The objective of this long-standing vision training grant (VTG) program is to provide intensive basic and translational science training for individuals who will become outstanding vision researchers. Training is provided in the disciplines of cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, genetics, developmental biology, neuroscience, and cancer biology. Emphasis is placed on understanding fundamental mechanisms underlying normal ocular processes, as well as disorders of the retina, choroid, cornea, lens, optic nerve, and central visual processing. The program is a collaborative effort of basic scientists and the clinical disciplines, providing the facilities and supervision for laboratory investigations relative to major missions of the National Eye Institute. The VTG faculty includes members of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, and Morehouse School of Medicine, as well as multiple departments at Emory University. The program directors oversee the selection of trainees and the provision of appropriate background, technical training, and ongoing research supervision by the mentors. Thus, the program stimulates collaboration among vision scientists and their trainees across Atlanta. Our program successfully attracts minority trainees to careers in eye research, drawing from the outstanding resources of Atlanta academic and medical institutions. The trainees include: (1) predoctoral students from the interdisciplinary Graduate Programs of: Biochemistry, Cell, and Developmental Biology; Neuroscience; Molecular and Systems Pharmacology; Genetics and Molecular Biology; Cancer Biology, and Biomedical Engineering; and (2) postdoctoral fellows seeking advanced training with the VTG preceptors in a scientific area pertinent to vision research. Pre- and postdoctoral trainees select a preceptor with whom they develop a research proposal, conduct the research, and participate in the ongoing research projects of the mentor. Predoctoral trainees are appointed to the VTG only after selecting a dissertation advisor who is a member of the VTG faculty, usually after the first year of graduate study and passing the preliminary qualifying exams. All trainees are required to participate in the research seminar series, journal clubs, didactic course work, grand rounds, and other educational activities of the Emory Eye Center -- the focal point for eye research and clinical care in the Atlanta area.

Public Health Relevance

The future of curing blinding eye disease relies on a continued supply of well-trained vision scientists. Our goal is to produce the next generation of scientists who are well versed in the basic, clinical, and translational research approaches that will be needed to fulfill the mission of the National Eye Institute.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
5T32EY007092-33
Application #
9669025
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZEY1)
Program Officer
Agarwal, Neeraj
Project Start
1984-09-28
Project End
2020-03-31
Budget Start
2019-02-01
Budget End
2020-03-31
Support Year
33
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Emory University
Department
Ophthalmology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
066469933
City
Atlanta
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30322
Dattilo, Michael; Newman, Nancy J; Biousse, Valérie (2018) Acute retinal arterial ischemia. Ann Eye Sci 3:
Julian, Joshua B; Kamps, Frederik S; Epstein, Russell A et al. (2018) Dissociable spatial memory systems revealed by typical and atypical human development. Dev Sci :e12737
Henneman, Nathaniel F; Foster, Stephanie L; Chrenek, Micah A et al. (2018) Xanthohumol Protects Morphology and Function in a Mouse Model of Retinal Degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 59:45-53
Chiang, Bryce; Jung, Jae Hwan; Prausnitz, Mark R (2018) The suprachoroidal space as a route of administration to the posterior segment of the eye. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 126:58-66
Allen, Rachael S; Hanif, Adam M; Gogniat, Marissa A et al. (2018) TrkB signalling pathway mediates the protective effects of exercise in the diabetic rat retina. Eur J Neurosci 47:1254-1265
Landis, Erica G; Yang, Victoria; Brown, Dillon M et al. (2018) Dim Light Exposure and Myopia in Children. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 59:4804-4811
Chien, Hsin; Alston, Christine I; Dix, Richard D (2018) Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 1 (SOCS1) and SOCS3 Are Stimulated within the Eye during Experimental Murine Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in Mice with Retrovirus-Induced Immunosuppression. J Virol 92:
Struebing, Felix L; King, Rebecca; Li, Ying et al. (2018) Transcriptional Changes in the Mouse Retina after Ocular Blast Injury: A Role for the Immune System. J Neurotrauma 35:118-129
Alston, Christine I; Dix, Richard D (2017) Murine cytomegalovirus infection of mouse macrophages stimulates early expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)1 and SOCS3. PLoS One 12:e0171812
Alston, Christine I; Dix, Richard D (2017) Reduced frequency of murine cytomegalovirus retinitis in C57BL/6 mice correlates with low levels of suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)1 and SOCS3 expression within the eye during corticosteroid-induced immunosuppression. Cytokine 97:38-41

Showing the most recent 10 out of 121 publications