v i s i o nV a n d e r b i l t

Spring 2007

Collaboration Key to Research BreakthroughsFOCUS: Vanderbilt Vision Research Center RESEARCH: Visual Perception • Quantum DotImaging • G Proteins EDUCATION: Seeing Across Disciplines PROFILE: William B. Snyder, M.D.

Dear Friends,

In previous issues of Vanderbilt Vision, we have introduced you to many of the investigators

and projects that take place in the Vanderbilt Eye Institute. We discussed our departmental

priority on translational research and our strategic plan to develop treatments for leading

causes of blindness based on programs elucidating mechanisms of disease in our research

laboratories. It has been exciting to share our success in building a vibrant team of scientists

and clinician-investigators in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

However, the vision research community at Vanderbilt extends well beyond our Department. Vanderbilt’s success

as a research institution often has been attributed to its unique community of collaborative and collegial inves-

tigators, and our the vision science community could serve as the poster child for this claim. There are funded

scientists studying the eye and visual system in the College of Arts and Sciences, Peabody College, the School of

Engineering, and the School of Medicine. Even within the School of Medicine, there are numerous vision scientists

working outside the Department of Ophthalmology.

Taken together, Vanderbilt houses more than twenty NIH-funded investigators in over a half dozen departments.

Although these scientists reside in different buildings on different parts of the campus, there is a true sense of

shared interest. The Vanderbilt Vision Research Center (VVRC), headquartered in the Department of Psychology

within the College of Arts and Sciences, is the central operating center. The VVRC oversees a group of a research

support modules across the campus that support the entire community of investigators, as well as overseeing the

training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and organizing a world class series of seminars. Although

the NIH only provides rankings for overall federal research dollars by department of ophthalmology, Vanderbilt

would rank in the top twenty nationally if one measured the number of vision research grants by institution.

I am sure that you will enjoy this edition where we profile our overall vision research community at Vanderbilt

that extends beyond the Eye Institute. In particular, I hope you get a feel for the wonderful collaborative energy

that fuels vision research here.

Sincerely yours,

Paul Sternberg, Jr., M.D.

G. W. Hale Professor and Chair

Vanderbilt Eye Institute

EDITOR’SNOTESVanderbilt Vision is a publication ofVanderbilt Eye Institute, a department ofVanderbilt University Medical Center.Vanderbilt Vision provides ophthalmologistswith information on current research andstate-of-the-art clinical applications.

CHAIR, VANDERBILT EYE INSTITUTE

Paul Sternberg, Jr., M.D.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Paul Sternberg, Jr.John PennDavid CalkinsLouise MawnSarah ReynoldsJoel LeeMeredith Carr

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is acomprehensive research center committedto excellence in patient care and physicianeducation.

Vanderbilt Vision is written for physiciansand friends of the VEI and does not providea complete overview of the topics covered.It should not replace the independent judgment of a physician about the appropriateness or risk of a procedure for a given patient.

PLEASE DIRECT ANY CORRESPONDENCE TO:

John S. Penn, Ph.D.Vice ChairmanVanderbilt Eye Institute1215 21st Avenue South8000 Medical Center EastNashville, TN 37232-8808

Release date: May 1, 2007Vanderbilt University Medical Center

contents2 FOCUS

Vanderbilt Vision Research Center

3 News from VVRC

4 RESEARCH PROFILE Randolph Blake, Ph.D.

6 Rick Haselton, Ph.D.John Penn, Ph.D.

8 Heidi Hamm, Ph.D.

10 EDUCATIONSeeing Across Disciplines

11 DONOR PROFILEWilliam B. Snyder, M.D.

12 VANDERBILT EYE INSTITUTE AWARDS, NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Vanderbilt Eye Institute1215 21st Ave. S.

8000 Medical Center EastNorth Tower

Nashville, TN 37232-8808

P. 615.936.20201.866.565.EYES (3937)

F. 615.936.1483

www.vanderbilteyeinstitute.com

Spring 2007

Cover image created by Duje Tadin, Jennifer Jewett and DanShima. Courtesy of the Vanderbilt Vision Research Center.

