NEI UCI Center Core Grant for Vision Research

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ABSTRACT This P30 application seeks support for the Cores of Vision Research within the University of California Irvine (UCI) that will strengthen and enhance NEI R01-funded research. The project also aims to support the major expansion of vision research currently under way at UCI. It will broaden and optimize research capabilities, support and expand existing research projects, and help establish new studies, ultimately boosting productivity and strengthening vision research at UCI. Three research Core modules have been identified that would provide substantial benefit to current and future NEI R01-funded projects at UCI: (i). Ocular Microanatomy; (ii) Visual Function and Non-invasive Ocular Imaging; and (iii) Ocular Mass Spectrometry, Lipidomics, and Proteomics. In addition, an Administrative Group will be established to facilitate and support the function of these research Cores. The three research Cores were selected by majority votes of all current NEI R01-funded investigators, and other investigators who are directly or indirectly involved in ophthalmic research at UCI. The most requested services were developed into the Cores described in this P30 application. The vision research community at UCI has grown significantly over the past several years with the recruitment of 4 senior and 2 junior investigators and the formation of the Center for Translational Vision Research (CTVR), with at least two more mid-career faculty recruitments in the works. This expansion has been made possible by the exceptional institutional support from the Department of Ophthalmology and the School of Medicine, who have committed significant financial and infrastructure resources to bolster the vision research community at UCI. The services provided by the Cores for Vision Research will meet the scientific needs of the NEI R01-funded researchers as well as of early-stage investigators, and will increase efficiency, accelerate progress, and encourage new research directions and scientific collaborations at UCI. The Cores will also provide training and access to state-of-the-art experimental tools for students and postdoctoral scholars and will help prepare them for successful careers in ocular research.