Young investigators earn support for pediatric eye research

Young investigators at the U-M Kellogg Eye Center recently received grants from the Knights of Templar Eye Foundation to improve care of pediatric eye diseases.

Tappan Patel, M.D., Ph.D., a PGY-2 resident physician, earned a $65,000 grant to determine the utility of using a smartphone device to screen for retinopathy of prematurity. His mentors are resident Tyson Kim, M.D., Ph.D., and Yannis Paulus, M.D., a Kellogg Eye Center ophthalmologist and biomedical engineering specialist.

Lev Prasov, M.D., Ph.D., a resident physician, will spend his $65,000 grant to validate a new gene for nanophthalmos, a rare eye malformation in which children are born with abnormally small eyeballs. U-M genetic specialists Julia E. Richards, Ph.D., and Sally Camper, Ph.D., are his mentors.

KTEF supports clinical and basic researchers committed to the understanding, prevention and cure of sight-threatening diseases in infants and children.

The Career-Starter Research Grants provide a unique funding source for residents, said Monte Del Monte, M.D.,pediatric ophthalmology specialist at Kellogg Eye Center. The awards can help launch the careers of young investigators as they explore new concepts and collect preliminary data for a future larger award.