For more information:
Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate
Laura Schwartz
800-301-2020 ext. 112
Local Resident Chosen for Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate Vision Fellowship
Columbus, OH (Aug. 23, 2017) – Prevent Blindness is proud to announce that a Vision Research Fellowship grant has been awarded to Mentor Ohio resident, Lindsay Perusek, a medical student at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is conducting her summer research with the Case Western Reserve University Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. She is researching new treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which is a progressive condition that results in limited central vision. Risk factors for AMD include increasing age, family history and cigarette smoking. The purpose of this study is to use patient derived cell models to identify FDA-approved small molecules that reduce retinal cell damage and decrease progression of AMD clinical features.
The incidence of vision impairment and vision loss increases as the population ages and given the growth of the aging population, the number of people with impaired vision, including blindness, could skyrocket. To curb this growth, preventive steps must be taken including increased vision research, access to care, and education.
“The growth of vision loss and the overall impact of vision problems on individuals, their families and our society inspired the Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness to establish the Young Investigator Student Fellowship Award for Female Scholars in Vision Research, said Sherry Williams, President & CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Our goal is to encourage female scientists at the beginning of their careers to pursue vision research that can contribute toward the early detection and treatment discoveries that will be needed to curb the growth of vision loss,” Williams continued.
About Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. The Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness is Ohio’s leading volunteer nonprofit public health organization dedicated to prevent blindness and preserve sight. We serve all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to more than 800,000 Ohioans annually and educating millions of consumers about what they can do to protect and preserve their precious gift of sight. For more information or to make a contribution, call 800-301-2020. Or, visit us on the web at www.pbohio.org or facebook.com/pbohio.
