Maria Grant, M.D., Professor and Eivor and Alston Callahan, M.D., Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology, recently received the esteemed Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding Vision Research. Grant was honored at the recent Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) annual meeting.
The RPB David F. Weeks Award, named in honor of former RPB President and Chairman David F. Weeks, celebrates exceptional vision researchers whose work significantly advances the understanding and treatment of potentially blinding eye diseases.
Grant’s groundbreaking research focuses on utilizing human embryonic stem cells for vascular repair, a discovery that holds transformative potential for treating retinal diseases. Her pioneering efforts in targeted gene expression offer novel therapeutic possibilities for tissue repair throughout the body.
Grant receiving the award underscores her remarkable contributions to ophthalmology research. She delivered a lecture titled, “Inside out solutions: using gut-targeted approaches to treat retinal disease,” at the AUPO Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 31.
From left, Brian Hofland, Ph.D., President of Research to Prevent Blindness; Maria Grant, M.D.; and Paul Sternberg, Jr., M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Association of University Professors of OphthalmologyShe expressed her gratitude for the recognition, stating, “I am so grateful to Research to Prevent Blindness and to AUPO for this award and am so honored to contribute to their mission of advancing vision science. My laboratory and I are hopeful that our studies will reduce blindness in individuals with diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. We have been very fortunate to collaborate with dedicated researchers at UAB and at University of Florida to move forward these studies that emphasize the importance of understanding the impact of the gut on retinal outcomes.”
“Dr. Grant's groundbreaking research is emblematic of the innovation and excellence we strive for at UAB, making innovative advances in ophthalmic research, specifically the link between the gut microbiome and vision in individuals with diabetes. Her work not only advances our understanding of retinal diseases but also inspires our faculty, trainees, and the broader scientific community,” remarked Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D., EyeSight Foundation of Alabama Endowed Chair, DOVS, on Grant’s contributions and the significance of this recognition.
Before joining UAB, Grant served as the Marilyn Glick Professor of Ophthalmology at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute at Indiana University. She holds a Medical Degree from the University of Florida and completed research fellowships at both the University of Florida and Johns Hopkins University.For more information about the RPB David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding Vision Research, please visit the AUPO website.
Photography credit to the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology.