Clinical vision research is a high priority at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This priority has been tangibly realized through the establishment of the Clinical Research Unit in the Department of Ophthalmology and the appointment of Cynthia Owsley, PhD, MSPH as its Director. The primary goal of this R21 application is to increase the patient-oriented research capability at UAB in the area of eye disease and vision impairment. This area of research has been a largely untapped, but very promising reservoir of opportunity at UAB for public health scientists. The Clinical Research Unit will provide the research resources and infrastructure to facilitate clinical and epidemiological research projects of the highest quality among participating faculty. These resources will consist of personnel who will provide collaboration and consultation on: (1) biostatistics and study methodology, (2)database design and data acquisition systems, (3) project management, (4) """"""""grantsmanship"""""""", such as identifying grants programs relevant to faculty interests, developing ideas into tangible proposals, and constructing budgets, and (5) facilitating faculty training through encouraging enrollment into existing clinical research training programs on the UAB campus and/or through NIH's clinical scientist training program (K-awards). The UAB community represents a unique venue for clinical vision research. First, the clinical vision research faculty at UAB represents all three types of degree professionals in vision: MDs, ODs, and PhDs, who already work collaboratively. This type of professional interaction is not possible at many institutions where only one or two of the three types of professionals are on the faculty, but not all three. Second, NIH and DHHS have called for scientists to meet the challenge of eliminating health disparities in the U.S. population. The focus of most of our faculty research projects will be on subpopulations that have a higher prevalence of eye disease, vision impairment and decrements in health-related quality of life as compared to the general population (e.g., African Americans, older adults, nursing home residents, persons with low vision). Furthermore, UAB has already established many community relations and research infrastructure contacts with these subpopulations that will immediately facilitate our research efforts.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21EY014071-05
Application #
7037411
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZEY1-VSN (02))
Program Officer
Everett, Donald F
Project Start
2002-04-01
Project End
2008-03-31
Budget Start
2006-04-01
Budget End
2008-03-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$141,593
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Alabama Birmingham
Department
Ophthalmology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
063690705
City
Birmingham
State
AL
Country
United States
Zip Code
35294
McGwin Jr, Gerald; Wood, Joanne; Huisingh, Carrie et al. (2016) Motor Vehicle Collision Involvement among Persons with Hemianopia and Quadrantanopia. Geriatrics (Basel) 1:
Bowers, Alex R; Sheldon, Sarah S; DeCarlo, Dawn K et al. (2016) Bioptic Telescope Use and Driving Patterns of Drivers with Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Transl Vis Sci Technol 5:5
Calabrèse, Aurélie; Owsley, Cynthia; McGwin, Gerald et al. (2016) Development of a Reading Accessibility Index Using the MNREAD Acuity Chart. JAMA Ophthalmol 134:398-405
Owsley, Cynthia; McGwin Jr, Gerald; Searcey, Karen et al. (2013) Effect of an eye health education program on older African Americans' eye care utilization and attitudes about eye care. J Natl Med Assoc 105:69-76
Clark, Mark E; McGwin Jr, Gerald; Neely, David et al. (2011) Association between retinal thickness measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and rod-mediated dark adaptation in non-exudative age-related maculopathy. Br J Ophthalmol 95:1427-32
Parker, Walter T; McGwin Jr, Gerald; Wood, Joanne M et al. (2011) Self-reported driving difficulty by persons with hemianopia and quadrantanopia. Curr Eye Res 36:270-7
Wood, Joanne M; McGwin Jr, Gerald; Elgin, Jennifer et al. (2011) Hemianopic and quadrantanopic field loss, eye and head movements, and driving. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 52:1220-5
Elliott, Amanda F; Dreer, Laura E; McGwin Jr, Gerald et al. (2010) The personal burden of decreased vision-targeted health-related quality of life in nursing home residents. J Aging Health 22:504-21
McGwin, Gerald; Khoury, Rita; Cross, Jennifer et al. (2010) Vision impairment and eye care utilization among Americans 50 and older. Curr Eye Res 35:451-8
Elgin, Jennifer; McGwin, Gerald; Wood, Joanne M et al. (2010) Evaluation of on-road driving in people with hemianopia and quadrantanopia. Am J Occup Ther 64:268-78

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