SUNY Downstate Receives Grant from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB):
Jan 23, 2012
Campus Eye Research Grows to More Than $6 Million in Five Years
Capping SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s growth into a major center for eye research, Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has awarded SUNY Downstate a four-year challenge grant of $220,000 to spur the development of advanced research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of blinding diseases. Douglas R. Lazzaro, MD, professor and chair of ophthalmology, is the principal investigator. RPB is the world’s leading voluntary organization supporting eye research.
“This award from RPB is a major milestone in the development of an ophthalmology research nucleus at SUNY Downstate,” said Dr. Lazzaro. SUNY Downstate is now one of 52 institutions receiving this recognition from RPB, which, since its founding in 1960, has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to medical institutions throughout the United States. In the last five years, Downstate has attracted $6.2 million in eye research funding from various sources.
Dr. Lazzaro's team includes William J. Brunken, PhD, professor of ophthalmology and cell biology and director of ophthalmic research, who is studying the role of the extracellular matrix in retinal development and disease; and John Danias, MD, PhD, professor of ophthalmology and cell biology, who is elucidating the molecular basis of glaucoma and evaluating potential new treatment strategies.
In addition, another member of the team, Brahim Chaqour, PhD, associate professor of cell biology and ophthalmology at Downstate, has been awarded a National Eye Institute grant for research on neovascularization in the retina. Jacob Aranda, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics and ophthalmology and director of neonatology, was awarded a major grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to establish a pediatric pharmacology center focused on research to prevent retinopathy of prematurity.
Dr. Lazzaro and Dr. Brunken have also received an Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program (ECRIP) fellowship grant for development of a posterior corneal prosthesis, in collaboration with the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany. Dr. Lazzaro noted, “That SUNY Downstate has gone from virtually zero funding in eye research to more than six million in five years is a tribute to the dedication of the entire eye team here at Downstate.”
SUNY Downstate’s eye research includes projects within the SUNY Eye Institute and SUNY REACH, both collaborative efforts involving the four SUNY academic medical centers and the College of Optometry. Last year, SUNY REACH received $4.3 million for two NIH grants, both of whose lead investigators are based at Downstate. For information on RPB, RPB-funded research, eye disorders, and the RPB Grants Program, please visit www.rpbusa.org.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.