UC Ophthalmology Receives Grant to Fight Blindness

The University of Cincinnati has received a $110,000 grant from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) to continue the study of sight-robbing diseases.

The grant was made to the UC Department of Ophthalmology to support research into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding disease. To date, the organization has awarded grants to UC’s medical college totaling nearly $2 million.

"In recent years, RPB support has enabled our faculty and trainees to make important advances in evaluation and management of dry eye disease, corneal scarring and intraocular cancer … particularly choroidal melanoma, retinoblastoma and intraocular lymphoma,” says James Augsburger, MD, professor and department chair, who will direct the research grant.

Established in 1960, RPB is a volunteer organization supported by private and corporate donors and has awarded grants to over 50 scientific institutions in the U.S.

"We are extremely grateful to RPB for its generous financial support,” says Augsburger, adding that funding from the RPB is of vital importance to ongoing clinical and laboratory research.