TABLE OF

Interdisciplinary research and trainingin vision have a long and distinguishedhistory at Vanderbilt University.The Vanderbilt Vision ResearchCenter (VVRC), fosters that tradi-tion by bringing together scientistsfrom across the institution – includ-ing the College of Arts & Science,Peabody College, the School ofEngineering and the School ofMedicine – in an exceptionally richenvironment for vision research andtraining. The VVRC originated in1989, when Vanderbilt received aCore Grant from the National Eye

Institute. Jeffrey Schall, the E.Bronson Ingram Professor ofNeuroscience, is its current director.The Core grant, renewed in 2004for five years at $2.5 million, pro-vides technical support for eye andvision research across the campus.This support includes things likeaccess to gene and protein analysisfacilities, fabrication of specializedinstrumentation, and printing postersfor scientific meetings.

Also in 2004, the VVRC was awardeda five-year, $2.8 million TrainingGrant from NEI that supports pre-doctoral and postdoctoral training inresearch on the eye and vision. Thesestudents and fellows are found inlaboratories ranging from psychologyto molecular physiology and bio-physics. A central component ofvision training at Vanderbilt is aninterdisciplinary course called TheVisual System (see article, page 10).This course, along with regular semi-nars, fosters intellectual connectionsamong researchers and students whoare joined by an interest in vision but sep-arated by their disciplines and majors.

Vanderbilt can compete for these largegrants from NEI because individualscientists are funded for diverse eyeand vision research projects. “Whenthe VVRC started,” said Dr. Schall,“Vanderbilt had eight NEI grants.

Today we have twenty. That is some ofthe greatest growth in vision researchanywhere in the country.” Vanderbiltis currently ranked in the top 20 ofU.S. universities for NEI sponsoredresearch. “Our mission to fostertrans-institutional research in visionis really paying off,” said Dr. Schall.

“What is impressive about Vanderbilt’svision research is that the work is notjust taking place in ophthalmologyand psychology,” said Paul Sternberg,George W. Hale Professor andChair of Ophthalmology and VisualSciences. “We have also funded scientists in pharmacology, biomedicalengineering, biology, pediatrics, andcell biology - all who are doing workrelated to the eye and visual system.”

Schall adds, “The culture of colle-giality at Vanderbilt has resulted invery fruitful collaborations. Forexample, Rick Haselton from bio-medical engineering and Jon Kaasfrom psychology have received aVanderbilt Discovery Grant toexplore the use of quantum dots toimprove tracing connections betweenthe eye and brain. Another impor-tant collaboration brings together the talents of Anne Corn in specialeducation at Peabody, a noted expert on low vision, Joe Lappin inpsychology, an expert in visual perception, and Jeff Sonsino in

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FOCUSVANDERBILT VISION RESEARCH CENTER

Jeffrey Schall, Ph.D., Director, VVRC

ophthalmology, a skilled optometrist.They are developing tests for howvision improves with training in chil-dren with major vision impairments.”

VVRC researchers have been recog-nized through numerous awards andpress coverage. Jon Kaas is a memberof the National Academy of Sciencesand received the 2006 Karl SpencerLashley Award from the AmericanPhilosophical Society; previousrecipients include four Nobel laure-ates. Randolph Blake was elected toAmerican Academy of Arts andSciences, and Vivien Casagrandewas elected a fellow of the AmericanAssociation for the Advancement ofScience. Frank Tong and IsabelGauthier have both received YoungInvestigator Awards from theCognitive Neuroscience Society.Finally, Schall received the TrolandResearch Award from the NationalAcademy of Sciences.

Schall notes, “Our trainees have beenrecognized as well. Ash Jayagopal, agraduate student working with RickHaselton, was selected among over1100 nominees to receive anAssociation for Research in Visionand Ophthalmology Foundation/Retina Research Foundation TravelGrant.”

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The Brain on the StandVanderbilt professor Owen Jones, who is one of the nation’s few professorsof both law and biology, and René Marois, associate professor of psychologyand neuroscience, scanned the brains of participants with a highly sensitivetechnique called functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. Their goalwas to see which parts of the brain were activated when a person was askedto make a decision on crime and punishment.

The researchers said the goal of law is “toinspire positive changes in human behavior”. By bringing in science, they can help see howpeople make decisions to determine if lawsmay ultimately need to be altered. Theirresearch was featured in the March 11 coverarticle of The New York Times Magazine,titled “Neurolaw”.

