Vision Research has been identified as an area for investment and development at the University of Texas in Houston. Thus, significant resources, personnel and laboratory space have been committed to the Vision Research Consortium, a faculty group which crosses departmental lines. In the last grant period, the group has grown from 8-12 qualifying NEI faculty members, 5 of whom are now NEI grant holders. These new recruits were attracted, in part, by the outstanding facilities supported by the Vision Core Grant, including a confocal microscope purchased with institutional support. In total, the Vision Research Consortium now consists of 26 vision scientists from the Medical School, the School of Public Health and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Together, they published 210 papers in the last grant period. The members of the Vision Research Consortium receive approximately $3.2 million (direct costs) of research funds, and $1.8 million of institutional support, annually. The Vision Research Consortium has significant strength in the areas of Visual Neuroscience, Molecular Genetics, Visual System Development, Multi-Center Clinical Trials and Clinical Research. Support is requested for 4 modules which reflect the breadth of these interests: an imaging Module, a Tissue Culture Module, a Biostatistics Module and a Computer Software and Hardware Support Module. These will provide research opportunities not available to individual faculty members. Core support will encourage inter-departmental collaboration, especially between basic and clinical scientists, and support pilot projects leading to new research programs. With the continued support of the Vision Core Grant, a further period of growth and innovative research is expected for the Vision Research Consortium.
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