Vanderbilt Vision Research Center

September 22, 2025

NIH grant renewal signals bright outlook for Vanderbilt vision research

The Vanderbilt Vision Research Center was founded in 1989 and secured the National Eye Institute core grant that still supports it; the grant will provide approximately $3.3 million over the current five-year funding period.

By Leigh MacMillan

September 8, 2022

Calkins lands national award for research on blinding eye diseases

Vanderbilt’s David Calkins, PhD, has been selected by the Research to Prevent Blindness and Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology to receive the 2023 David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding Vision Research.

By Nancy Humphrey

July 20, 2020

Study points to potential new approach to treating neurodegenerative diseases like glaucoma and Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have shown for the first time that when one optic nerve in the eye is damaged, as in glaucoma, the opposite optic nerve comes to the rescue by sharing its metabolic energy.

By Bill Snyder

February 22, 2018

Glaucoma study finds brain fights to preserve vision

A team of researchers, led by David Calkins, PhD, vice chair and director of Research at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, has made a breakthrough discovery in the field of glaucoma showing new hopes for treatments to preserve vision.

By Jessica Pasley

October 5, 2017

Vision conference brings together research groups from across the Southeast

The Vanderbilt Eye Institute (VEI) recently hosted the Southeastern Vision Conference to celebrate and share excellence in vision science.

By Jessica Pasley

December 3, 2015

Event celebrates scope of vision science at VUMC

Vision science at Vanderbilt has experienced tremendous growth in recent years.

By Jessica Pasley