Nerve II
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 10:50 AM
Location: glaucoma subspecialty day. Esplanade Ballroom – GLA04
Type: In person Live Broadcast On Demand
Session: Section III: Fisherman’s Wharf: Catching Up on New Ideas
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 11:18 AM
Location: glaucoma subspecialty day – GLA04
Type: In person
Session: Glaucoma Care at the Golden Gate and Beyond
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 3:30 PM
Location: glaucoma subspecialty day – Esplanade Ballroom GLA06
Type: In person
Session: Glaucoma Care at the Golden Gate and Beyond
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 3:30 PM
Location: Poster = PO127
Type: On Demand Only
Session: Cornea, External Disease
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 3:30 PM
Location: Poster = PO146
Type: On Demand Only
Session: Cornea, External Disease
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 3:30 PM
Location: E Poster = RP30075793
Type: On Demand Only
Session: RP30075793
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 11:00 AM
“Location: 345 Stockton Street
Grand Ballroom West”
Type: In person
Session: SPEIO
Date: 11-03-2023, Time (PST): 3:30 PM
Location: Poster = PO127
Type: On Demand Only
Session: Cornea, External Disease
Date: 11-04-2023, Time (PST): 8:00-9:15 AM
Location: South 304 – 217
Type: In Person
Session: 217
Date: 11-04-2023, Time (PST): 8:00 AM
Location: LAB146A / WEST 3014 – REF03
Type: In Person, Live Broadcast, On Demand
Session: Refractive Surgery
Date: 11-04-2023, Time (PST): 10:50 AM
Location: RM 22 North
Type: In person
Session: MOM Program
Date: 11-04-2023, Time (PST): 12:45 PM
Location: SYM07 / ESPLANADE BALLROOM – SYM07
Type: In Person, Live Broadcast, On Demand
Session: Retina, Vitreous
Date: 11-04-2023, Time (PST): 2:30 PM
Location: retina subspecialty day West 3004 – RET19
Type: In Person Live Broadcast On Demand
Session: Section XVI: Gene and Cell-Based and Neuro-Protection Therapies
Date: 11-04-2023, Time (PST): 3:45 PM
Location: West 2020 – Session 287
Type: In person
Session: Effective Peer Review: A Responsibility to Maintain Scientific Integrity
Date: 11-04-2023, Time (PST): 3:45-5:00 PM
Location: South 304 – 276
Type: In Person
Session: Curbside Consultation in Neuro-Ophthalmology
Date: 11-05-2023, Time (PST): 9:45 AM
Location: SYM30 / WEST 2002 – SYM30
Type: In Person, Live Broadcast, On Demand
Session: Uveitis, Intraocular Inflammation
Date: 11-05-2023, Time (PST): 9:45 AM
Location: SYM29 / WEST 2005
Type: In Person, On Demand
Session: Glaucoma
Date: 11-05-2023, Time (PST): 11:10 AM
Location: North Expo 5302
Type: in person
Session:
Date: 11-05-2023, Time (PST): 1:00 PM
Location: LAB122A / SOUTH 4
Type: In Person Only
Session: Cornea, External Disease
Date: 11-05-2023, Time (PST): 2:00PM – 3:15PM
Location: SOUTH 203-204 – 471
Type: In Person
Session: Myopia Management: Global Perspectives, Digital Innovation and Artificial Intelligence
Date: 11-05-2023, Time (PST): 2:12 PM
Location: West 2006 – OP08/PA044
Type: Oral/paper
Session: Uveitis Original Papers
Date: 11-05-2023, Time (PST): 2:22 PM
Location: WEST 2005 – SYM44
Type: In person, on Demand
Session: Adult Strabismus for the Comprehensive Ophthalmologist
Date: 11-05-2023, Time (PST): 3:45 PM
Location: WEST 2002 – SYM52
Type: In Person, Live Broadcast, On Demand
Session: Cornea, External Disease
Date: 11-05-2023, Time (PST): 2:00 PM
Location: SYM63
Type: In person, on demand
Session: Celebrating Global Ophthalmology: Champions of Change and Challenges Ahead
Date: 11-06-2023, Time (PST): 11:40 AM
Location: WEST 2005 -SYM62
Type: In Person, On Demand
Session: Latest Diagnostic and Therapeutic Advancements in Ocular Infections
AUDACIOUS GOALS
What if individuals disabled by retinal vision loss could embark on a journey aboard a rocket that would restore their sight?