Improving Vision With Video GamesJust about every kid loves video games, and paststudies have shown video games help peopledevelop better peripheral vision. A research studyis underway in Oklahoma to see if those gamescan help students with low vision.

Jeff Nyquist of Vanderbilt University was featuredin a recent newscast regarding a multidisciplinaryproject with Joe Lappin and Anne Corn calledPUPIL. This study focuses on testing peripheral

vision of kids with low vision. The newscast focuses on the aspect of improvingvision with video games and was filmed at the Oklahoma School for the Blind.

Vanderbilt Vision Research Center: News

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Sitting in his office under an array ofbrightly colored antique pitchers,Randolph Blake is smiling. As a faculty member and researcher inVanderbilt’s Department ofPsychology, he finds himself in themidst of one of the most dynamicvision research collaborations any-where in the country. His work issupported by several grants fromNIH, and he is part of the

Vanderbilt Vision Research Center(see article this issue).

Dr. Blake’s research concerns humanvisual perception. Since 80% of thebrain is activated when we see, visualperception provides a key to under-standing how the brain works. Inrecent years, Dr. Blake’s lab hasstudied visual imagery, visual memo-ry,auditory influences on vision and therole of knowledge in visual perception,with emphasis on binocular vision,motion perception and the role oftemporal structure in perceptualorganization. Very recently, his workhas expanded to include the study ofpeople with a condition called color-graphemic synesthesia. This is a rareneurological condition in which thebrain perceives color in letters ornumbers that have no actual color.Dr. Blake has determined that thesecolors have a genuine neural realityand operate just like real colors dofor people without synesthesia.

Dr. Blake’s visual perception researchtakes a three-pronged approach: 1. Perceptual experiments – Usingpsychophysical lab techniques tostudy the abilities of people to makejudgments about the 3D structureand layout of objects, with an eyetoward developing neural models toaccount for those abilities. The

RESEARCH PROFILERANDOLPH BLAKE, PH.D.

Randolph Blake, Vanderbilt Department of Psychology, in his office

Human Visual Perception: Key toUnderstanding How the Brain Works

55

psychophysical work uses computergenerated animation sequencesviewed stereoscopically to simulate3D objects undergoing transformationsassociated with motion, includingbiological motion.

2. Quantitative data – Dr. Blake’stheoretical work relies heavily onexisting physiological and neurologi-cal data. A major theme runningthroughout his research is the estab-lishment of “sites” of visual informa-tion processing based on perceptualdata. In recent years, he and his colleagues have developed severalfruitful localization strategies, includ-ing ones that utilize binocular rivalryas a neural “reference” for localizingother sites of action. Because an indi-vidual’s conscious state is continuallyin flux while the visual stimulusremains invariant, binocular rivalrymight ultimately shed light on thedynamic properties of visual aware-ness and its underlying neural bases.

3. Brain imaging - The inferentialstrength of this so-called “psy-choanatomical” technique willcontinue to grow as more is learnedabout the actual neural conclusionsof visual information processing. Tosupplement this strategy, Dr. Blake’slab is using functional MRI as alocalization technique.

“Vanderbilt’s advantage in visionresearch is that it is a center forimaging sciences,” said Dr. Blake.“Our collaboration with the Instituteof Imaging Science has made manyof our advances possible.”

The Vanderbilt University Instituteof Imaging Science is a trans-institu-tional initiative serving physicians,scientists, and students. The VUIISoperates state-of-the-art facilities forimaging research on animals andhumans, including a state-of-the-art

7T MRI scanner, near infrared optical topography (NIROT), andevent-related potential (ERP) electroencephalography. Equipmentis available to provide continuousphysiological monitoring of subjects,generate and deliver stimuli, andmonitor and record responses during brain function studies. TheVUIIS also provides a trainingenvironment for postdoctoral fellows,

graduate and medical students,and undergraduates.

Dr. Blake received his Ph.D. fromVanderbilt in the mid-70’s andreturned to Vanderbilt to chair theDepartment of Psychology in thelate 1980’s. Asked why he has spentso much of his career at Vanderbilt,he responded, “I have a real affectionfor Vanderbilt and was delighted tocome back after a number of years atNorthwestern. My years here as agraduate student were pivotal andshaped me in so many ways. I had a wonderful mentor then [ProfessorRobert Fox] and I try to offer thesame experience to my studentstoday.”

