TAMPA, FL (April 3, 2006) – Prevent Blindness America, the nation's oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, and Prevent Blindness Florida announced today that a recipient of its 2005 Investigator Award has been invited to present his findings at the annual meeting for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). The presentation will be from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on April 30 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Prevent Blindness Florida Board Member, Stephen G. Schwartz, MD, from the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute will present his work "Glucocorticoid Receptor Polymorphisms and Corticosteroid-Induced Glaucoma." The study focuses on the development of glaucoma by patients who have been treated with corticosteroids. The medications, which are injected into the eye to treat a variety of eye diseases, have caused some patients to develop a specific type of glaucoma.
Glaucoma affects more than 160,000 people in Florida alone. People with glaucoma usually notice a loss of peripheral vision first. Over time, glaucoma may also damage central vision. There is no cure for the disease and once vision is lost, it cannot be restored.
Prevent Blindness America and its affiliates established the annual Investigator Award program to provide research grants to help address the growing numbers of Americans at risk for blindness and vision loss. The winners are selected by a team of scientists who are members of ARVO. The 2006 Investigator Award winners will be announced this June.
"We are so excited to be able to provide assistance to Dr. Schwartz and his team in this battle to save sight," said Sarah Jordan-Holmes, CRFE, President & CEO of Prevent Blindness Florida. "For him to be selected by the distinguished members of ARVO to present is an honor and proves how invaluable his work is to the entire vision community."
For more information on the 2006 Investigator Awards, or for more information on eye health & safety, call 1-800-331-2020 or visit www.preventblindness.org/research.
Download a pdf version of this release.
Prevent Blindness Florida, an affiliate of Prevent Blindness America, was established in 1957 and is the state's leading sight-saving organization. Since our inception, we have provided services including vision screening for children, glaucoma screening for at-risk adults, standardized training in recognizing potential vision problems, certification through the nation's only volunteer vision screening program, coordination of a community eye care network of ophthalmologists and optometrists who provide free exams, distribution of vouchers for free exams and glasses provided by our corporate sponsors, public information about eye health and safety, including workplace and fireworks safety. The mission of Prevent Blindness Florida is to prevent blindness and preserve sight.
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