The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $624,379 Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) to The Johns Hopkins University to develop an objective tool for evaluating the visual accessibility of indoor spaces. The research aims to create a smartphone app that can 1) visualize environments for specified levels of vision impairment, 2) identify hazardous features, and 3) generate quantitative visibility metrics. This tool will assist rehabilitation specialists, caregivers, and facility...
The National Eye Institute (NEI) has awarded a $1,508,578 Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) to New York University School of Medicine to address health inequities for patients with blindness and low vision (PBLV) through the "ADDRESSING ABLEISM THROUGH ACCOMMODATIONS FOR BLINDNESS AND LOW VISION TO ACHIEVE EQUITY (AAABLE) IN HEALTHCARE" project. The project aims to characterize factors affecting healthcare accessibility for PBLV, develop a patient navigation intervention to...
The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $2,367,661 federal Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) to Texas Tech University System to conduct research on "Ableism as a Mechanism of Physical and Mental Health Inequities Among Children with Visual Impairment." The project aims to: Recruit a large, diverse sample of over 500 children with visual impairments and their caregivers across the U.S. Assess experiences of both distal (interpersonal) and proximal (intrapersonal)...
The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $2,229,504 Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) to Baylor University to develop assistive technologies and tools that make experimental biochemistry accessible to people with blindness and low vision (BLV). The key objectives are to: 1) Methodically make laboratory tools and techniques accessible, including SDS-PAGE, protein purification, PCR, and more, using 3D printed devices and robotic systems; 2) Convert graphical data into tactile and...
The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $718,397 Project Grant under the Vision Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.867) to Northwestern University. The "Health Equity and Access to Leverage Technology for Improved Diabetic Retinopathy Outcomes (HEAL-DR)" project aims to develop new models to better identify minority populations at greatest risk for vision loss from undetected or worsening diabetic retinopathy. The project will leverage the Sight Outcomes Research...
The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $2,636,322 Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 Vision Research) to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to investigate an AI-based system for improving eye screening and follow-up care rates for patients with diabetes, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. The project, titled "Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Prevent Vision Loss from Diabetes Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Communities," will evaluate the...
The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $754,779 Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) to The Schepens Eye Research Institute, Inc. to develop equitable deep learning models for automated glaucoma screening. The project aims to address disparities in glaucoma detection, as 50% of patients are unaware of their condition and racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected due to limited access to care. The research will focus on creating AI-based glaucoma detection models...
This federal Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI), under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), provides $408,368 to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to address the health disparity of physical inactivity among adults with vision impairments. The key objectives are to: (1) adapt an evidence-based physical activity behavior change intervention tailored to the unique challenges of adults with vision impairment, and (2) establish the feasibility, patient...
The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $404,582 Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) to the University of Wisconsin - Madison to develop scene-aware augmented reality (AR) systems to enhance the independence and quality of life for people with low vision. The project aims to leverage advanced AI techniques to create AR augmentations that intelligently recognize and enhance users' visual environments, addressing challenges in activities of daily living such as meal preparation and...
This $241,500 Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) aims to evaluate the impact of patient, neighborhood, and community characteristics on screening and monitoring adherence for diabetic retinopathy (DR) among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes. The research will use Medicare data linked with the Area Deprivation Index and local healthcare environment measures to identify factors associated with adherence to recommended...