Dean McGee Eye Institute secures $800,000 in research and academic grants

(Image credit: AdobeStock/H_Ko)

As the Dean McGee Eye Institute (DMEI) celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, $800,000 in grants from Oklahoma-based Inasmuch Foundation and The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation will help to fund the purchase of new equipment for the institute’s academic and research initiatives.¹

DMEI, in affiliation with the University of Oklahoma (OU) College of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology, will purchase a virtual reality surgical simulator and a direct ophthalmoscope simulator as part of a $750,000 grant awarded by Inasmuch Foundation. The surgical simulator mimics the look and feel of a real eye and can be programmed with various vision-related conditions to train residents in microsurgical techniques for cataract surgery, whereas the direct ophthalmoscope simulator helps medical students and primary care physicians identify key ocular pathologies—encouraging future ophthalmologists or enabling earlier detection of eye diseases.

“These simulators help us attract top-quality medical students and residents to our profession and give us cutting-edge technology to prepare the next generation of ophthalmologists to bring Oklahomans the highest quality of care,” said R. Michael Siatkowski, MD, who is chief executive officer of Dean McGee Eye Institute and Chair of the OU Department of Ophthalmology.

In addition, the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation awarded DMEI $50,000 to acquire equipment for studying retinal cell health and function more efficiently, aiming to combat the effects of retinal degenerative diseases (RDDs). The grant will fund a highly sensitive laser injector and a device to measure cell electrical resistance, enabling researchers to better understand vision loss at the cellular and tissue levels.

“It is especially gratifying to receive grants from such prestigious Oklahoma institutions as the Inasmuch and Noble foundations,” Siatkowski added. “DMEI is committed to preparing the next generation of ophthalmologists and finding new treatments or cures for blinding diseases as we care for our fellow Oklahomans. It is particularly meaningful when Oklahoma foundations give us resources to support these efforts.”

DMEI provides over 225,000 total patient visits per year from all 77 Oklahoma counties and the surrounding region, and its surgeons perform more than 8,000 vision-saving procedures annually.

Reference

1. $800,000 research and academic grants add to New Year’s shopping list for Dean McGee Eye Institute. Press release. Published January 3, 2025. Accessed January 24, 2025. https://www.okcchamber.com/index.php?src=news&srctype=detail&category=Member%20News&refno=2314