The development of the VSTP became possible as research in vision science became a major area of emphasis at CASE and five major research themes evolved.  The thematic organization of our program is a major benefit to trainees as the opportunity exists to take advantage of both departmental-specific and vision theme-specific activities.  Brief descriptions of each of the five vision research themes follow and more information can be obtained from links in the Program Faculty section. These goals are outlined every five years in a Mission Statement produced by the National Advisory Eye Council of NEI/NIH. The NAEC’s most recent statement of mission, goals, progress, and objectives was released in December 2003 as the National Plan for Eye and Vision Research (www.nei.nih.gov/strategicplanning). The most notable coincident mission of the CASE VSRC with NIH/NEI is the commitment to translational research in its “application of fundamental scientific discoveries and novel technologies to the development and testing of solutions for clinically relevant problems.” 

Visual System Development Faculty: S. Ball  S. Brady-Kalnay  L. Landmesser  J. Nadeau  N. Peachy  M. Warman  R. Zigmond

Extraocular Muscle Biology  Stable positioning, interocular alignment, and movement of the eyes are critical to clear vision as we move about in our environment.  Multiple ocular motor systems converge upon the extraocular (eye) muscles to ensure stability of vision and image acquisition capability. Ocular motility disorders may render an individual effectively blind when nystagmus produces ocular oscillations that prevent sustained periods of gaze stability or when vestibular deficits preclude the ability to compensate for movement of the head or body. As a result of the substantial commitment by the NEI and the efforts of investigators in the field, the ocular motor system is arguably the best understood of any skeletomotor system. Researchers at CASE/UHC are particularly capable of building upon this solid foundation.  CASE is a national leader in research in eye movement disorders.

Extraocular Muscle Biology Faculty:   J. Leigh  L. Dell’Osso  H. Kaminski  J. Stahl

Ocular Consequences of Aging and Diabetes Systemic metabolic disorders can have some of their most severe consequences upon many tissues of the eye and orbit.  Diabetes exerts its most harmful effects upon the retina, as pathology of retinal vasculature leads to diabetic retinopathy and devastating loss of vision.  The diabetic also is at risk for development of cataract and glaucoma.  Members of the Ocular Consequences of Diabetes Theme lead a strong group in diabetic retinopathy that is developing at CASE/UHC.  The efforts of this group may not only uncover mechanisms that lead to improved management of the ocular consequences of diabetes but ultimately may be beneficial to the entire field of diabetes research.

Ocular Consequences of Diabetes Faculty:   T. Kern  D. Kourennyi  V. Monnier  R. Nagaraj  S. Mohr  

Ocular Immunology and Inflammation  Ocular immunology is a unique and greatly under-represented area of study.  Because of the potential threat to vision resulting from an inflammatory response in the eye, ocular tissues have developed mechanisms to subvert these responses.  Therefore, while acting to protect the eye under normal circumstances, the immune system must negotiate a delicate balance between protecting and damaging ocular tissues.  Training in modern immunological methods is essential for understanding the pathogeneses of a wide range of inflammatory diseases that affect the eye, including autoimmune conditions, infections and malignancies. Members of the Ocular Immunology Theme focus primarily on the cornea and ocular surface, which represents the interface between the eye and the environment.  For the trainee to carry out successful research in the visual sciences, the immunological training must be basic in nature, encompass both humoral and cellular immunology, and ideally provide insights that derive from studies of non-ocular as well as ocular disorders.  The Ocular Immunology theme group has taken this approach in design of the training program.

Ocular Immunology and Inflammation Faculty:  S. Debane  S. Iyengar  E. Medof  J. Lass  E. Pearlman  A. Rollins

Translational Research  Translation of basic science findings to clinical practice is the ultimate goal of NIH-funded research.  To a greater or lesser extent, many of the faculty that are participating in the Visual Sciences Training Program are engaged in research that aids the translation of basic science data into applied clinical practice, including the conduct of formal, prospective randomized clinical trials. Thus, many of the participants in this application could be described as playing roles in translational research.   The Translational Research Theme includes two groups of investigators working in key areas in vision research, one group centered on the cornea and the other onextraocular muscle biology.  With the advent of new means for refractive surgery, the cornea is an area of particular need for skilled researchers. Extraocular muscle biology disorders are now more amenable to treatment, but, unfortunately, the understanding of central eye movement control mechanisms has not been exploited in the clinic.  Theme participants hope to play a role in remedying this situation.

Translational Research Faculty:   J. Lass  L. Dell’Osso  J. Leigh  J. Stahl