The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) is an internationally-recognized leading institution for academic ophthalmology and vision research. MEEI is the primary institution for the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, one of the largest academic departments of Ophthalmology world-wide. The overall purpose of this P30 Center Core Grant for Vision Research is to enhance the research capabilities at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) by providing resources that would not otherwise be available to investigators who are PIs of NEl-funded ROIs. The Core resources has increased research productivity, supported collaborative research, supported young investigators and have contributed to successful faculty recruitment. Through collaboration with MEEI vision scientists new faculty have been attracted to vision research. This P30 competing renewal requests funds to support three resource cores: Genomics, (Eric Pierce director), will provide access to state-of-the-art genomic resources; BioBank, (Janey Wiggs, director) will support the collection of patient-related samples and provide support for linking patient material with genomic and clinical data; and Biostatistics (Louis Pasquale, director) will provide resources and support for a variety of statistical analyses including geneti associations, power calculations and analysis of gene expression data. These resources form the basis of an integrated research plan that enhances the research capabilities at MEEI and in particular supports translation of basic science discoveries to clinically relevant information. Four general research themes are supported by this research plan: Genetics and genomics of ocular disease, identification of risk factors for common complex ocular disease, defining the molecular basis of ocular infection and antibiotic-resistant infections, and the cell and molecular biology of neuro-degenerative conditions affecting the eye. The overarching goals are to define the risk factors and molecular events contributing to blinding eye disease as the initial steps toward the development of novel disease-based diagnostic and therapeutic modalities with the ultimate goal of promoting personalized medicine for ocular disorders.
This P30 Center Core Grant for Vision Research provides critically important resources that support the overall research program at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and in particular supports the translation of new knowledge into clinical information that positively impacts the diagnosis and care of patients affected by blinding visual disorders.
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