ARVO Foundation reveals 2025 Dr David L Epstein Award recipients

(Image Credit: AdobeStock/Elnur)

The ARVO Foundation recently announced its 2025 recipients of the Dr. David L. Epstein Award; Susan E. Quaggin, Irving S. Cutter professor of medicine at Northwestern University, and Naoki Kiyota, a member of Quaggin’s lab. The award was created by Epstein’s family to further his long-standing determination and interest in solving glaucoma through executed scientific research that aims to find the causes and new treatments for the disease. Quaggin and Kiyota will be awarded $100,000 to support a collaborative project related to glaucoma.

With the award, Quaggin and Kiyota are working on understanding one of the leading causes of glaucoma, known as Schlemm’s canal, develops and functions. Schlemm’s canal often occurs when the pressure inside the eye – its intraocular pressure (IOP) – becomes too high.

"While IOP is important for maintaining the eye's shape, excessive pressure can damage the optic nerve, which is essential for vision," Quaggin and Kiyota said. "IOP is regulated by a fluid called aqueous humor, which is produced inside the eye and drained through a structure called Schlemm's canal. If Schlemm's canal does not function properly, this fluid accumulates, raising IOP and increasing the risk of glaucoma."

Their research will investigate 2 molecules, PIEZO1 and ITGA9, which they believe may play crucial roles in the development of Schlemm’s canal. Quaggin and Kiyota predict PIEZO1 and ITGA9 work together to keep Schlemm’s canal in the correct shape and size, causing fluid damage. To examine the condition, the researchers are using specially designed mouse models and advanced genetic tools to study how these molecules contribute to the canal’s function.

"By uncovering the mechanisms that allow Schlemm's canal to function properly, this research could lead to new treatments for glaucoma and help protect the vision of many individuals,” Quaggin and Kiyota, said.

Reference:

1. ARVO Foundation names 2025 winners of Dr. David L. Epstein Award. Newswise. Accessed January 27, 2025. ARVO Foundation names 2025 winners of Dr. David L. Epstein Award | Newswise