Images that illustrate perceptual qualities studied: color,form, depth and motion and the cortical areas responsible.

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RESEARCH PROFILE RICK HASELTON, PH.D. & JOHN PENN, PH.D.

John Penn and Rick Haseltoncouldn’t appear to be more different.But as they talk, Dr. Penn, in hisstarched white shirt and jacket, andDr. Haselton, comfortable in cords,light up with a shared vision. Thetwo scientists – a biologist and a biomedical engineer – have workedclosely over the years to discoverbetter therapies for retinal neovascularpathologies.

Their most recent project proposesto develop a high resolution, real-timeimage acquisition system capable ofcontinuous imaging of multipleendothelial progenitor cell (EPC)subpopulations. This quantum dottechnology would enable coding and

real-time mapping of EPC subpopu-lations with distinct properties. Witha non-invasive view of the retinal circulation, the researchers couldassess cell recruitment to neovascularcenters.

EPCs circulate in the bloodstreamand play a significant role in the vascular pathogenesis of many diseases.They are involved in the diseaseprocess because they home to andproliferate at the vascular lesion. Insome instances lack of EPCs indicatesdisease, as in the case of diabeticwound healing.

Current research on EPCs has iden-tified several different subpopulations,based on expression patterns of pro-teins on the cells’ surface. A betterunderstanding of how they functionwould enable the development of targeted, highly efficient therapies toeither inhibit neovascularization orpromote therapeutic angiogenesis.With this in mind, the two colleaguescombined their talents to develop andcharacterize EPC subsets and assesstheir neovascularization capacities.

Dr. Penn is an expert in the patho-genesis of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) and in the development of

therapeutic interventions for retinalvascular diseases. He has developeda well-characterized rat model ofROP, a retinal pathology character-ized by angiogenesis. This modelwill serve as the venue for the EPCtracking experiments. He has alsocreated methods to purify, isolateand culture distinct EPC subsets.

Dr. Haselton has created a multi-spectral, real-time quantum dot imag-ing system to simultaneously imagemultiple cells and biomolecules inthe retinal circulation. This aids inthe study of lymphocyte and neu-trophil cell trafficking in diabetes.His laboratory also has developedmethods to specifically image EPCs.Two graduate students are alsoactively engaged in this project -Joshua Barnett (in Penn’s lab) andAshwath Jayagopal (in Haselton’s lab).

The Vanderbilt researchers’ approachapplies quantum dot coding to cellsubpopulations defined by specificsurface protein patterns. Penn andHaselton propose to track the EPCsin the retinal circulation of Penn’srats using this strategy. Their workcreates the first high-throughput template to elucidate EPC functionin the context of cell subtypes.

Better Therapies through Quantum Dot Imaging

The figure depicts endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs) which have taken up green fluorescingquantum dot nanocrystals through a process ofendocytosis

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The system includes many uniquefeatures. Offering high signal intensity,the technology requires only oneexcitation source in the visible spec-trum. It can noninvasively detectboth cells and cell surface markerssimultaneously in vivo with high spatial and temporal resolution.Stationary and moving targets can beimaged continuously without fading,enabling the researchers to collectreal-time data. It can capture high-velocity cell motility through major vessels as well as the microcircula-tion.

To their knowledge, no other systemcurrently available has combined allof these features for in vivo imagingapplications. With these tools, thetwo colleagues can elucidate EPCfunction at high spatial and temporalresolution. They can also screen customized therapies directed againstEPC activity in a host of diseases.

Both scientists cite the VanderbiltDiscovery Grant program as one rea-son why intramural research projectshave proliferated at the university.Designed to stimulate the developmentof new research ideas, DiscoveryGrants give researchers up to$100,000 for two years to exploreideas that, if further developed, willbe competitive for extramuralresearch project funding.

“The collegial atmosphere at Vanderbilt is amazing. That’s what brings most of us here, and

that’s what keeps us here!” - Rick Haselton

Rick Hasleton and John Penn on the Vanderbilt campus

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RESEARCH PROFILE HEIDI HAMM, PH.D.

Heidi Hamm, Ph.D., wears many hats at Vanderbilt University. Professor, pharmacologychair, researcher, and a leading expert on the G proteins, she sums up her specializationquite simply: “My work is really about trying to understand the fundamental mechanismsof vision and how it works.”

