Jan. 27, 2012– Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has awarded two grants to the John A. Moran Eye Center (JMEC) at the University of Utah to support research into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding diseases. Gregory Hageman, Ph.D. has been granted a $150,000 Senior Scientific Investigator Award, and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences has been granted $100,000, to be directed by department Chairman Randall J Olson, M.D., CEO of the JMEC. To date, RPB has awarded grants totaling $4,765,300 to the University of Utah.

“We are grateful to RPB for their charitable gifts and continual support of our research. The research efforts at the Moran Eye Center are moving forward at a rapid pace and these gifts will further the studies that will lead to treatments and cures for devastating eye diseases,” said Olson.

RPB is the world’s leading voluntary organization supporting eye research. Since it was founded in 1960, RPB has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to medical institutions for research into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding eye diseases. For information on RPB, RPB-funded research, eye disorders and the RPB Grants Program, go to www.rpbusa.org.

About  Gregory Hageman, Ph.D.

Gregory S. Hageman, Ph.D. is the John A. Moran Presidential Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Director of the Moran Center for Translational Medicine at the John A. Moran Eye Center. He is an author of more than 100 refereed publications, and an inventor on multiple issued patents. He has presented a number of plenary and named lectureships, including the Ashton Eponymous, LuEster Mertz, Bradley R. Straatsma, Ashton, Joseph M. Bryan, Walter R. Stafford, James A. Craig and Jonathan Bok Memorial lectures.

Hageman’s primary research interest during the past 20 years has been directed toward assessment of pathways involved in the etiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible worldwide blindness.

 

About Randall J Olson, M.D.

Randall J Olson, M.D. is the CEO of the John A. Moran Eye Center. A specialist in the research of intra-ocular lens complications, teleophthalmology, and corneal transplantation techniques, he is the author of more than 300 professional publications and is a worldwide lecturer. He was selected as one of the 15 best cataract surgeons in the United States in a peer survey conducted by Ophthalmology Times. Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today also named Dr. Olson one of 50 international opinion leaders. He has appeared in the last three editions of Best Doctors in America.

About the John A. Moran Eye Center

The John A. Moran Eye Center is committed to the goal that no person with a blinding condition, eye disease or visual impairment should be without hope, understanding, and treatment. The Moran Eye Center is home to more than 50 faculty members, including one of the top retinal research teams in the world. Moran researchers are largely funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and are involved in more than 50 active clinical trials. Each year, Moran hosts more than 120,000 clinic visits, including more than 7,000 surgeries. Ophthalmologists at the Moran Eye Center are highly involved in international outreach and perform multiple medical missions throughout the world every year.