BrightFocus Foundation’s Macular Degeneration Research program has awarded a two-year, $200,000 postdoctoral fellowship grant to Celia Bisbach, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for her innovative research in vision health.
A summary of Dr. Bisbach’s project, “Targeting and Removing Harmful Proteins to Treat Wet AMD,” is below:
We are developing a new treatment for neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration (nAMD). nAMD is caused in part by accumulation of a protein called VEGF in a region of the eye where its levels are normally low. Currently, nAMD is treated by frequent eye injections of inhibitors which block VEGF function. We are using a new strategy, targeted protein degradation, to physically destroy VEGF using the body’s natural waste disposal system. Our ultimate goal is to create a more effective, localized, and longer-lasting therapy for nAMD that could improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
Dr. Bisbach’s proposal was the top-rated postdoctoral fellowship application as determined by the Macular Degeneration Research Scientific Review Committee, earning her the Helen Juanita Reed Award for Macular Degeneration Research.
Postdoctoral fellowship awards are intended to support researchers during their final stages of mentored training. The award provides salary support for an early-career scientist to conduct postdoctoral studies in an established laboratory focused on research contributing to understanding the biological causes and/or new clinical treatment of macular degeneration. Twenty million U.S. adults have macular degeneration—the leading cause of vision loss in Americans aged 65 and older. Early detection and treatment are crucial to slowing the disease progression and preventing permanent vision loss.
BrightFocus is supporting 44 active macular degeneration research grants across the globe, a $14 million investment in promising studies toward improving early disease detection and diagnosis, helping to develop effective treatments, and developing a better understanding of the root causes of disease onset. Grants are highly competitive, with decisions guided by scientific advisory committees of leading researchers in the field.
“Defeating macular degeneration will require bold thinking and sustained investment in innovative science,” said Stacy Pagos Haller, President and CEO of BrightFocus Foundation. “The ideas being explored by this year’s grant recipients reflect the kind of forward-looking research that moves us closer to protecting vision and ultimately finding a cure.”
BrightFocus Foundation is a premier private nonprofit funder of early-stage research around the world to discover cures for diseases of mind and sight. Through its programs Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Macular Degeneration Research, and National Glaucoma Research, the Foundation has awarded more than $310 million in innovative research grants. Learn more at brightfocus.org.