Dr. Hamm has been actively involved in vision research since 1980. She has had a handin many crucial discoveries – and her lab has solved an elusive puzzle in the activationof G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways — one of the most physio-logically and medically important cell signaling pathways.

In the September 2006 issue of Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, Dr. Hammand her colleagues provided some of the first evidence of the protein shape change thatinitiates the cellular response to GPCR activation.

G protein coupled receptors are a large class of proteins that weave through the cellmembrane. They receive external chemical signals and relay them inside the cell with thehelp of molecular “switches” called G proteins. Binding an external signal (like a hormone)to its cell surface receptor turns the G protein “on.” The G protein then switches “off”

Heidi Hamm in her laboratory at Vanderbilt University

Solving an IllusivePuzzle:G Proteins

9

after passing the signal on to the nextprotein in the chain.

Activated by a receptor on the cell’ssurface, a G protein translates andtransmits extracellular signals likelight. It does this by exchangingGDP for GTP. But the region of theG protein that touches the receptoris quite distant — on a molecularscale — from the region that holdsonto GDP, begging the question,“How does the receptor act at adistance to cause GDP release fromthe G protein?”

Understanding this switching mecha-nism has important implications fordrug development. All current phar-maceuticals that target this pathwayact at the extracellular side of thereceptor. But figuring out how

receptors talk to G proteins couldprovide alternative therapeutic targetswith higher specificity and less sideeffects.

And new pharmaceuticals are onlyhalf the battle. In vision research,there remains a host of questions to

be answered. These mysteries rangefrom “How does rhodopsin, the Gprotein-coupled receptor in the rodcells of the retina, cause a G proteinto change its shape?” to many questions related to the workings ofthe retina.

Divided between visual and hormonalsignaling studies, Hamm’s Vanderbiltlaboratory sets the stage for discover-ing and understanding many funda-mentals of vision research. She workson applications of G protein in thebrain, where many transmitting eventsoccur, and applies basic knowledgeabout visual transduction in the eyeto explain how brain synapses operateand how information is processed.

These efforts may in the future createnew therapeutics for understanding a

variety of pathologies. An importantreference for any research related tocolor vision or night vision, Hamm’sbreadth of experience offers insightinto genetic disorders like retinitispigmentosa.

Dr. Hamm feels fortunate to team

with a number of talented visionresearchers in other Vanderbiltdepartments and in universitiesthroughout the country. But sheheaps the most praise on her colleagues in the Department ofPharmacology. CrystallographerTina Iverson is attempting to solvethe crystal structure of rhodopsin.Seva Gurevich works on howarrestin terminates the signal trans-duction through rhodopsin, whileBih-hwa Shieh specializes in usingthe genetically tractable fruit flies as a model system for understandingvision.

“Vanderbilt’s a wonderfully collabo-rative place,” she said, explainingthat the atmosphere makes broadinteraction possible. “It provides uswith a good core and an enrichedenvironment in which to do ourresearch.”“My work is really about trying to

understand the fundamental mechanisms of vision and how it works”

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Melanie Moran, Vanderbilt Register

Vision Course Helping Faculty andStudents to See Across Disciplines

nderstanding vision is the focus ofVanderbilt researchersacross campus – at theCollege of Arts and

Science, the School of Medicine, theSchool of Engineering and PeabodyCollege of Education and Humandevelopment. However, seeing oneanother’s work – and helping theirstudents to do so – is a challenge.

A unique class, “The Visual System,”works to build connections amongthese researchers and students, whoare joined by an interest in visionbut separated by their disciplines andmajors. Anna Roe is leading thecourse this semester.

“It’s a real honor to be directing thiscourse,” Roe, associate professor ofpsychology, said. “I’ve taken coursesat MIT, Harvard, Yale and manyother universities, and this course’sbreadth is unparalleled. Even thoughI’m one of the faculty members, Ilearn so much from it.”

“It is a truly interdisciplinary course,cross-listed by Arts and Science,engineering and the medical school,”said Jeff Schall, the E. BronsonIngram Professor of Neuroscienceand professor of psychology. Schallis one of the 17 faculty membersdelivering a lecture in the course this

semester. “Students learn about thebiology and psychology of vision,medical problems of the eye, robotsand more.”

