SUNY College of Optometry’s Dr. Alexandra Benavente-Pérez was awarded a $2.04 million grant from the National Eye Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that will explore the unknown nature of the relationship between myopia (nearsightedness) and glaucoma by focusing on their effect on the ganglion cell complex at the genetic, cellular, structural and functional levels.
The proposed research is relevant to public health because it aims to identify early markers of glaucoma in myopic eyes to help develop new diagnostic and treatment strategies, and prevent glaucoma-associated visual impairment. The outcomes of this work have the potential to reduce vision loss and improve the quality of life for the rising numbers of myopic patients with associated glaucomatous degeneration.