Picture

Northwestern Medicine
​Breakthroughs for Physicians

​​
  • Home
  • Specialties
    • Cardiovascular >
      • Research
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • News
    • Endocrinology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs In Endocrinology
      • Research In Endocrinology
      • News
    • ENT (Otolaryngology) >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Gastroenterology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Geriatrics >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Neurosciences >
      • Rare and Complex Brain Tumors
      • Research
      • COVID-19 and Neurosciences
      • News
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • OB-GYN >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Oncology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Ophthalmology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Organ Transplant >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Orthopaedics >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Psychiatry >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Pulmonary >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Rehabilitation >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • News
    • Rheumatology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Urology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
  • CME
  • REFERRALS
    • Refer to NM Cardiovascular
    • Refer to NM Neurosciences
    • Refer to Other Specialties

< BACK TO NM OPHTHALMOLOGY NEWS

December 2021

OPHTHALMOLOGY

NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE OPHTHALMOLOGY RECEIVES GRANT TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

Steven DeVries, MD, PhD, the David Shoch, MD, PhD, professor of Ophthalmology, has received an International Research Collaborators Award from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB). The $75,000 grant supports international collaborations that have the potential to accelerate the development of treatments for blinding disorders, positively affecting large populations worldwide for years to come.

The grant will provide DeVries the opportunity to travel to Kyoto, Japan and learn from scientists at Ritsumeikan University about the process of growing 3D retinal organoids from stem cells, a technique first developed in Japan.

“My goal in this project is to apply the physiological and anatomical approaches that we use to evaluate performance at intact cone synapses in the adult retina to cone synapses in retinal organoids,” DeVries said. “If we can intervene to improve the organization and function of cone synapses in organoids, then we may be able to perform the same manipulations during transplantation.”

Additionally, scientists from Ritsumeikan University will also visit Northwestern to learn about state-of-the-art techniques for characterizing the adult cone synapse in DeVries’s lab.

RPB supports several members of the department, including Nicholas J. Volpe, MD, the Chair and George and Edwina Tarry Professor of Ophthalmology and Amani Fawzi, MD, professor of Ophthalmology, and their work in discovering the unanticipated ophthalmologic manifestations of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), among other research projects. Gregory Schwartz, PhD, associate professor of Ophthalmology and Jeremy Lavine, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Ophthalmology, have also received the Career Development Award from RPB. In 2015, and again in 2021, the organization also provided an unrestricted grant to support the department’s research into retinal physiology, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, corneal diseases, uveitis and glaucoma.

“Research to Prevent Blindness, through the development of this grant and deciding to fund Dr. DeVries’ work, recognizes the truly unique power of international collaborations and provides an otherwise unavailable funding opportunity,” Volpe said. “Their combined work will help set the stage for successful cone transplantation to patients with diseased retinas.”
​
RPB is the world’s leading voluntary organization supporting eye research. To date, the organization has awarded grants totaling more than $3 million to Feinberg.

This article was originally published in the Feinberg School of Medicine News Center on December 14, 2021. 
Headshot of Dr. Liza Cohen
Steven DeVries, MD, PhD, the David Shoch, MD, PhD, professor of Ophthalmology, has received an International Research Collaborators Award from Research to Prevent Blindness to support international collaborations.

Refer a Patient

Northwestern Medicine welcomes the opportunity to partner with you in caring for your patients. ​
Call 844.344.6663
Find an NM Ophthalmologist

You May Also Like

Image of Northwestern Medicine campus

October 2021

OPHTHALMOLOGY
Northwestern Medicine Ophthalmology at AAO 2021
Nicholas Volpe, MD Headshot

August 2021

OPHTHALMOLOGY
How to Avoid Neuro-ophthalmic Catastrophes: Safe, Not Sorry
Close up of eye surgery

July 2021

OPHTHALMOLOGY
Case Report: Surgical Management of Negative Dysphotopsia

Northwestern Medicine Breakthroughs for Physicians

About Us     Terms of Use     Privacy Policy     How to Vote for U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals
© 2025 Northwestern Medicine® and Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. 
Northwestern Medicine® is a trademark of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, used by Northwestern University
Connect with us
[email protected]
International physicians, contact [email protected]
  • Home
  • Specialties
    • Cardiovascular >
      • Research
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • News
    • Endocrinology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs In Endocrinology
      • Research In Endocrinology
      • News
    • ENT (Otolaryngology) >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Gastroenterology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Geriatrics >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Neurosciences >
      • Rare and Complex Brain Tumors
      • Research
      • COVID-19 and Neurosciences
      • News
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • OB-GYN >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Oncology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Ophthalmology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Organ Transplant >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Orthopaedics >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Psychiatry >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Pulmonary >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Rehabilitation >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • News
    • Rheumatology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
    • Urology >
      • Clinical Breakthroughs
      • Research
      • News
  • CME
  • REFERRALS
    • Refer to NM Cardiovascular
    • Refer to NM Neurosciences
    • Refer to Other Specialties