News Release: BrightFocus Foundation Awards Grants to Seven Leading Researchers in Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration BrightFocus Foundation Awards Grants to Seven Leading Researchers in Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration

Denver, CO, May 4, 2015 The BrightFocus Foundation today honored seven outstanding scientists in the fields of macular degeneration and glaucoma, awarding them research grants named in honor of leaders in vision research and advocacy.

Noriko Esumi, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins received the Helen Juanita Reed Award to study molecules that can reduce inflammation or increase resistance to harmful stresses in the retina.

Aparna Lakkaraju, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin received the Charlotte & Alexander Danilevsky Memorial Award for Macular Degeneration Research to understand how certain aggregates form, how they impact cell function, and whether a treatment strategy can help prevent the formation of aggregates and preserve healthy vision.

Yonju Ha, PhD, of the University of Texas Medical Branch received the Marguerite Wilke Memorial Award for Glaucoma Research to test whether two proteins called CXC10 and CXCR3 are involved in retinal inflammation and neuronal cell death during glaucoma.