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May 14, 2025 | UCI School of Medicine
Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD, Awarded Grant from BrightFocus Foundation’s National Glaucoma Research Program
BrightFocus Foundation’s National Glaucoma Research program has awarded a two-year, $182,000 research grant to Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD, an associate professor of physiology & biophysics and ophthalmology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, to investigate the cumulative role of repeated intraocular pressure elevations in epigenetic reprogramming and aging.
Dec 03, 2024 | UCI News
UC Irvine-co-led study finds DNA damage is key factor in age-related macular degeneration
Targeting specific retinal cell types could lead to treatments that slow or stop progression
May 13, 2024 | UCI Beall Applied Innovation
Henry Klassen, M.D., Ph.D. Awarded Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year
Henry Klassen, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Stem Cell & Retinal Regeneration, UCI School of Medicine, wins the Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year. UCI Beall Applied Innovation, with generous support from Don and Ken Beall, created the annual UCI Innovator Awards to recognize UCI researchers working actively to promote commercialization of university intellectual property, which supports industry growth and moves inventions from the lab to market to benefit humankind.
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Michelle Heath Manager mstrombe@hs.uci.edu
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Bill Rowcliffe says he owes not just his vision, but also his life to his ophthalmology team at UC Irvine. Last summer, doctors at the UCI Health Gavin Herbert Eye Institute found an inflammation in his optic nerve that required a trip to the emergency room.
Maintaining good vision isn't just about annual exams — what we eat plays a powerful role in protecting our eyes throughout our lives. A balanced, nutrient-rich diet can lower the risk for common age-related eye conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts and dry eyes.
UC Irvine researchers seeking cures to blinding diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma have a new reason to celebrate. The highly anticipated Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building is expected to officially open its doors this spring, ushering in a new era of transformational vision research.
Aug 06, 2025 | Science News
This snail may hold a secret to human eye regeneration
The golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) possesses camera‑type eyes that are anatomically and genetically similar to human eyes and can fully regenerate a complete eye—including lens, retina, and optic nerve—within approximately 28 days following amputation. Scientists have used CRISPR–Cas9 to explore the role of key genes like pax6 in this process, and by studying gene activity during snail eye regeneration, are identifying candidates that might one day enable therapeutic strategies to repair or regrow human eye tissue.
Jun 24, 2025 | WebMD
Making the Most of Side Vision: Low Vision Therapy for AMD
Nilima Tanna, a low-vision occupational therapist at the University of California, Irvine’s Health's Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, spoke with WebMD about low-vision rehabilitation therapy and how it helps people with AMD maximize their remaining peripheral vision.