Clinical Vision Research Unit at UAB

描述：（申请人摘要）临床视觉研究是一个高度优先事项 在伯明翰的亚拉巴马大学（UAB）。这一优先事项一直是 通过成立临床研究单位， 眼科系和辛西娅·奥斯利博士的任命， MSPH作为其董事。此R21应用程序的主要目标是增加 UAB在眼科疾病领域以患者为导向的研究能力， 视力障碍这一研究领域在很大程度上尚未开发，但 UAB为公共卫生科学家提供了充满希望的机会。 临床研究单位将提供研究资源， 基础设施，以促进临床和流行病学研究项目， 参与的教师中最高的质量。这些资源将包括 将在以下方面提供协作和咨询的人员：（1） 生物统计学和研究方法，（2）数据库设计和数据采集 系统，（3）项目管理，（4）“granitarian”，如识别 赠款与教师兴趣相关的项目，将想法转化为有形的 建议，并建立预算，和（5）促进教师培训 通过鼓励注册现有的临床研究培训， 在UAB校园和/或通过NIH的临床科学家培训计划 K奖（K-Awards） UAB社区代表了临床视觉研究的独特场所。 首先，UAB的临床视觉研究学院代表了所有三种类型 视觉专业的学位专业人士：MD，OD和PhD，他们已经在 合作。这种类型的专业互动是不可能在许多 只有三种专业人员中的一种或两种的机构 教师，但不是所有三个。其次，NIH和DHHS呼吁科学家 以应对消除美国人口健康差距的挑战。 我们大多数教师研究项目的重点将是亚群 有更高的患病率的眼疾，视力障碍和衰退 与一般人群相比，健康相关的生活质量（例如， 非裔美国人、老年人、疗养院居民、低血糖患者 视觉）。此外，UAB已经建立了许多社区关系， 研究基础设施与这些亚群的联系， 立即促进我们的研究工作。

DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) Clinical vision research is a high priority at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This priority has been tangibly realized through the establishment of the Clinical Research Unit in the Department of Ophthalmology and the appointment of Cynthia Owsley, PhD, MSPH as its Director. The primary goal of this R21 application is to increase the patient-oriented research capability at UAB in the area of eye disease and vision impairment. This area of research has been a largely untapped, but very promising reservoir of opportunity at UAB for public health scientists. The Clinical Research Unit will provide the research resources and infrastructure to facilitate clinical and epidemiological research projects of the highest quality among participating faculty. These resources will consist of personnel who will provide collaboration and consultation on: (1) biostatistics and study methodology, (2)database design and data acquisition systems, (3) project management, (4) "grantsmanship", such as identifying grants programs relevant to faculty interests, developing ideas into tangible proposals, and constructing budgets, and (5) facilitating faculty training through encouraging enrollment into existing clinical research training programs on the UAB campus and/or through NIH's clinical scientist training program (K-awards). The UAB community represents a unique venue for clinical vision research. First, the clinical vision research faculty at UAB represents all three types of degree professionals in vision: MDs, ODs, and PhDs, who already work collaboratively. This type of professional interaction is not possible at many institutions where only one or two of the three types of professionals are on the faculty, but not all three. Second, NIH and DHHS have called for scientists to meet the challenge of eliminating health disparities in the U.S. population. The focus of most of our faculty research projects will be on subpopulations that have a higher prevalence of eye disease, vision impairment and decrements in health-related quality of life as compared to the general population (e.g., African Americans, older adults, nursing home residents, persons with low vision). Furthermore, UAB has already established many community relations and research infrastructure contacts with these subpopulations that will immediately facilitate our research efforts.