The Audacious Goals Initiative, established by the National Eye Institute in 2018, has made it a primary objective to conduct research aimed at creating such a groundbreaking “rocket” within the next 10 to 15 years by restoring vision through regeneration of the retina. Distinguished scientists from across the nation are joining forces, collaborating to push the boundaries of vision science.
With gifts over $2 million thus far, a team of four vision scientists from UCSF are co-leading five-year cross-disciplinary investigations to advance this federal initiative.
Their triumph, along with the success of the entire initiative, holds the potential to revolutionize treatment and outcomes for individuals diagnosed with macular degeneration, glaucoma, inherited retinal disorders, retinal detachments, and traumatic retinal injuries.
One of the multi-site teams, led by UCSF Ophthalmology Chair, Jacque Duncan, MD, in partnership with Jay Stewart, MD and Deepak Lamba, MBBS, PhD, is diligently working on developing new imaging tools capable of scrutinizing the eye with unparalleled precision. Collaborating with Austin Roorda, PhD (UC Berkeley), and Joseph Carroll, PhD (Medical College of Wisconsin), Dr. Duncan utilizes these advanced tools to record light-sensing cells in patients with healthy retinas. Then they compare the healthy retinas to retinas of those with degenerating cells caused by genetic mutations and patients with retinal detachment after surgical repair.
Stem cell biologist Deepak Lamba, MBBS, PhD, and his team are actively engaged in creating research models that increasingly emulate macular characteristics and diseases. Dr. Duncan compares the structure and function of these experimental photoreceptor cells to the images of cells from her patients diagnosed with macular diseases and inherited retinal degeneration. The closer the resemblance between the two, the higher the credibility of the lab-generated model.
Additionally, Dr. Lamba collaborates with Dr. Carroll to evaluate the potential of these cells to integrate into a diseased retina for visual recovery.
In another facet of the research, glaucoma specialist Yvonne Ou, MD, co-leads an investigation to pinpoint biological factors that facilitate neural regeneration in the retina. After scientists from Indiana University, Legacy Devers Eye Institute, and Oregon Health and Science University have transplanted and
studied image-transmitting cells in the retina, Dr. Ou’s lab then reconstructs the anatomic circuitry of the transplanted cells to determine to what extent they have integrated within the retina affected by glaucoma.
In addition to funding, the Audacious Goals Initiative fosters regular collaboration among all the research teams, enabling feedback, information sharing, and input from an advisory group. This collaborative approach has already proven fruitful. As Dr. Duncan states, “With this support, we can fine-tune our approaches mid-course, accelerating discovery. It’s unlike any other federal grant I’ve been awarded.”
At their April 2023 meeting, the Board of Directors of All May See approved $200,742 in research awards for the following projects:
Development of an injectable biopolymer device for sustained intravitreal delivery of carbonic anhydrase inhibitor for the treatment of juvenile X-linked retinoschisis.
Principal Investigator: Robert Bhisitkul, MD, PhD
Juvenile X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS) is an inherited retinal disorder (IRD) that predominantly affects boys and men, arising in early childhood with potential blindness by their teens or adulthood. While there are few medication options for IRDs, XLRS responds well to carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (CAI) treatment. Treatment with eye drops has been effective but is unable to fully penetrate the eye and dependent on patient application. This project aims to develop a minimally invasive injectable device to provide CAI therapy for 6–12 months, offering a better treatment approach.
Principal Investigators: Felice Dunn, PhD, and Jacque Duncan, MD
Many degenerative vision diseases are caused by the deterioration of photoreceptors (light-sensitive cells) in the back of the eye. However, this loss can evade detection until more than half of the cells are compromised. The Dunn and Duncan labs are collaborating to develop high-sensitivity assays to detect photoreceptor degeneration earlier than current methods. The Dunn lab’s discoveries revealed novel changes to visual processing following modest cell loss, and in combination with the clinical expertise of the Duncan lab in diagnosing such conditions, this project hopes to generate a new window into eye health, enabling the early identification, management, and mitigation of degenerative vision diseases.
