Posted: November 4, 2009

left to right, Andrea Crabb, Kristina Haworth, and Kathryn Richdale.

Andrea Crabb (second-year student), Kristina Haworth (post-doctoral fellow), and Kathryn Richdale (post-doctoral fellow) received Prevent Blindness Ohio’s Young Investigator Student Fellowship Awards for Female Scholars in Vision Research. The Awards for Female Scholars in Vision Research were established in 2006 to encourage female scientists to enter the critical field of vision research and to address the growing public health concern of vision loss among Ohio’s aging population.

Ms. Crabb’s research could potentially identify useful biomarkers for diagnosing age related macular degeneration (AMD) before severe vision loss occurs. AMD is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly in the United States. She conducted her research at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation this past summer. Dr. Haworth is conducting research relevant to identifying underlying causes of dry eye disease by analysis of proteins present. Increased understanding of the cause of dry eye disease may lead to identification of biomarkers and potential new treatments. Dry eye is one of the most prevalent ocular diseases. Dr. Richdale is conducting a study using multiple imaging techniques to examine the crystalline lens, ciliary body, and geometric relationship of these structures to further the understanding of presbyopia.

There are 1,259,000 older Ohioans affected by vision problems that if not detected and treated early, could lead to blindness. Because of the growth in the aging population, there will be more than 2.5 million Ohioans affected by vision-robbing conditions by the year 2030, largely resulting from the eye diseases of diabetic retinopathy, cataract, glaucoma, and AMD.