Opthalmologists win $100,000

Medical School opthalmologists Alan Laties and Richard Stone recently received a $100,000 award from the Alcon Research Institute for their work in vision research. The two were recognized for their studies of ocular innervation, or how the nervous system controls the functions of the eye. Recently, their efforts have expanded to include study of natural mechanisms controlling eye development, especially in relation to myopia, or near-sightedness. "It's a nice award because [Alcon] provides research funds," Stone said. "It's important in the sense that on a practical level you need money to fund research projects." According to Stone, the award was approximately one of 10 given by the Alcon Corporation, which is the manufacturer of opthalmic drugs and contact lens products. "What we are interested in is the innovation that underlies the physiology of the eye," Laties said. "The chief interest we have now is in the nerves of the eye and the pressure of the eye." Laties was trained to be a neurologist, but after a short opthalmology course in medical school, decided to change his attention to the study of the eye. He has been a professor at the University for 32 years. With his neurological background, Laties pioneered the use of fluorescence in helping to map parts of the eye. "At least one day, we can find a cure for myopia," said Cheryl Capehart, a research specialist who works in Laties' lab. "The long-term idea behind the research is to get human applications and help people out." Stone and Laties, along with Associate Opthalmology Professor Patricia Grimes, have been working on the project for approximately five years, according to Carpenter. "It's hard to get bored," Carpenter said. "There are so many steps to just one main thing. Especially when you've got to find out what causes it and what prevents it." Laties also received the $50,000 Paul Kayser International Award of Merit in Retina Research last month in Stressa, Italy. "The understanding of disease is improving at an incredible rate. The challenge of it, the sheer joy of discovery is going to rise," Laties said. "There is a difference between scientific careers and other careers. If you are just an average scientist doing average work, you can still look forward to defined accomplishments." Opthalmology Chair Stuart Fine has also received a $75,000 grant from Research to Prevent Blindness to support his research of the macula, the central area of the retina.

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