July 27, 2012

Wilmer Eye Institute is proud to announce that Wilmer faculty members Derek Welsbie, Shannath Merbs and Noriko Esumi, along with Wilmer researcher Zhiyong Yang, have received grants from the American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF). Drs. Welsbie, Merbs and Yang are investigating different ways to promote the survival of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the optic nerve cells normally damaged in glaucoma. Dr. Esumi is studying factors that control inflammation in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using engineered mice.

These were among 21 new grants from the AHAF, announced on Tuesday, July 25. The $2.1 million total will support research projects in glaucoma and macular degeneration in both the U.S. and abroad.