Media contact: Savannah Koplon
Lawrence Sincich, Ph.D.Lawrence Sincich, Ph.D., associate professor and interim director of the graduate program in the School of Optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has received a grant renewal of $1.02 million from the National Institutes of Health, continuing his research on imaging and microstimulation of photoreceptors, the cells in the eyes that allow people to see.
Cell-resolved imaging can deepen the understanding of how each cell contributes to signals that create the visual world and how disease might alter such signals. With the development of adaptive optics retinal imaging that assesses how photoreceptors function, Sincich is hopeful that it can be used to detect the earlier stages of retinal disease for patients.
“Many eye diseases are not noticed by patients until it’s too late to offer useful treatment,” Sincich said. “Since this technology allows us to test the function of photoreceptors earlier, we can be in a better position to advise medical care that could prevent vision loss.”
This grant continues a Bioengineering Research Partnership with the University of California–Berkeley, the University of California–San Francisco and Montana State University.