The Department of Ophthalmology has received a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) to support investigators advancing the field of ophthalmology and vision science.
The unrestricted grant is $115,000 given annually for the next five years to the department and can be used at the discretion of the chair to support priority initiatives and collaborations. This grant is presented to just 30 departments across the country and is awarded based on a thorough review of the department’s research activities, laboratory environment as well as the work of the clinical and scientific investigators.
Nicholas J. Volpe, MD, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and the George and Edwina Tarry Professor, said RPB’s unrestricted support of the department is a powerful tool to fuel the academic mission and research priorities.
“Research to Prevent Blindness is the single largest nonfederal foundation providing research funding to ophthalmology research broadly,” Volpe said. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with RPB.”
Volpe said that the grant will support the development of young investigators, foster collaboration among faculty and launch new initiatives. The additional funding allows Northwestern to share in the mission to continue to work toward preventing blindness and be recognized as a rigorous research partner.
This is one of the many grants RPB has presented to Northwestern. In 2024, funding from RPB included the Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship, which was awarded to Jeremy Lavine, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Ophthalmology, and Andrea Sara Cuamatzi Castelan, a medical student. Additionally, the Stein Innovation Award was presented to Gregory W. Schwartz, PhD, the Derrick T. Vail Professor of Ophthalmology.
In 2023, a RPB Challenge Grant was presented to Volpe and the department to support their research and obtain imaging technology to further the science. In 2022, RPB’s Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship was awarded to Lavine and Kyle Chan, a medical student, and in 2021, Steven DeVries, MD, PhD, the David Shoch, MD, PhD, professor of Ophthalmology, received an International Research Collaborators Award.
RPB is the world’s leading voluntary organization supporting eye research. To date, the organization has awarded grants totaling more than $4 million to Feinberg and more than $400 million in total research funding.
