University Hospitals of Cleveland/CASE Department of Ophthalmology
Basic Research Programs

Chairman:

Jonathan Lass, M.D.

Current Investigators:
David Bardenstein, M.D. 
Suber Huang, M.D.
Sudha Iyengar, Ph.D.

Timothy Kern, Ph.D.
Jonathan Lass, M.D. 
Susanne Mohr, Ph.D.
Edward Medof, M.D., Ph.D.
Ram Nagaraj, Ph.D.
Eric Pearlman, Ph.D.
Loretta Szczotka-Flynn, O.D., M.S.

8,000 square feet; Wearn 6, University Hospitals of Cleveland

Areas of Research

-Cataract
-Corneal physiology
-Contact Lens 
-Diabetic retinopathy
-Experimental ophthalmic pathology
-Macular degeneration
-Molecular genetics of eye diseases
-Non-invasive ocular imaging
-Ocular immunology
-Ocular oncology
-Ocular toxicology 
-Retinal Diseases Image Analysis Reading Center (REDIARC)
-Specular Microscopy Reading Center

Current Federal Funding: $11.4 million 

Major Developments in the past 5 years

-Establishment of CASE/University Hospitals of Cleveland Visual Sciences Research Center (VSRC) in 1996 between the Departments of Ophthalmology, Genetics, Medicine, Molecular Biology, Neurology, Neurosciences, and Pathology.  Departments of Anatomy, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmacology, and Physiology also now participating with over 30 investigators in the VSRC.

-Award of a P30 Core Grant in 1997 to the VSRC directed by Dr. Lass supporting 4 core facilities in tissue culture, cell analysis (histology, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry), molecular biology, specialized animal resources.  Renewal in 2002 with addition of imaging and bioinformatics modules.

-Entered Unrestricted Grant Program of Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. in 1997.  Senior Investigator Award to Dr. Porter in 1999, Medical Student Research Fellowship in 2000-01 to Ravi Berger, and Wasserman Award in 2001 to Dr. Nagaraj.

-Establishment of endowed professorships including the Carl Asseff, M.D. Endowed Research Professorship in Ophthalmology in 1998, the Philip F. and Elizabeth G. Searle—Suber Huang, M.D. Professorship in Ophthalmology in 2004, and the Silvia Balslew Page-William J. Reinhart, M.D. Professorship in 2004

 -Award of a T32 training grant to the VSRC in September 2000 funding the support of training for 4 pre and 2 postdoctoral research fellows in the visual sciences

-Publication in Science (Saint Andre et al 295:1892, 2002) of the findings of the critical role of Wolbachia in onchocerchal keratitis.  Research team led by Dr. Pearlman.

-Commitment by the Case Research Institute to build out nearly 25,000 sq. ft. of research space for the VSRC on the 6^th floor of the newly opened $110 million, 300,000 sq. ft. Iris and Bert Wolstein Plans include consolidation of laboratories and core facilities of the VSRC and recruitment of three to five new investigators in the areas of ocular immunology and retinal biology.