Aug 12
30
Nelson Sabates, MD
Researchers in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine have received a four-year challenge grant of $220,000 from Research to Prevent Blindness, the leading voluntary health organization supporting eye research directed at the prevention, treatment or eradication of all diseases that threaten vision. The research will be directed by Nelson Sabates, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and Director of the Vision Research Center at UMKC.
The research being conducted by Dr. Sabates and his colleagues is focused on two goals: 1) understanding the vision process at a cellular level and what happens when components at that level do not work correctly (such as in a disease process); and 2) making strides in treatments at the clinical level to save or improve patients’ vision.
UMKC’s vision researchers are well known for their studies on basic retinal cell biology and pharmacology, ophthalmic drug delivery and drug development for retinal diseases.
“Our researchers are not only investigating new promising medicines, but also new diagnostic and surgical techniques,” Dr. Sabates said. “With support like this grant from RPB, we hope to expand on our goals and develop a link that translates our basic and translational research to new clinical breakthroughs.”
Since it was founded in 1960, RPB has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to medical institutions throughout the United States for research into all blinding eye diseases. For information on RPB, RPB-funded research, eye disorders and the RPB Grants Program, go to www.rbusa.org.
