CENTER CORE GRANT FOR VISION RESEARCH

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This NEI PSO Center Core Grant for Vision Research provides ongoing and stable funding for four high quality and productive vision research service Modules: Instrument Design, Research Computer Programming, Biostatistics and Clinical Research, and Biological Imaging. These Modules are run by an exceptionally talented staff that has long-term experience in supporting and advancing vision research at the University of Houston. The Modules provide needed research services to the present group of Core vision scientists who come from four departments at the University of Houston (Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Clinical Sciences and Vision Sciences in Optometry). These Core vision scientists have diverse training and research interests; they collaborate effectively with one another, as well as with more than 100 other vision researchers at this University or other institutions. Together, our Core Center investigators have 11 qualifying NEI-funded grants, as well as other NEI funding. The College of Optometry and University of Houston provide considerable additional commitments in support of vision research. During the past five years of P30 funding at this University, the Core Grant has created a favorable vision research environment that has contributed directly to 138 published papers and culminated in the recruitment of eight additional investigators to the group of Core vision scientists, four of whom brought NEI funding. The Core Grant also was crucial to the success of a clinician (OD) in obtaining new NEI funding for mentored clinician scientists. These accomplishments reflect our vision research Core's previous and current aims that focus on advancing collaborative and innovative basic, clinical and translational research to advance knowledge and prevent or cure disease. For these aims the Core grant provides stable funding, quality research services, new vision researchers, and new projects converting into NIH and NEI support. Especially emphasized in the coming five years will be innovative research basic, clinical and translational research and recruitment of vision researchers to fill our current open positions, as well as other positions in the future.