Former faculty member MaureenPowers, Professor of ElectricalEngineering, Biomedical Engineeringand Computer Engineering A.B.Bonds, and Emeritus Professor ofPsychology Joseph Lappin createdthe course 14 years ago.

“The genesis of the course was thatwe had a large number of people atVanderbilt who were interested invision and there wasn’t anything thatencompassed the broad interests ofall the faculty,” Bonds said.

The course gives students access towhat is regarded by many to be oneof the premier vision groups in thecountry. Vanderbilt ranks 18th inextramural funding for vision researchfrom the National Institutes of Health.Research centers and programs oncampus studying vision include theVanderbilt Vision Research Center,the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, PAVE(Providing Access to the VisualEnvironment), Computer Vision,the Center for Integrative andCognitive Neuroscience, theVanderbilt Kennedy Center and the Vanderbilt Brain Institute.

Students and faculty agree that oneof the benefits of the course is simplybringing together researchers andstudents with a shared interest invision that might not otherwise meet.

“Neuroscience, psychology andengineering students are all rubbingelbows with people they normallywouldn’t interact with,” Schall said.

Roe also believes the benefits of thecourse extend beyond the classroom.“There are a huge number of visionresearchers on campus, and thiscourse helps bring people togetherand is helpful in forming collabora-tions. The dream is that ultimatelywe’ll have a coherent understandingof how our brain processes vision.”

U

Associate Professor of Psychology Anna Roe

William B. Snyder, M.D., and hiswife, Phyllis, have a warm place intheir hearts for Vanderbilt. Dr.Snyder graduated from VanderbiltUniversity School of Medicine in1957 and Mrs. Snyder was a medicalsocial worker at Vanderbilt UniversityHospital. They have long been bigsupporters of Vanderbilt, particularlythe Department of Ophthalmology.

Their first gift honored Snyder’sparents with a named lectureship forinvited ophthalmology speakers tocome to Vanderbilt. Dr. Snyderhopes their most recent gift, thePhyllis G. and William B. Snyder,M.D., Chair in Ophthalmology andVisual Sciences at Vanderbilt, willhelp advance the field of ophthalmol-ogy, aiding in the fight against age-related, hereditary and metabolic dis-orders of the retina.

“As the population ages, we are seeingan explosion of cases in diabeticretinopathy and macular degeneration,”said Dr. Snyder. “I want to seeVanderbilt’s continued excellence inthese areas of molecular and metabolicdisorders.”

Dr. Snyder is a founding member ofTexas Retina Associates. He taught

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at Tulane University’s Departmentof Ophthalmology and theUniversity of Iowa Medical Centerin Iowa City, where he served hisinternship, residency in Ophthal-mology and a fellowship in Retina.

“I always felt fortunate to be atVanderbilt and appreciated theopportunity to learn from the dedi-cated faculty,” Snyder said.

Paul Sternberg, M.D., chairman ofthe Department of Ophthalmologyand Visual Sciences, recentlyannounced that The Phyllis G. &William B. Snyder, M.D. Chair will be held by John Penn, Ph.D.,Director of Research and ViceChairman of the Department.

The appointment will allow Penn tofurther grow his research program inretinal angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is

the abnormal growth of new bloodvessels, which is a critical feature ofseveral leading causes of blindness,including retinopathy of prematurity,diabetic retinopathy and age-relatedmacular degeneration.

Penn: “When you combine all eyeconditions in which angiogenesisplays a critical role, the process ofabnormal blood vessel growthaccounts for a vast majority of irre-versible blindness in developedcountries.”

Penn is pleased to hold the chairhonoring Snyder. “I am particularlyproud that our work will be associatedwith the name of Dr. Snyder,because I have long held him in highregard for his contributions to theophthalmology community,” he said.

“Dr. Penn is the quintessential translational scientist using his basic science expertise to both understandthe mechanisms of vision loss and todevelop new and innovative treat-ments,” said Dr. Sternberg. “TheSnyder Chair will allow him to furtherthis research.”

Dr. Snyder: “Dr. Penn’s translationalresearch will provide tremendousbenefit to future patients with geneticand molecular disorders of the eye.”

Creating a Legacy inVision Research

DONOR PROFILEWILLIAM B. SNYDER, M.D.

William B. Snyder, M.D.

