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While pediatricians routinely screen infants and toddlers for vision problems, parents should also be aware of common eye conditions. With knowledge and action, they can help set up their children for healthy vision — for the classroom and beyond.

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Ophthalmology lost more patient volume due to the COVID-19 pandemic than any other medical specialty.

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The American Academy of Ophthalmology and Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) today announced the recipients of the Research to Prevent Blindness/American Academy of Ophthalmology Award for IRIS® Registry Research.

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New research shows significantly more people with diabetes got their critical annual dilated eye exam during the first two years following Medicaid expansion under the under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, this encouraging increase in the exam rate did not persist beyond two years.

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Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have for the first time identified stem cells in the region of the optic nerve, which transmits signals from the eye to the brain. The finding presents a new theory on why the most common form of glaucoma may develop and potential for new therapies.

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Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami Health System has been ranked again as the nation’s best in ophthalmology by U.S News & World Report. This year marks the 19th time, and the 17th consecutive year, that Bascom Palmer has received the No. 1 ranking since the publication began surveying U.S. physicians for its annual “Best Hospitals” rankings 31 years ago.

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Wills Eye Hospital has earned a top national ranking for the 31st consecutive year on U.S. News & World Report’s Annual Best Hospital’s Survey.

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The American Academy of Ophthalmology is working to debunk common myths about sunglasses and offer tips to promote smart eye health choices.

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The inflammatory molecule interleukin-17A (IL-17A) triggers immune cells that in turn reduce IL-17A’s pro-inflammatory activity, according to a study by National Eye Institute (NEI) researchers.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every Tuesday throughout the duration of the outbreak.

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DALLAS – July 21, 2020 – Surgeons at UT Southwestern have developed and analyzed the benefits of a cutting-edge technique that provides patients with facial paralysis the ability to close their eyes. They concluded that the surgery – which is only performed at a handful of institutions around the world, including UTSW – not only allowed patients to blink and voluntarily close their eyes, but also protected them against the progressive damage to the cornea that’s typically seen with facial paralysis.

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Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that the blood protein vitronectin is a promising drug target for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), also holds implications for Alzheimer’s and heart disease, which are linked to vitronectin.

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Grammy Award-winning country music artist Kix Brooks is the new chair of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt Advisory Board, effective July 1, taking over for outgoing chair Allison DeMarcus. Louise Adams, who succeeds Judge Les Smith, was recently named the chair of the Vanderbilt Eye Institute (VEI) Advisory Board.

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A just published survey of more than 1,300 U.S. cataract surgeons and nurses shows 93 percent believe that something needs to be done to reduce the excessive amount of waste produced by surgery.

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Cerebral (cortical) visual impairment (CVI) is a condition that interferes with the ability of the brain to process information from the eyes, and it has become a leading cause of visual impairment in the U.S.

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National survey finds appointment delays and cancellations were the greatest cause of concern; waiting for in-person appointments is greatly preferred over telemedicine.

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New findings reframe the traditional view of face blindness as a disorder arising strictly from deficits in visual perception of facial features Findings suggest prosopagnosia may be a more complex disorder rooted in multiple deficits Findings can help inform the design of tools to improve face recognition in those with the condition

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every Tuesday throughout the duration of the outbreak.

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The key components of electrical connections between light receptors in the eye and the impact of these connections on the early steps of visual signal processing have been identified for the first time, according to research published today in Science Advances by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

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The Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology, the research arm of the Henry Ford Health System Department of Ophthalmology, is accepting abstracts for The Eye, The Brain & The Auto 9th World Research Congress on Health and Modern Mobility: Autonomous Vehicles, Driver's Fitness to Function, and Naturalistic Driving Methods to be held Dec. 7-8, 2020. This will be a virtual event.

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Scientists use nanoparticle-delivered gene therapy to limit blinding retinal disease in rodents.

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Tiny eye movements can be used as an index of humans’ ability to anticipate relevant information in the environment independent of the information’s sensory modality, a team of scientists has found.

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The American Academy of Ophthalmology today announced plans to expand the Ophthalmology family of journals to include Ophthalmology Science, an online open access journal.

