Boston (Jan. 26, 2012) – Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has granted Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary cornea specialist James Chodosh, M.D., M.P.H., a $150,000 Senior Scientific Investigator Award. RPB Senior Scientific Investigator Awards support nationally recognized scientists conducting eye research at medical institutions in the United States.
Dr. Chodosh is internationally respected for his work on viral infections of the eye, and has worked for more than 20 years to elucidate the causes of visual loss in epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC), an Adenoviral infection commonly known as pink eye. The purpose of Dr. Chodosh's RPB-funded study is to identify those characteristics of the virus that cause inflammation in the Adenovirus-infected cornea. If successful, his work should allow prediction of which new Adenoviruses are likely to become causes of EKC, and aid in understanding how corneal inflammation (and poor vision) is caused.
"We are very grateful to Research to Prevent Blindness for their support. Their funding is vital to our on-going research, such as that being done by Dr. Chodosh, to determine the factors involved in vision loss. This is work that will lead to providing the best treatment for our patients and ultimately, patients everywhere," said Dr. Joan W. Miller, Chief of Ophthalmology at Mass. Eye and Ear and Mass General Hospital, and Chair of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.
RPB is the world's leading voluntary organization supporting eye research. Since it was founded in 1960, RPB has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to medical institutions for research into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding eye diseases. For information on RPB, go to www.rpbusa.org.
About Mass. Eye and Ear
Founded in 1824, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is an independent specialty hospital providing patient care for disorders of the eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck. Mass. Eye and Ear is an international leader in Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology research and a teaching partner of Harvard Medical School. Under the direction of Mass. Eye and Ear's board of directors, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Schepens Eye Research Institute recently formed the world's largest and most robust private basic and clinical ophthalmology research enterprise. For more information, call 617-523-7900 or visit http://www.masseyeandear.org/.