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VANDERBILT EYE INSTITUTEAWARDS, NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

The Vanderbilt Eye Institute ispleased to announce that the follow-ing faculty members recently havereceived 2007 grants or awards fortheir laboratory research:

Rachel W.Kuchtey,M.D., Ph.D.AmericanGlaucomaSocietyClinician-Scientist

Award: “Mechanisms of Regulationof Cornea-Derived Transcript 6Expression by TransformingGrowth Factor Beta in HumanTrabecular Meshwork Cells andTissue”

David G.Morrison,M.D.KnightsTemplar EyeFoundationGrant: “IGF-1and VEGF in Ocular Angiogenesis”

John S. Penn, Ph.D.Pearle Vision Foundation Award:“Targeted Drug Delivery byEndothelial Progenitor Cells”Dr. Penn has also received newsupport from Alcon Laboratories,Inc., Celgene Corporation andTaiGen Pharmaceuticals.

David J.Calkins, Ph.D.has receivednew supportfrom AlconLaboratories,Inc. andAllergan.

Wayne Wu, M.D. and PaulSternberg, Jr., M.D.Allergan Horizon Award:“Vitamin C and ProliferativeDiabetic Retinopathy”

In Addition:Sean P. Donahue, M.D., Ph.D.has had a paper on pediatric stra-bismus published in the March 8,2007 edition of The New EnglandJournal of Medicine.

Karen M. Joos, M.D., Ph.D. waselected to the Board of Directorsof the American Society for Lasersin Medicine.

Anita Agarwal, M.D. has beenchosen by NIH to participate in anNIDDK study section.

Robert Estes, M.D. has been hon-ored by the American Associationfor Pediatric Ophthalmology attheir annual meeting for his contri-butions to pediatric ophthalmology.

Pearls X: June 8 and 9Loews Vanderbilt Hotel - NashvilleA review of current issues for thecomprehensive ophthalmologist

Guest Faculty: STEVE T. CHARLES, M.D. Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology,University of Tennessee Memphis

JOHNNY L. GAYTON, M.D. Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology,Mercer University; President, GaytonHealth Centre – Eye Sight Associates,Warner Robbins, GA

TERRY KIM, M.D. Associate Professor of Ophthalmology,Duke University School of Medicine

GREGORY S. KOSMORSKY, D.O. Chief, Department of Neuro-Ophthalmology, The Cole EyeInstitute, The Cleveland Clinic

PAUL P. LEE, M.D., J.D. James Pitzer Gills III, M.D. and JoyGills Professor of Ophthalmology, Duke University Eye Center

PAUL R. LICHTER, M.D. Professor and Chair, Ophthalmologyand Visual Sciences, F. Bruce FralickProfessor of Ophthalmology,University of Michigan School ofMedicine

For more information on this event contactTammy Tankersley at 615-936-0044 or tammy.tankersley@vanderbilteyeinstitute.com

Paul Sternberg, Jr., M.D.Chair, Vanderbilt Eye Institute RETINA/VITREOUSSpecial interests: age-related maculardegeneration and complex retinal detachments.

Anita Agarwal, M.D. RETINA/VITREOUSSpecial interests: inflammatory diseases ofthe retina and diabetic retinopathy.

Jiyang Cai, M.D., Ph. D.VISION RESEARCHSpecial interests: mitochondrial oxidativedamage and protection in aging and age-related degenerative diseases.

David J. Calkins, Ph.D. VISION RESEARCHSpecial interests: degenerative disorders ofthe visual system and the genetic mechanismsof retinal disease.

Min S. Chang, M.D.VISION RESEARCHSpecial interests: growth and maintenanceof corneal epithelial cells.

Amy S. Chomsky, M.D. COMPREHENSIVE OPHTHALMOLOGYSpecial interests: Veterans AdministrationHospital Chief Attending.

Sean P. Donahue, M.D. Ph.D.NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY/PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGYSpecial interests: amblyopia, surgical management of complicated strabismus,pediatric neuro-ophthalmology, and visualfield testing.

Robert Estes, M.D.PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGY/ADULT STRABISMUSSpecial interests: Childhood and adult strabismus, ophthalmic genetics.

Jin Hui-Shen, Ph.D.VISION RESEARCHSpecial interests: laser surgery and theinvention of surgical devices.

