Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has been awarded a $782,235 Project Grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the NEI Vision Research (CFDA 93.867) program. The grant, which runs from Sep 1, 2024 to Apr 30, 2029, will support a multi-omic study to discover molecular pathways associated with diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness that disproportionately impacts the Hispanic/Latino population. The project aims to quantify differential transcript and metabolite abundance in participants with type 2 diabetes, with and without diabetic retinopathy, from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort and the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Integrative bioinformatics analyses will clarify disease pathophysiology, identify potential blood-based biomarkers and drug targets, and evaluate the broader clinical implications of identified molecular signatures. This work aligns with key NEI strategic goals, including enhancing understanding of ocular epidemiology in underrepresented groups and using data science to integrate multi-modal data to advance vision research.
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