Research News
David Ramsey awarded RPB Eye Research Fellowship and Midwest Eye Banks Student Stipend
Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., the leading non-government supporter of research aimed at preventing, treating and eradicating all diseases that threaten vision, selected David J. Ramsey to receive a Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship. The RPB fellowship is designed to encourage gifted medical students to pursue careers in vision research.
In addition, Ramsey also received a student stipend from the Midwest Eye-Banks. The Midwest Eye-Bank provides corneal tissue for transplantation, supports eye and vision research, and promotes public awareness of the need for eye donors.
While pursing his MD/PhD at UIC, Ramsey joined Dr. Haohua Qian’s Neuroscience Research Lab. His involvement in the lab has deepened Ramsey’s interest in vision research. Dr. Qian’s lab conducts research on the retina, the light-sensitive tissue in the eye that converts light into nervous signals that are transmitted to the brain. The lab used molecular biology and biochemistry techniques to study retinal neurons, the nerve cells that send and receive visual messages through a combination of chemical and electrical processes. Specifically, Dr. Qian’s team studies GABA (gamma-aminobutryc acid) receptors, the main chemical used by nerve cells to communicate with each other. In the retina, GABA transmission is involved in many visual tasks, such as contrast enhancement and color vision.
Ramsey will use the RPB award to conduct research directly related to a clinical problem. He will examine the cellular mechanism of diabetic retinopathy, which occurs as a result of high blood sugar and can cause blindness if left untreated. In order to better understand these cellular mechanisms, Ramsey will investigate the difference in the GABA receptor activity and their regulation in normal and diabetic rats.
Ramsey’s project has important clinical implications. Evidence suggests that changes that occur in the early stages of the diabetes, such as color and contrast sensitivity reduction, are due to changes in GABA signaling in the retina. Early diagnosis and treatment are key in preventing vision loss in patients with diabetic retinopathy. According to the American Diabetes Association, each year up to 24,000 people lose their sight because of diabetes.
Ramsey’s research will provide important insight into any changes that exist in the GABA receptors in people with diabetes and will also open new avenues for developing clinical interventions.
David’s research experience extends beyond his work here at UIC. During his undergraduate years at Harvard, Ramsey conducted neural stem cell research and participated in a summer research program with UIC joint faculty member Dr. Malchow.
To find out more about Diabetic Retinopathy, click here.
