News — Rockville, Md.—The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Foundation congratulates David Zacks, MD, PhD — 2023 recipient of the Kreissig Award for Excellence in Retinal Surgery. Established by Ingrid Kreissig, MD, through the ARVO Foundation, the $30,000 award recognizes excellence in the understanding of the mechanisms of retinal disease requiring surgical management, innovative approaches to management, and/or outcomes of surgical treatment.
Holder of the Edna H. Perkiss Research Professorship at the the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center, Zacks also co-founded ONL Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company committed to protecting and improving the vision of patients with a range of retinal diseases, including retinal detachment, age-related macular degeneration, and open-angle glaucoma. ONL Therapeutics is pioneering a novel breakthrough technology designed to preserve vision by blocking retinal inflammation and cell death.
Zacks studies the way in which cells in the retina die during disease, particularly during retinal detachment. "The retina is the back layer of the eye that captures light information and converts it into an electrical signal that is then sent to the brain," explans Zacks. "During a retinal detachment, the retina peels off of the back wall of the eye. Despite excellent surgical techniques to reattach the retina, there is often residual vision loss due to the death of retinal cells during the period of detachment." Zacks focuses on the molecular pathways responsible for this cell death and has developed novel understandings into how this can be prevented. In addition, he has extended his findings to other retinal diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and inherited retinal degenerations. This work has been translated into the development of a new drug to protect vision in patients with these retinal conditions and is currently being tested in clinical trials.
The Kreissig Award for Excellence in Retinal Research recognizes the next generation of curious, enterprising investigators who seek to optimize functional outcomes for patients needing retinal surgery.
“Receiving this award is a true highlight to my career," says Zacks. "I have a true passion for the care of patients with retinal disease and this award is a validation of the work I’ve done for the last 20-plus years in opening a new frontier in the field. The honorarium will be used to help fund the laboratory and continue our work on behalf of patients.”
For more information about the Kreissig Award for Excellence in Retinal Surgery, visit ARVO’s website.
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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include approximately 10,000 eye and vision researchers from over 75 countries. ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders. Learn more at ARVO.org.
Established in 2001, the ARVO Foundation for Eye Research raises funds through partnerships, grants and sponsorships to support ARVO’s world-class education and career development resources for eye and vision researchers of all stages of career and education. Learn more at ARVOFoundation.org.
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