The VAF is thrilled to announce the following 2021 Resident Grant award recipients. The award winners will receive a combined total of $21,385.
Dr. Billie Beckwith-Cohen, Michigan State University
$5,000
Retinal remodeling and plasticity in a CABP4-mutant model of retinal degeneration
Dr. Kourtney Dowler, University of Missouri
$5,000
Ophthalmic viscoelastics commonly used in cataract surgery: a microbiota investigation
Dr. Michael Minaldi, Mississippi State University
$1,385
Effects of topical ropivacaine hydrochloride 0.5% and lidocaine hydrochloride 2% on corneal sensitivity in horses
Dr. Melanie Mironovich, Louisiana State University
$5,000
Utilizing polymeric antioxidant-loaded nanoparticles as a delivery system to mitigate photo-oxidative stress of whole porcine lenses in vitro
Dr. Brett Story, UC Davis
$5,000
Ocular pathology of Tay-Sachs disease in Jacob sheep
Thank you to Grants Committee Chair, Dr. Georgina Newbold, and committee members, Drs. Rachel Allbaugh, Heather Chandler, Andrew Lewin, Keiko Miyadera, Sami Pederson, Erin Scott, Gillian Shaw, Kyle Tofflemire, Sarah Thomasy and Tomo Wiggans. for your time and energy!
The VAF is pleased to announce that the 2021 Founders Clinical Research Grant, in the amount of $9,098, has been awarded to Dr. Ken Abrams and team for their submission, titled ‘*Olfaction Evaluation in Dogs with Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS); (Sniffin’ out SARDS!)*’.
Thank you to Dr. Andrew Lewin, Founders Clinical Research Grant Review Committee Chair, and Committee Members (Drs. Mike Brown, Cynthia Cook, Amanda Joslin, Brad Nadelstein and Dan Ward) for the time and energy that they dedicated to this project.
The ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation (VAF) is thrilled to announce the recipients of our 2020 Large Grant program:
Defining the Pathophysiology of Hypercoagulability in Canine Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome
Dr. Freya Mowat
University of Wisconsin Madison School of Veterinary Medicine
$30, 227
Investigation into the Genetics of Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) Multiple Ocular Coloboma
Dr. Tim Georoff
Philadelphia Zoo
$29,150
This year, the VAF has awarded a record amount – more than $81,000 – of grant funding to residents and diplomates for important research efforts.
A white paper, authored by invited participants in the ACVO Vision for Animal Foundation (VAF)’s Canine Glaucoma Think Tank (November 2017) and Canine Glaucoma Consortium*, has been published in Veterinary Ophthalmology. The article, “The future of canine glaucoma therapy”, is published Open Access thanks to funding provided by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and the Veterinary Ophthalmology journal.
*Authors: András M. Komáromy, Dineli Bras, Douglas W. Esson, Ronald L. Fellman, Sinisa D. Grozdanic, Larry Kagemann, Paul E. Miller, Sayoko E. Moroi, Caryn E. Plummer, John S. Sapienza, Eric S. Storey, Leandro B. Texeira, Carol B. Toris, Terah R. Webb.
The ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation (VAF) is proud to announce that our 2017 Canine Glaucoma grant, in the amount of $29,974, has been awarded to Dr. Hans Westermeyer, North Carolina State University, for his proposal, “Predicting the onset of intraocular pressure rises and retinal damage in primary angle closure glaucoma in dogs“. This two-year study will begin next week.
On Saturday, November 5th the VAF hosted a Think Tank focused on “Surgical Techniques for the Treatment of Canine Glaucoma”. The results of this meeting will be published in a White Paper and recommendations will be used to prepare an RFP to fund research on this topic. Thank you to VAF Board member Dr. András M. Komáromy for organizing this event.
Participants were:
Dr. Dineli Bras, Centro de Especialistas Veterinarios de Puerto Rico, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Dr. Douglas Esson, Eye Care for Animals, Tustin, CA
Dr. Ronald Fellman, Glaucoma Associates of Texas, Dallas, TX
Dr. Larry Kagemann, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Pittsburgh, PA
Dr. András M. Komáromy,Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Dr. Sakoyo Moroi, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Dr. John Sapienza, Long Island Veterinary Specialists, Plainview, NY
Dr. Eric Storey, South Atlanta Animal Eye Clinic, Fayetteville, GA
Dr. Leandro Teixeira, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
Dr. Carol Toris, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Dr. Terah Webb, MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets, Columbus, OH
The ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation (VAF) is pleased to announce that Dr. Freya Mowat of North Carolina State University has been selected as the recipient of the organization’s grant award for research to address Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration (SARDS).
The title of the proposal is “Defining the effect of immune-mediated damage to the pineal gland in the etiopathogenesis of sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) in dogs”. It is a two-year project, with funding to be awarded in the amount of $29,948.
Co-investigators are: Drs. Katherine Lunn, Natasha Olby, and Gianluca Tosini.
