According to the latest figures available through Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is ranked No. 5 in the country in National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding, with over $10.6 million in NIH grant support during fiscal year 2018.
These highly competitive federal funds provide essential support for UAB Ophthalmology to advance one of its central missions of translating knowledge from bench to bedside. This growth was catalyzed by the Vision of Excellence Initiative that began in 2012 and has positioned UAB Ophthalmology as the fastest growing vision research program in the country over these past five years.
Sponsored by the Eyesight Foundation of Alabama, the Vision of Excellence Initiative was designed to provide the capital investment to propel UAB Ophthalmology into the top 20 in NIH funding. The department far exceeded this goal in 2018 with its top five ranking. This effort, combined with generous support from organizations like the International Retinal Research Foundation and Research to Prevent Blindness, as well as individual donors, has enabled the department to recruit, retain, and support a much larger team of researchers.
Building a Foundation to Create Change
In Alabama alone, it is estimated that nearly 150,000 people live with a visual disability. Nationally, a staggering 25.5 million adults over the age of 18 have experienced some sort of vision loss. Access to care is a vital component of vision health, but it is in the research laboratory that game-changing medical breakthroughs begin.
Our scientists and clinician-scientists aim to advance knowledge and enhance the quality of vision care across Birmingham, the region, and the globe. The department currently works with a multidisciplinary group of researchers and clinicians from across UAB’s campus, investigating the effectiveness of prevention strategies to improve access to eye care for people living with vision-limiting diseases.
“This top five NIH ranking reflects the tremendous efforts of the department’s researchers, trainees, and staff, and showcases our significant growth in research capacity,” says Christopher A. Girkin, M.D., MSPH, EyeSight Foundation of Alabama Chair of UAB Ophthalmology. “Our success enhances our ability to recruit and retain world-class researchers, and also sets the stage for the continued development of our vision research program into an international leader in the development of innovative approaches to cure blinding eye disease.”
Each day, UAB Ophthalmology researchers are pursuing scientific discoveries in their laboratories. A top five NIH ranking increases the likelihood that the next big breakthrough in treatment could happen right here at UAB Ophthalmology.