Deep learning system to predict 5-year risk of high myopia using fundus imaging in a North American population of children.
Principal Investigator: Jonathan Li, MD
This project involves photographing North American children’s retinas and processing the photos through an artificial intelligence system to predict a child’s risk of developing severe nearsightedness (high myopia). If found valid, this non-invasive approach will enable the identification of patients most in need of aggressive treatment while there is still ample time for intervention.
Multiphoton Aqueous Flowmetry and Image-Guided Laser Therapy: Novel Approaches for Glaucoma Precision Medicine.
Principal Investigator: Tyson Kim, MD, PhD
Currently, the only treatment to slow or stop progression of glaucoma is to lower eye pressure. This project investigates the use of advanced laser imaging techniques for new, less-invasive methods to measure the drainage of fluid (aqueous humor) from the eye, which will ultimately result in more precise methods of glaucoma evaluation and treatment.
Every year, All May See awards grants to Ophthalmology researchers to facilitate preliminary studies focused on novel approaches to discover the causes and treatments for a wide range of vision problems. In 2021, a total of $200,000 in award grants were provided for the following projects:
Project Title: National Eye Institute (NEI) Center Core Grant for Vision Research
Principal Investigator: Erik Ullian, PhD
Findings: The acquisition of a state-of-the-art Zeiss LSM900 Airyscan 2 confocal microscope was made possible with NEI funds and a generous gift from Don and Judy McCubbin. This microscope is crucial for the success of numerous NEI-funded projects. To ensure its optimal performance, the All May See grant funds the cost of two additional years of service contract to maintain the microscope in excellent condition.
Project Title: Elucidating Mechanisms of Visual Pathway Damage in Alzheimer’s Disease
Principal Investigator: Alexander Smith, PhD
Findings: The research discovered that amyloid beta peptides associated with Alzheimer’s Disease accumulate in the optic nerve and the sclera. These findings offer a novel mechanistic explanation for vision loss in Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Smith intends to seek National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to further this research in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging.
Project Title: Mechanisms of Retinal Degeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias
Principal Investigators: Li Xuan Tan, PhD (Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Aparna Lakkaraju, PhD)
Findings: Dr. Tan’s investigation shed light on the mechanisms responsible for impaired visual function in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The research discovered specific defects in energy production and metabolism in the tissue that nourishes and protects the retina, leading to inflammation and loss of the light-sensing cells of the eye, resulting in progressive visual deficits.
Project Title: Enabling Direct Correlation of Choroidal Blood Flow and Retinal Degeneration at the Single Vessel Level and Over Time Using Transscleral Multiphoton Microscopy
Principal Investigator: Henk Shang, PhD (Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Tyson Kim, MD, PhD)
Findings: The research team made significant progress in developing transscleral imaging and analytical methods to study changes in blood vessels within a genetic model of retinitis pigmentosa. Their findings revealed significant shrinking of blood vessels and diminished blood flow in diseased eyes, prompting further investigation into the correlation between these changes and the progression of retinal degeneration.
Project Title: Transcutaneous Orbicularis Oculi Stimulation for Temporary Eyelid Closure
Principal Investigators: Nailyn Rasool, MD (pictured) and Julie Schallhorn, MD, MS (not pictured here)
Findings: The principal investigators (PI‘s) successfully developed a prototype device in partnership with the Prototyping Lab at the Cleveland Veteran’s Administration Hospital. This prototype effectively induced temporary lid closure. The ability to induce lid closure will be extremely effective in patients with neurodegenerative conditions preventing lid closure as well as in patients with neurotrophic keratopathy. The goal is to prevent the development of thinning and ulceration of the cornea without permanent closure of the eyelid. The PI’s have also filed for intellectual property protection for this device design. Additionally, they established a connection with Israeli company Neurotrigger, who are working on a similar device to act as a blink pacer for patients with Bell’s palsy. Dr. Schallhorn joined their team as a consultant and aided in the development of plans to bring their device to the US, pending FDA approval.
