Equal to the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ investment in cutting-edge research is its commitment to enabling bright young medical students to become the next generation of dedicated scientists pursuing vision-saving treatments and cures. Partnering with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) for the third year in a row, the Foundation is funding two year-long fellowships for medical students interested in gaining valuable laboratory-based research experience related to retinal degenerative diseases. “These budding clinician-researchers have the opportunity to make a major impact on countless lives by focusing their careers on saving and restoring sight,” says Dr. Stephen Rose, the Foundation’s chief research officer. “With more potential treatments entering clinical trials every year, we are very much in need of their talent and passion to conduct human studies in the future. This important partnership with HHMI helps fill the pipeline so first-rate minds continue to innovate in our field.” The two Foundation-funded fellows will spend a year away from their medical studies and clinical rotations to gain intensive lab experience in their research areas of interest at esteemed institutions: Under the mentorship of Dr. Ron Adelman and Dr. Lawrence Rizzolo, third-year Yale University School of Medicine student Haben Kefella will use stem cells to identify potential therapeutic approaches for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Under the mentorship of Dr. Jean Bennett, third-year University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine student Keirnan Willett will investigate the efficacy and safety of an optogenetic approach to restoring vision in retinitis pigmentosa. Since the Foundation began partnering with HHMI in 2010, six medical students have been given the opportunity to pursue fellowships related to retinal research. One recipient was even awarded a second year of study in 2011 at Johns Hopkins University to focus on the role of nitric oxide in the development of AMD. For more information on the HHMI Medical Research Fellows Program, visit its website.
等于基金会战斗盲'尖端研究的投资是其承诺，使明亮的年轻的医科学生成为下一代的追求视觉的节能治疗和治愈的专用科学家。与霍华德·休斯医学研究所（HHMI）在连续第三年的合作，该基金会正在资助两个长达一年的奖学金，获得宝贵的实验室基础研究相关的视网膜变性疾病的经验感兴趣的医科学生。 “这些崭露头角的临床研究者有机会，也使专注自己的事业，对保存和恢复视力上无数人的生命产生重大影响，”斯蒂芬·罗斯博士说，该基金会的首席研究官。 “随着更多的潜在治疗药物进入临床试验，每年，我们都非常需要他们的才华和激情，在未来进行人体研究。这与HHMI的重要合作伙伴，帮助填补了管道，使一流的头脑，不断创新，在我们的领域。“这两个基金会资助的研究员花了一年，离他们的医学研究和临床旋转在其研究领域获得密集的实验室经验尊敬的机构的兴趣：在罗恩·阿德尔曼博士和博士劳伦斯Rizzolo，第三年的耶鲁大学医学院的学生Haben Kefella的指导将利用干细胞的年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD），以确定潜在的治疗方法。根据让·贝内特博士的指导，第三年的宾夕法尼亚大学医学院学生Keirnan威利特学校将调查一个optogenetic方法的有效性和安全性，色素性视网膜炎，以恢复视力。由于该基金会开始与霍华德休斯医学研究所合作，在2010年，已获得6个医科学生追求有关视网膜科研奖学金的机会。一个收件人甚至被授予第二年在约翰斯·霍普金斯大学的研究在2011年把重点放在AMD的发展中一氧化氮的作用。为更多的霍华德休斯医学研究所研究员计划的详细信息，请访问其网站。
