SUNY Downstate receives $1 million grant for eyesight restoration research
The State University of New York’s Empire Innovation Program has awarded SUNY Downstate Medical Center a $1 million grant to recruit and retain faculty researchers in support of the Department of Ophthalmology’s research on restoring eyesight and preventing vision impairment.
SUNY Downstate will match an additional $1 million to the project, which is a key part of the campus’ ongoing efforts to create a world-class vision center in Brooklyn.
The SUNY Empire Innovation Program is a state-funded effort dedicated to recruiting and retaining world-class faculty throughout the State University system.
Douglas R. Lazzaro, MD, professor, and Richard C. Troutman, MD, distinguished chair of ophthalmology and ophthalmic microsurgery, said, “The award will allow the ophthalmology team to recruit or retain two faculty members and perform translational research with an emphasis on tissue repair and rescue, including stem cell research in the cornea, trabecular meshwork and retina.”