While 2024 was a landmark year, 2025 has the potential to surpass it. We made strides in all areas, with our research success reflected in a NIH ranking of fifth compared to eighth last year, and 25th a few years ago.
One of our many clinical accomplishments was to collaborate with the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) to establish an international vision institute. This joint lab will be one of INSERM’s first partnerships outside Europe. We also continued to develop a digital twin model, which is helping with individualized treatment and safety monitoring.
In a short time, the first artificial iris procedure will be done in Pittsburgh; there are only three places that offer this option. Several patients are waiting for this much-needed reconstructive procedure. We have now recruited excellent experts in eye tumors and these clinics are very busy.
Research advancements include new gene therapy approaches using novel vectors and a new retinal adhesive thermoresponsive gel and making progress in developing human corneal stromal stem cells for treating blinding corneal opacities. We expanded the use of novel methods using virtual reality to assess the impact of vision impairment in daily life, in a tight partnership with Paris, Portland, OR and Dallas. We are co-leading with Stanford the ARPA-H project on Whole Eye Transplantation, receiving millions in funding to work toward optic nerve regeneration and eye preservation prior to transplantation. Breakthrough projects in cortical vision, next generation optogenetics, novel methodologies for data science and clinical trials, patient-centric care, and a universal platform for rare diseases, are all at the core of our mission to improve the quality of life through preserving and restoring vision. Several leaders are joining us, bringing expertise in gene editing, connectomics, retinal development, artificial intelligence, biostatistics, clinical trials innovative methods, and multiomics.
When it comes to education, our residency program is among the most attractive in the nation. We offer advanced post-residency fellowships in all ophthalmic subspecialties, host an optometry residency program, offer an ophthalmic technician training program, and were the first in the nation to establish a large-scale Advanced Practice Provider training program in ophthalmology. We just obtained accreditation for the opening of a new fellowship program in ocular inflammation and several promising candidates from top institutions have reached out to apply.
Some of our faculty have created startup companies, with the most recent being NetraMind Innovations, dedicated to advancing ophthalmic care through the development of AI and machine learning technologies, building predictive models of disease.
Ensuring that all patients have access to care is one of our key priorities. Our Healthy Vision Lab, eyeVan, and free vision clinic at Mission of Mercy are just a few of the many ways in which we try to meet underserved patients where they are. We are currently designing with UPMC leadership an ambitious strategy to provide care to as many as possible, in a sustainable model.
However, we are also confronted with major uncertainties. Healthcare models are changing and NIH funding is at risk at the national level. Given our successes in obtaining such federal funding, from NIH, NSF, and DOD, we are at risk of seeing some major, cutting-edge programs suspended. Until now, support from the EEF and our donors, individuals, and philanthropies helped us in building our teams and generating the data that made our programs competitive versus the rest of the country. The challenge will now be to continue that growth as our Department is becoming a magnet for outstanding clinicians, scientists and trainees, but also to protect the present and future of what we have built. We could come out stronger from these challenging times, but the situation and risks are keeping us up at night. We are committed to extending our efforts and launching new initiatives, as growth and renewal are essential to our mission and survival. The Eye & Ear Foundation is a critical, integral partner, and we need your ongoing support as we work together to advance eye care for all.