Department News

NEI Awards Mahnaz Shahidi funding to improve early diagnosis of retinal disease

The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded Mahnaz Shahidi, MD, a three-year grant for her Retinal Image Quality in Retinal Diseased Eyes (R01EY014275, 4/1/2008-3/31/2011) project, which will try to improve the early diagnosis and treatment of retinal diseases. This study is Dr. Shahidi’s second major research award from NEI in less than a year. The project titled Noninvasive Imaging of Chorioretinal Oxygen Tension (R01EY017918) was funded effective 9/1/07 through 8/31/11.

"I am honored that the significance of my research has been recognized by NEI," says Dr. Shahidi, Professor of Physics in Ophthalmolology and Director, Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, whose research improves the tools used by clinicians to diagnose and treat major eye threatening diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. "I enthusiastically embrace this opportunity to continue my research, aimed to improve early diagnosis and understanding of the pathogenesis of retinal diseases by development and implementation of innovative imaging technologies."

The research study will provide knowledge on the applicability of novel technologies for high-resolution retinal imaging and visual performance evaluation in patients with retinal diseases, explains Shahidi. At the present time, the available methods have limited resolution to assess damage to retinal cell layers, for example, in retinal degenerative diseases and diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Shahidi is developing a specialized optical imaging system that will provide reliable, quantitative parameters for evaluating and monitoring abnormalities in retinal structure and vasculature due to retinal diseases.

Research in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is improving the early diagnosis and management of retinal diseases in order to save the vision of patients.

"Our research findings have a high potential to benefit the clinical management of patients by advancing disease diagnosis and expanding knowledge of retinal disease pathogenesis," says Shahidi.

Please visit www.uic.edu/com/eye or call (312) 996-7030 for more information.