Vanderbilt Eye Institute researchers have discovered that an imbalance in the ionic environment of retinal ganglion cells may contribute to functional impairments in glaucoma.

Vanderbilt Eye Institute receives grants to Research to study causes, treatment and prevention of blinding diseases.

Increasing a certain signaling molecule prevents the degeneration of retinal cells that are lost in glaucoma, suggesting a new way to treat this disease.

Jun. 28, 2018—David Calkins, PhD, vice chair and director of Research at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, has been granted one of the preeminent awards in vision research — the Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Stein Innovation Award.

Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has awarded two grants to faculty in the Department of Ophthalmology.

The Vanderbilt Eye Institute recently received a grant for $115,000 from Research to Prevent Blindness, placing the total award amount for unrestricted grants from the organization at $860,000.

Understanding how the protein TRPV1 helps neurons survive after glaucoma-related stressors could lead to new therapeutic strategies for glaucoma and other neurodegenerative conditions.