Project Grant R01EY037789
- The National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded the University of Utah $500,106 on July 1, 2026, for development of a high-fidelity cornea-on-a-chip device under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041). The award funds creation of a physiologically accurate, miniature in vitro platform that mimics the structure and function of the human cornea for ocular drug evaluation and disease study. The cornea chip will contain the three main...
- The National Eye Institute awarded New York University $546,439 on April 15, 2026, under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to develop corneal stromal keratocyte modeling from human cornea organoids as a potential therapy for corneal blindness caused by stromal scarring, infection, and keratoconus. The research focuses on generating human cornea organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells that mimic the fetal cornea and co-differentiate stromal keratocytes, epithelial, and endothelial...
- The National Eye Institute, a bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health, awarded $497,740 to the University of Illinois on April 1, 2026, under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to fund research into neuro-epithelial interactions in corneal disease and repair, with Principal Investigator Elmira Jalilian. The project investigates how corneal epithelial cells and trigeminal nerve fibers (the V1 ophthalmic branch) interact to maintain corneal...
- The National Eye Institute awarded the University of Oregon $670,232 on August 1, 2026, under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to support research on the molecular mechanisms of Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) associated with CUG-trinucleotide repeats in the TCF4 gene. The project develops and employs novel in vivo and in vitro models to determine whether the (CTG)N repeat expansion in intron 2 of the TCF4 gene causes FECD by altering TCF4 expression or through toxic effects...
- The National Eye Institute awarded The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth $249,000 on April 15, 2026, under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to investigate mechanisms that inhibit cell death in human corneal stromal cells as a pathway toward non-surgical treatment of keratoconus. The research aims to identify small-molecule compounds that inhibit activated caspase-8 and heparan sulfate compounds that block interactions between tumor necrosis factor-alpha and...
- The National Institutes of Health National Eye Institute awarded New York University School of Medicine $428,247 on September 30, 2025, under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to investigate the mechanism of corneal lens development using Drosophila as a model organism. The research uses fly genetics, super-resolution microscopy, and electron microscopy to study how the polysaccharide chitin influences corneal lens morphogenesis and shape. The investigator will analyze the role of...
- The National Eye Institute awarded the University of Cincinnati Sponsored Research Services $445,500 on June 1, 2026, under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to conduct fate mapping and functional analysis of COL8A2-positive cells in corneal endothelial development and disease. The recipient will generate a tamoxifen-inducible COL8A2P2A-CREERT2 mouse line to enable temporal and tissue-specific labeling and manipulation of COL8A2-positive cells. In Aim 1, the team will use lineage tracing...
- The National Eye Institute awarded the University of Utah $759,312 on July 1, 2026, under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to conduct the Community Eye Connect (CEC) Trial, a multi-level health informatics intervention designed to increase follow-up rates for patients with positive diabetic retinopathy screening identified through telemedicine. The trial tests a theoretically-driven, two-level intervention targeting clinic processes and patient engagement to address a documented gap...
- The National Eye Institute awarded Kuria Therapeutics, Inc. $306,805 on September 1, 2026, under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to test SCO-116, an NRF2 activator, for efficacy in protecting corneal endothelial cells against oxidative stress in Fuchs' corneal endothelial dystrophy. The award funds Phase 1 research to establish proof of concept using cultured human corneas as a model system. The work comprises two specific aims: testing a range of SCO-116 concentrations for NRF2...
- The National Eye Institute awarded the University of Mississippi Medical Center $584,806 on August 1, 2026, under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to investigate mechanisms of adhesion and colonization during pneumococcal keratitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. The research examines how pneumococcal bacteria regulate their outer polysaccharide capsule to adhere and colonize the corneal surface, and identifies a master regulatory system that controls bacterial survival and...
The National Eye Institute awarded the University of Utah $620,926 on September 1, 2026, under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to develop an engineered human cornea chip for studying keratoconus pathology. The project investigates curvature-dependent cellular responses in corneal epithelial, stromal, and endothelial cells using a microfabricated organ chip platform. Work focuses on three specific aims: identifying mechanotransduction pathways and validating therapeutic targets through gene knockout studies in a curvature array chip; engineering biomimetic interfacial membranes to distinguish pathway-mediated from passive mechanical damage; and developing an integrated multi-layer cornea chip with controllable curvature to investigate mechanobiological crosstalk and test therapeutic interventions targeting mechanotransduction and matrix degradation pathways. The project combines expertise in bioengineering, ophthalmology, and corneal biology to create a physiologically relevant keratoconus model that addresses limitations of current animal models. Performance occurs in Salt Lake City, Utah through August 31, 2030. The University of Utah's Office of Sponsored Projects serves as the recipient organization.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $620.9k | 8/31/26 |