FFB Partnership in Alberta Supports Studentships and Fellowships in Vision Research
January 25, 2010
Learning how to re-grow eye-brain connections to restore sight
The Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) to support Studentships and Fellowships in vision research. These grant awards are created to attract high quality students and fellows to Alberta and provide funding to prepare them to pursue careers in retina-related research. Studentships and Fellowships will help build Canada’s team of scientists conducting research to find the causes, treatments and ultimately cures for retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and related retinal diseases. The partnership supports the strategic directions of both organizations to ensure resources are directed to timely research in an area of health that affects more than one million Canadians.The first AHFMR/FFB Studentship or Fellowship in Vision Research competition was held in October 2009 and the first studentship was awarded to Elizabeth M. Kita of the University of Calgary. Her supervisor will be Professor Sarah McFarlane; the project title is: The Expression and Function of Class 3 Semaphorins in the Developing Retina. Blindness can be caused by damage to retinal cells that link the eye to the brain, as in glaucoma. But there is hope that sight might be restored by replacing the damaged cells and by guiding their replacements to make the right connections in the brain. Under the supervision of Prof. McFarlane, Ms. Kita is studying proteins called semaphorins, which act like signs to direct these connections during development. By learning to read these signs and understand how they work, we might use them to guide re-growth of eye-brain connections and thus restore vision in many blind people.
Ms. Kita's work will add to growing body of knowledge around the eye-brain connection.
The 2010 /FFB Studentship or Fellowship in Vision Research competition will be held in March 2010 and three new awards will be available.
This partnership has been made possible through the generosity of a private donor, Dr. W.K. Stell (also known as Dr. Bill), Professor at the University of Calgary and FFB’s Director of Research Programs. The applicants' projects are assessed competitively by the AHFMR, at arm's length from both the universities and the donor, and the training can take place in any qualifying research laboratory in Alberta. The $60,000 donation will be matched by AHMFR.
“I believe that new students and fellows are the lifeblood of research”, says Dr. Bill. “The FFB made the difficult decision to cancel its 2010 competition, thus making it all the more important to find new funds and to join forces with AHRMR. Growing Canadian retina researchers and building their future in Canada is critically important.”
If you are interested in making a donation towards Studentships or Fellowships, please contact the FFB at 1.800.461.3331 or email us at info@ffb.ca. You can also make an online donation by clicking here.