Doheny Eye Institute, one of the nation’s leading vision research institutions, announced that Kaustabh Ghosh, Ph.D. was recently recognized by Research to Prevent Blindness (RPD) and the International Retinal Research Foundation (IRRF) with the Catalyst Award for innovative approaches for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). RPB and IRRF are two of the preeminent non-profits supporting eye research.

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in older Americans and, because it currently has no effective therapies, there is a significant need to recognize, understand and inhibit AMD progression at the earliest stages. As a principal investigator at Doheny Eye Institute and associate professor of ophthalmology in the UCLA Dept. of Ophthalmology, Dr. Ghosh is currently working on novel ways to understand or treat AMD. The Catalyst Award brings a grant of $300,000 for Dr. Ghosh to continue his important research.

“Our team is very grateful to have received the prestigious Research to Prevent Blindness and Retinal Research Foundation Catalyst Award as it is a testament to the high impact that unique, multidisciplinary approaches might have in addressing long-standing complex problems like AMD,” said Dr. Ghosh.

Dr. Ghosh’s work integrates the principles and techniques of physical, biological and medical sciences to understand the problem of vascular loss in the eye in early AMD. His approach is distinct from the traditional emphasis on the role of genetic or biochemical cues in AMD.

Early AMD, which most often is symptomless, is marked by significant degeneration of blood vessels in the outer retinal tissue called choroid. Vascular stiffness is increasingly being recognized as a major contributor to various other debilitating conditions such as cancer, atherosclerosis, and lung edema. Inspired by these findings from non-ocular diseases, Dr. Ghosh is currently investigating whether and how changes in vascular stiffness contribute to the onset/progression of AMD.

For more information about the groundbreaking ocular research that takes place every day at Doheny Eye Institute, visit www.doheny.org.