Karen M. Joos, M.D., Ph.D.GLAUCOMASpecial interests: low-pressure glaucomaand pediatric glaucomas.

Jeffrey A. Kammer, M.D.GLAUCOMASpecial interests: neovascular glaucoma andcomplicated glaucoma cases.

Brad Kehler, O.D.OPTOMETRYSpecial interests: low vision rehabilitation,specialty optics, contact lenses.

Lori Ann F. Kehler, O.D.OPTOMETRYSpecial interests: specialty contact lens fitting,both for adults and for children.

John Kuchtey, Ph.D.VISION RESEARCHSpecial interests: immunological aspects ofanterior chamber pathology in glaucoma.

Rachel W. Kuchtey, M.D., Ph.D.GLAUCOMASpecial interests: cellular and molecularmechanisms of aqueous outflow in glaucoma.

Patrick Lavin, M.D.NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGYSpecial interests: eye movement disorders,nystagmus, neuro-otology, headache andmetabolic disorders affecting the visual system.

Jennifer Lindsey, M.D.COMPREHENSIVE OPHTHALMOLOGYSpecial interests: Cataracts, eyelid disorders,ocular trauma, diabetic eye disease, andglaucoma.

Louise A. Mawn, M.D.NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY/OCULOPLASTICSSpecial interests: ophthalmic plastic surgerywith a particular interest in orbital disease.

Lawrence M. Merin, RBP, FIMIOPHTHALMIC IMAGING CENTERSpecial interests: retinal imaging, epidemiologyand diabetic eye disease.

David Morrison, M.D.PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGYSpecial interests: strabismus, pediatriccataracts, and retinopathy of prematurity

Denis, M. O'Day, M.D., F.A.C.S.CORNEA and EXTERNAL DISEASESpecial interests: ocular fungal infections.

John S. Penn, Ph.D.VISION RESEARCHSpecial interests: molecular basis of ocularangiogenesis.

Franco Recchia, M.D.RETINA/VITREOUSSpecial interests: pediatric retinal disordersand retinal vascular disorders.

Chasidy D. Singleton, M.D.COMPREHENSIVE OPHTHALMOLOGYSpecial interests: refractive errors, corneadisorders, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eyedisease, ocular trauma, and strabismus.

Jeffrey Sonsino, O.D., F.A.A.O.OPTOMETRYSpecial interests: complicated and difficult-to-fit contact lenses, and low vision rehabilitation of adults and children.

Uyen L. Tran, M.D.CORNEA and EXTERNAL DISEASE/LASER SIGHTSpecial interests: corneal transplantation,cataract surgery, and refractive surgery.

Laura L. Wayman, M.D.COMPREHENSIVE OPHTHALMOLOGYSpecial interests: Director of ResidentTraining and cataracts.

VANDERBILT EYE INSTITUTE STAFF

1215 21st Ave. S.8000 Medical Center EastNorth TowerNashville, TN 37232-8808

Age-related eye diseases are the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness worldwide. The Aging Eye, thetheme for the 2007 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting, will be a majorforum for vision researchers and practitioners to explore the vast and varied efforts underway to unlock the mysteriessurrounding eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic eye disease.

More than 10,000 colleagues from around the world will gather May 6-10 inFort Lauderdale, Florida, to attend lectures, symposia, workshops and paperand poster presentations on topics related to the aging eye and other problemsof vision. Vanderbilt scientists will deliver 58 presentations, a record for theuniversity. This number illustrates Vanderbilt’s significant growth in basic visionresearch, and its commitment to share its newest findings with the visionresearch community.

ARVO, founded in 1928 in Washington, D.C. by 73 ophthalmologists, nowboasts a membership of more than 11,500 individuals and continues to grow.Some 42% of members reside in over 70 countries outside the U.S. The mem-bership is multidisciplinary and consists of both clinicians and basic researchers.

While many Vanderbilt vision scientists will attend the ARVO conference in Ft. Lauderdale, another group of ourresearchers will attend the Vision Science Society (VSS) in Sarasota the following week. VSS is a nonprofit membershiporganization of scientists who are interested in the functional aspects of vision.

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 3432NASHVILLE, TN

2007 ARVO ANNUAL MEETINGVANDERBILT SCIENTISTS DELIVER 58 PRESENTATIONS

TheAgingEyeARVO 2007