COLUMBUS – The number of cases of potentially blinding eye diseases continues to climb. The National Eye Institute estimates that the United States spends $68 billion in healthcare costs related with eye and vision disorders. As the nation struggles with the skyrocketing increase in diabetes, the numbers of those who are at-risk to lose their vision from diabetic retinopathy also rises.
With the aging baby boomer population and lack of affordable health care for many in the United States and Ohio, the number of blind and visually impaired is expected to double by the year 2030. More than 2.5 million Ohioans will be affected. Based on the estimation in the doubling of vision loss over the next three decades and figuring an annual inflation rate of 3%, the cost of visual disorders and disabilities in Ohio can reach over $9.4 billion annually by the year 2030!
But despite these statistics, modern research offers hope to those who threatened by vision loss. Studies in age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other eye diseases continue to provide advancements in treatment and prevention. To bring awareness to the critical importance of vision research, Prevent Blindness America has designated June as Vision Research Awareness Month.
"For close to 100 years, our organization has served as the voluntary, nonprofit advocate for the public on vision related issues," said Sherill K. Williams, president and CEO of PBO. "But many may not know that we also provide research grants to those who are working to find the causes of and cures for vision loss. With the doubling of aging eye diseases in the next two decades, the need for research to find the causes of and cures for vision loss has never been greater. Early detection and prevention are key in our fight to preserve healthy sight for a lifetime."
In 2003, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report on national needs for biomedical and behavioral research scientists. The report cites that there is an increased need for clinical scientists who can help translate research findings into improvements for health. In the next 10 years as the baby boomers age and retire, scientific research fields, including vision research, stand to lose over 50% of their scientists. Females and minorities are particularly underrepresented in scientific research careers.
To address this need for scientific workforce development, PBO launched the Prevent Blindness Ohio’s Young Investigators Student Fellowship Award for Female Scholars in Vision Research in 2005. This new program is designed to encourage female scientists at the beginning of their careers to pursue vision research that can contribute toward the early detection and treatment discoveries that will be needed to curb the growth of vision loss in Ohio due to the four leading causes of blindness – age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy.
Prevent Blindness Ohio is pleased to announce its first six fellowship grants through this new research program to:
Dianne Henry, Biomedical Engineering Department, The Ohio State University
Michelle Lin, Department of Ophthalmology, Case Western Reserve University
Amy Long, Department of Human Nutrition, The Ohio State University
Elizabeth McDonald, Department of Biology and Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation
Jennifer Stanke, Neuroscience Department, The Ohio State University
Corrie Ziegler, College of Optometry, The Ohio State University
Fellowship projects will commence during the summer session of academic study and conclude by September 30, 2006. Fellows will present the results of their projects at a research forum sponsored by Prevent Blindness Ohio. The Award Program financially assisted by the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee and the Sarah E. Slack Prevention of Blindness Fund, Muskingum County Community Foundation.
For more information on the Prevent Blindness Ohio Fellowship Award , or for free brochures
on vision research and various eye diseases, call Prevent Blindness Ohio at 1-800-301-2020 or click here.
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Prevent Blindness Ohio, founded in 1957, is Ohio’s leading volunteer, nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight. It serves all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to more than 600,000 Ohioans annually and educating millions of consumers about what they can do to protect and preserve their precious gift of sight. Prevent Blindness Ohio is an affiliate of Prevent Blindness America, the country’s second-oldest national voluntary health organization. For more information or to make a contribution, visit our website at www.pbohio.org or call 800-301-2020.
