Newswise — Rockville, Md. – The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) today announced the 2021 recipients of the Dr. David L. Epstein Award. Jamie Craig, MBBS, FRANZCO, DPhil and Owen Siggs, MD, DPhil, are the recipients of the $100,000 award which is funded through the ARVO Foundation.
Since 2016, the Dr. David L. Epstein Award has been given annually to a well-established, senior investigator with a documented history of conducting eye and vision research in glaucoma and mentoring clinician-scientists to independent academic and research careers. The award supports a collaborative project for the mentor (Craig) and mentee (Siggs) related to glaucoma. The award was created by Epstein's family with the intention of furthering his long-standing determination and interest in solving the complex issues of glaucoma through well-conceived and executed scientific research focused on finding the causes and new treatments for the disease.
Craig, a Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor and Academic Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Flinders University, and a practicing glaucoma specialist at Flinders Medical Centre, and Siggs, a Practitioner Fellow at Flinders University and Ophthalmology resident at Flinders Medical Centre, both have an acute interest in the use of genetics to better understand glaucoma. As part of a large, international collaboration, their research has led to the development of a basic genetic test using blood or saliva that helps identify individuals at high risk of glaucoma. They plan to use the Award to expand the test and apply it to the larger, general population.
“This award helps bring years of basic research in glaucoma genetics one step closer to the clinic,” says Siggs. “[The award] is much more than a collaborative project grant: it recognizes the value of established and emerging clinician-scientists, and the compounding impact of high-quality mentorship.”
For more information about the Dr. David L. Epstein Award, visit ARVO’s website.
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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include approximately 10,000 eye and vision researchers from over 75 countries. ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders. Learn more at ARVO.org.
Established in 2001, the ARVO Foundation for Eye Research raises funds through partnerships, grants and sponsorships to support ARVO’s world-class education and career development resources for eye and vision researchers of all stages of career and education. Learn more at ARVOFoundation.org.
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