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Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a member hospital of Mass General Brigham, is entering into an exclusive licensing agreement with Biogen to develop a potential treatment for inherited retinal degeneration due to mutations in the PRPF31 gene, which are among the most common causes for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.

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The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma are concerned that trips to the hospital for fireworks-related injuries will mirror this spike in fireworks sales.

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Exercise can slow or prevent the development of macular degeneration and may benefit other common causes of vision loss, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, new research suggests.

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A new approach in ophthalmology that offers a revolutionary alternative to corneal transplantation has just been developed by researchers and clinicians in North America, Europe, and Oceania.

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Doug Sawyer was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, 11 years ago.

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A new study published in Frontiers in Neurology has found a distinctive neurological pattern among U.S. Embassy staffers and family members who were injured three years ago while stationed in Havana, Cuba. By analyzing videos taken during initial clinical evaluations, researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found staffers with neurological impairments had similar changes in eye movements and pupil responses.

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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and ARVO Foundation for Eye Research announce the opening of nominations for their respective awards, including three new awards— the Genentech Career Development Award for Underrepresented Minority Emerging Vision Scientists, the Achievements in Eye and Vision Advocacy Award, and the Emerging Advocate Award—on July 1, 2020.

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On July 8, the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR) in conjunction with the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) will host the Fifth Annual Dry Eye Awareness Month Congressional Briefing entitled How Lifestyle Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic Can Affect Vision.

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The brain’s ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) receives signals from the eye, but it is not associated with classical image-forming. For decades little was known about this brain region’s cellular structure and purpose. In a new study, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC neuroscientists reveal newly identified brain cell subtypes unique to this region that form a striking layered formation.

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Alzheimer's disease in its early stages affects the integrity of small blood vessels in the retinas of patients, according to a recent study led by Cedars-Sinai. This discovery holds promise for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's through the retina, a back-of-the-eye organ that is an extension of the brain and easily accessible for live, noninvasive imaging.

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Researchers seeking to unravel the mysteries of how our amazingly complex brains do what they do, often start with the eye. An extension of neural tissue connecting the eye and brain, the retina, the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye has long been a model for scientists to explore how the brain works.

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After a brain injury, cells that normally nourish nerves may actually kill them instead, a new study in rodents finds. This “reactive” phenomenon may be the driving factor behind neurodegenerative diseases like glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness.

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The National Eye Institute (NEI) has established an office to accelerate progress in regenerative medicine for eye disease and vision disorders.

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DALLAS – June 17, 2020 – The molecular changes that lead to Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) occur decades before the disease causes blurry vision and other noticeable symptoms in patients, new research by UT Southwestern scientists shows. This insight into this earliest stage of FECD may eventually lead to new ways of screening for and treating the common condition, which affects an estimated 4 percent of U.S. adults over the age of 40.

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New NEI-supported research provides insight into the eye conditions associated with Marfan syndrome, where weakened zonule fibers cause vision problems.

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Introduced by Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Roger Marshall, MD, (R-Kan.) and Ami Bera, MD, (D-Calif.), this legislation would help protect America’s seniors from unnecessary delays in care by streamlining and standardizing prior authorization under the Medicare Advantage program, providing much-needed oversight and transparency of health insurance for America’s seniors.

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Researchers who made a knock-in mouse-model of the genetic disorder retinitis pigmentosa 59, or RP59, expected to see retinal degeneration and retinal thinning. They surprisingly found none, calling into question the commonly accepted — though never proved — mechanism for RP59.

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Chinese and Australian researchers have combined studies of more than 170,000 people and found conclusive evidence that regular physical exercise reduces the risk of age-related cataracts, the cause of blindness in an estimated 13 million people worldwide.

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Research to Prevent Blindness announces exciting changes to its flagship grant, the RPB Career Development Award, by increasing both the amount of funding and the number of awards funded.

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The American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) invites members of the press to cover the latest advances in retina science and practice during its virtual 38th Annual Scientific Meeting July 24-26.

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This week, tear gas and rubber bullets blinded at least two Americans and caused serious eye injuries in many others. Life-altering eye injuries are a common result of urban warfare and rioting, worldwide. The American Academy of Ophthalmology condemns this growing problem.