Calkins’ research into early signs of glaucoma recognized
David Calkins, Ph.D., vice chair and director of Research at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, was named to receive the 2011 Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Prize by the New York Academy of Medicine.
The $50,000 prize recognizes the most significant scholarly article on glaucoma published in a peer-reviewed journal. Calkins’ 2010 paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences described evidence for very early signs of injury from glaucoma that actually occur in the brain.
Calkins is the first at Vanderbilt to receive the Rudin Prize.
David Calkins, Ph.D.
"The most important aspect of this award is that it will focus attention on glaucoma as a debilitating age-related neurodegenerative disorder and hopefully raise public awareness,” said Calkins, associate professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Neurosciences and Psychology at Vanderbilt. “We have a wonderful opportunity now to make this point through the Rudin Prize."
The award highlights Calkins’ research in glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the world, affecting nearly 4 million people in the United States each year.
According to National Eye Institute projections, by the year 2020, 80 million people worldwide will have glaucoma. The risk of vision loss due to glaucoma increases seven-fold after age 55. It is hoped that Calkins’ work will lead to future research as well as novel therapies.
“This is a well deserved honor that recognizes the impactful research being done by David Calkins and his team of investigators,” said Paul Sternberg Jr., M.D., chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and director of VEI.
“The Rudin Prize acknowledges Calkins and the VEI glaucoma team as preeminent in making inroads in the understanding and treatment of this blinding disease.”
The prize was established in 1995 in honor of Lewis Rudin, the late New York City real estate developer and founder of the Association for a Better New York. Rudin recognized the importance of rewarding outstanding research on glaucoma.