Research Collaborators

Approxiately 50-60% of the research conducted at the Cornea Research Foundation is designed and carried out by our staff. However, there are many opportunities to collaborate on projects which offer mutual benefit to our organization and others. Collaborations help us expand our reach and stretch our resources to have a greater impact. 

Throughout the history of the Foundation, we have partnered with universities and organizations around the world to develop the most cutting-edge research projects resulting in changes in the way doctors care for our eyes. We often identify projects and partners through journal articles and ophthalmology meetings held globally. 

Below is a listing of our most recent collaborators:

Dr. Jonathan Lass, Case Western Reserve University
Drs. Steven Trokel and David Paik, Columbia University
Dr. Joseph Bonanno, Indiana University
Dr. Jayne Weiss, Louisiana State University
Dr. Ula Jurkunas, Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary
Drs. Donald Tan and Jodhbir Mehta, Singapore National Eye Institute

Example of a Successful Collaboration:

Through our collaborative project with Dr. Thasarat Vajaranant at the University of Illinois, we determined that about 30% of endothelial keratoplasty recipients will develop elevated intraocular pressure in association with the long-term use of corticosteroid eye drops to prevent graft rejection.
 
This finding prompted us to design a series of studies to determine if we can safely reduce the strength of the corticosteroid eye drops after DMEK.  In the first of those studies, we collaborated with a team of ophthalmologists at the University of Erlangen in Germany. We found that the risk of pressure elevation can be reduced substantially by substituting fluorometholone for the prednisolone acetate eye drops which are commonly used to prevent transplant rejection.