NIH announces six funding opportunities for the BRAIN Initiative in fiscal year 2014
The National Institutes of Health is releasing funding opportunities to build a new arsenal of tools and technologies for unlocking the mysteries of the brain. The NIH action is a step in implementing President Obama's Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - December 18, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Source Type: news
NIH-funded study finds donor age not a factor in most corneal transplants
Ten years after a transplant, a cornea from a 71-year-old donor is likely to remain as healthy as a cornea from a donor half that age, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Corneas from donors over age 71 perform slightly less well, but still remain healthy for the majority of transplant recipients after 10 years, the study found. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - November 15, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Source Type: news
This National Diabetes Month, remember to keep an eye on your eyes
If you are one of more than 25 million Americans with diabetes, you may already know the importance of watching your diet and keeping track of your blood sugar. But did you know its also important to have regular eye exams? (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - November 1, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Source Type: news
NEI Clinician Discusses School Nurses' Role in Vision Loss Prevention in September Issue of "NASN School Nurse"
Dr. Wadih Zein, staff clinician at the National Eye Institute (NEI), has co-authored an article with staff of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and Lions Clubs International on protecting vision in school-aged children. The article appears in the Sep 2013 issue of "NASN School Nurse". (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - October 29, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Source Type: news
Emerging technologies look deeper into the eyes to catch signs of disease
If you've ever been sleep-deprived, you've probably had a firsthand glimpse of the blood vessels in your eyes. But what you haven't seen-and what many eye care professionals cannot see as well as they would like-are the vessels closest to the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - October 28, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
NIH Funds Development of Novel Robots to Assist People with Disabilities, Aid Doctors
Three projects have been awarded funding by the National Institutes of Health to develop innovative robots that work cooperatively with people and adapt to changing environments to improve human capabilities and enhance medical procedures. Funding for these projects totals approximately $2.4 million over the next five years, subject to the availability of funds. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - October 23, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
Remembering visionary neuroscientist David Hubel
Dr. David Hubel, a founder of modern neuroscience who helped decipher how our brains perceive what our eyes see, passed away on Sunday, September 22. He was 87. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - September 27, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
Three studies point to same risk gene for age-related macular degeneration
Three studies reported in Nature Genetics have converged on the same gene as a rare, but powerful risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a common cause of vision loss in older people. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - September 24, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
Extended daily eye patching effective at treating stubborn amblyopia in children
The standard treatment for amblyopia, a condition of poor vision in an otherwise healthy eye, is patching: covering a child's better-seeing eye with a patch for two hours a day to improve vision in the weaker eye. Doctors often suggest increasing the daily duration of patching if children stop making progress, even though there have been limited data showing this approach actually works. However, a recent report by the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigators Group (PEDIG) provides evidence that increasing patching from two to six hours a day is effective at treating persistent amblyopia. The research was funded by the National...
Source: News from NEI - September 23, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
Versatile proteins could be new target for Alzheimer's drugs
A class of proteins that controls visual system development in the young brain also appears to affect vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease in the aging brain. The proteins, which are found in humans and mice, join a limited roster of molecules that scientists are studying in hopes of finding an effective drug to slow the disease process. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - September 19, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
Hearing Impairment and Dual Sensory Impairment are Associated with Increased Mortality in Older Men
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), working with researchers in Iceland, have found that hearing impairment and dual sensory impairment (vision and hearing impairment combined) in older men are associated with increased mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other causes. The research, published in the August 30th online edition of Age and Ageing, demonstrates the potential importance of hearing loss, especially among men, in predicting mortality. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - September 10, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
Researchers find essential brain circuit in visual development
A study in mice reveals an elegant circuit within the developing visual system that helps dictate how the eyes connect to the brain. The research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, has implications for treating amblyopia, a vision disorder that occurs when the brain ignores one eye in favor of the other. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - August 26, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
First funding opportunity announcements for Audacious Goals Initiative available
The National Eye Institute (NEI) has announced funding opportunities for two new high priority research areas. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - August 23, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
Glaucoma-linked gene may help insulate optic nerve
Researchers are making progress toward understanding how some cases of glaucoma begin. A new study from the National Eye Institute reveals that myocilin-a protein linked to a significant fraction of glaucoma-is needed to insulate peripheral nerves. The researchers theorize that myocilin could perform a similar function in the eye. (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - August 12, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
Mechanism that allows bacteria to infect plants may inspire cure for eye disease
By borrowing a tool from bacteria that infect plants, scientists have developed a new approach to eliminate mutated DNA inside mitochondria the energy factories within cells. Doctors might someday use the approach to treat a variety of mitochondrial diseases, including the degenerative eye disease Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). The research, published online today in Nature Medicine, was funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (Source: News from NEI)
Source: News from NEI - August 4, 2013 Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news
