BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application

这是我的RCS奖的第一个竞争性续期申请。我的实验室一直致力于眼科领域 我从事研究超过37年;自1994年以来，我一直是终身教授。从历史上看，我们的重点一直是 了解胆固醇和相关的类异戊二烯化合物在促进和保持 视网膜的结构和功能。然而，最近（在RCS奖期间），我们转向了 与眼睛和视觉系统创伤性损伤相关的研究。眼部损伤导致受损或丢失 视力是我们的退伍军人和部署的士兵在最近的战斗中所遭受的标志性伤害之一。 伊拉克和阿富汗冲突（OEF，OIF）。目前，约有17万退伍军人在法律上是盲人，近1.5 100万人有某种与战争有关的视力缺陷。创伤性脑损伤（TBI）是另一个特征 这些冲突的伤害;很大比例的TBI患者患有视觉缺陷，其中近三分之一是 爆炸引起的我的实验室的目标是了解这些类型的分子和细胞机制， 创伤引起的视力丧失，并找到实用的药理学干预措施，以防止或延缓其 进展这些研究由正在进行的VA MERIT奖资助。另外，我们正在调查一种 视网膜色素变性（RP 59）-一种遗传性进行性致盲疾病-最初对此知之甚少 为了在分子水平上了解相关视网膜变性的原因， 开发基因治疗方法以改善或预防退化和视力丧失。这些研究 由正在进行的NEI/NIH R 01资助奖支持。我一直是退伍军人事务部研究服务的工作人员， 布法罗VAMC自2008年7月以来，和RCSA收件人自2016年4月。我有一个终身教授职位 教授和我的副主席/研究部主任。附属大学眼科学系 （SUNY- University at布法罗（UB））。我是我们部门历史上唯一一个 杰出教授和纽约州立大学杰出教授，我是唯一的RCSA收件人在我的VA网站。 多年来，我很幸运地与退伍军人事务部和非退伍军人事务部进行了大量富有成效的合作 研究人员，包括当前，正在进行的项目，并有很强的校外赠款资助的历史。我 撰写或共同撰写了129篇同行评审的出版物（+2篇已出版，+ 2篇正在评审）-其中38% 自从我加入VA以来，已经出版了10本书的章节和242篇会议摘要。我给了241个 在其他大学和研究机构的邀请讲座（120，而VA工作人员），加上65个平台 在国内和国际生物医学研究会议上发表演讲（15次，同时担任VA工作人员）。我 从事多种服务活动-VA（地方和国家），我的大学，和更广泛的研究 社区-包括退伍军人事务部，国家卫生研究院，国防部（CDMRP）和私人基金会赠款审查小组的服务。我也 他是FFB（Foundation Fighting Blindness）的科学顾问委员会成员。我被选为 两个领先的国际眼科和视力研究专业协会（ARVO和ISER），并作为 两大眼科研究期刊之一的主编（Exp.眼研究），同时作为同行评审员 > 40篇期刊我在我的大学的生物医学科学研究生课程中积极教书， 科学主题（细胞生物学和生物化学）以及负责任的研究行为。我指导过 许多本科生、研究生和医学生，以及博士后和眼科住院医师 在我的实验室里（目前：2名博士后，1名医学生，1名本科生）。我还积极指导所有初级教师在我的 自己的部门（包括2在我的VA网站），以及22在UB雅各布斯学校内的其他部门 医学和生物医学科学，以帮助他们在他们的职业发展。另外，我一直是 参加ARVO全球指导计划，并在ASCB国际事务委员会任职。 总的来说，我的研究、教学和服务活动达到或超过了我所在大学的学术标准 也完全符合VA HSR&D的使命和CRADO的交叉临床优先事项。

This is the first competing renewal application for my RCS Award. My lab has been engaged in the field of eye research for >37 years; I’ve been a tenured full Professor since 1994. Historically, our focus has been on understanding the normal role of cholesterol and related isoprenoid compounds in promoting and preserving the structure and function of the retina. However, more recently (during the RCS Award period), we’ve turned to studies relevant to traumatic injury to the eye and visual system. Eye injuries resulting in compromised or lost vision are among the signature injuries sustained by our Veterans and deployed soldiers engaged in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan (OEF, OIF). Currently, about 170,000 Veterans are legally blind, and nearly 1.5 million have some kind of visual deficit that is battle-related. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is another signature injury of those conflicts; a significant percentage of TBI patients suffer visual deficits, nearly a third of which are blast-induced. My lab’s goal is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these kinds of trauma-induced vision loss, and to find practical pharmacological interventions to prevent or retard their progression. Those studies are funded by an ongoing VA MERIT Award. In addition, we’re investigating a form of retinitis pigmentosa (RP59)— a hereditary progressive blinding disorder— about which little is known, initially in an effort to understand the causes of the associated retinal degeneration at the molecular level and eventually to develop gene therapy approaches to ameliorate or prevent the degeneration and vision loss. Those studies are supported by an ongoing NEI/NIH R01 grant award. I’ve been a VA Research Service staff member at the Buffalo VAMC since July, 2008, and an RCSA recipient since April, 2016. I hold a tenured endowed chair Professorship and am Vice-Chair/Director of Research in the Dept. of Ophthalmology at the affiliated university (SUNY- University at Buffalo (UB)). I am the only person in the history of my department to become a UB Distinguished Professor and a SUNY Distinguished Professor, and I am the sole RCSA recipient at my VA site. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to have numerous, productive collaborations, both with VA and non-VA researchers, including current, ongoing projects, and have a strong history of extramural grant funding. I’ve authored or coauthored 129 peer-reviewed publications (+2 in press, + 2 under review)— 38% of which have been published since I joined the VA— plus 10 book chapters and 242 conference abstracts. I’ve given 241 invited lectures (120 while on VA staff) at other universities and research institutions, plus 65 platform presentations (15 while on VA staff) at biomedical research conferences, nationally and internationally. I’ve engaged in multiple service activities— to the VA (local and national), my university, and the broader research community— including service on VA, NIH, DOD (CDMRP), and private foundation grant review panels. I also serve on the Scientific Advisory Board of Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB). I’ve been elected President of the two leading international eye and vision research professional societies (ARVO and ISER), and serve as Editor-in-Chief of one of the top two eye research journals (Exp. Eye Res.), as well as serving as a peer reviewer for >4 dozen journals. I teach actively in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program of my university, both on scientific topics (Cell Biology and Biochemistry) as well as Responsible Conduct in Research. I’ve mentored numerous undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, as well as postdocs and Ophthalmology Residents in my lab (currently: 2 postdocs, 1 medical student, 1 undergrad). I also actively mentor all junior faculty in my own department (including 2 at my VA site), as well as 22 in other departments within the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, to assist them in their career development. In addition, I’ve been an active participant in the ARVO Global Mentoring Program, and serve on the ASCB International Affairs Committee. Overall, my research, teaching, and service activities meet or exceed the academic standards of my university and also are fully consistent with the VA HSR&D’s mission and the CRADO’s cross-cutting clinical priorities.