Vision Research has been identified as an area for investment and development at The University of Texas in Houston and the administration continues to support our research effort. Thus, significant resources, personnel, and laboratory space have been committed to the Vision Research Consortium, a faculty group which crosses departmental lines. The Vision Research Consortium currently holds 13 qualifying NEI grants including 12 NEI R01s with one additional NEI U10 award for clinical research. In the last grant period, we recruited 3 new faculty members and we have obtained institutional support to recruit an additional faculty member in Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Further growth in NEI funding is anticipated as these new faculty members establish their research programs. Our new recruits were attracted, in part, by the outstanding facilities supported by the Vision Core Grant, including a confocal facility and a new zebra fish facility. 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 198 papers and 23 review articles in the last grant period. The members of the Vision Research Consortium receive approximately $4.3 million (direct costs) of research funds annually. In 2008/09, the Vision Research Consortium received almost $2.8 million of institutional support for salaries, new faculty and equipment. 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 5 modules which reflect the breadth of these interests: a Biostatistics Module, an Imaging Module, a Molecular Resources Module, a Computer Software and Hardware Support Module and a Gene Microarray Module. These will provide expertise, research opportunities and infrastructure beyond the reach of 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 may be expected for the Vision Research Consortium.
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