January 13, 2005

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Christopher A. Girkin, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), has received a $55,000 Physician-Scientist Award from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB).

RPB Physician-Scientist awards allow physicians at medical institutions in the United States to devote more time to clinical eye research activities, providing greater opportunities for specialized study with direct application to the human condition. Girkin is one of 25 physician-scientists at 17 institutions who have received the award since it was established in 2000.

Girkin’s research focuses on developing the first three-dimensional digital reconstructions of the human optic nerve head. These unique high-fidelity reconstructions can then be used to test whether variations in the architecture of the eye are critical in determining the risk of developing glaucoma.

RPB is the world’s leading voluntary organization supporting eye research. To date, the organization has awarded grants totaling more than $2 million to UAB. Since it was founded in 1960, RPB has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to medical institutions nationwide for research into the causes, treatment and prevention of blinding eye diseases.