Retina Research Foundation supports an exemplary variety of programs in retina research around the world. The following is a brief recap of RRF research funded sites to date in 2025, which illustrates the wide reach of RRF activities.

We hope this snapshot of current RRF research activities will pique your interest. Details about each of these scientists and programs are contained within the site.

2025 RRF Pilot Study Grants – Investigation of New Research Topics

** received initial funding in 2025

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Yingbin Fu, PhD – Petri Research Project

Graeme Mardon, PhD – Miller Research Project

Wei Li, PhD – Basic Research Grant **

Yuqing Huo, MD, PhD – Basic Research Grant**

Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, TX

Lih Kuo, PhD – Gueymard Research Project

UT Medical Branch-Galveston, Galveston, TX

Wenbo Zhang, PhD – Manning Research Grant

University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

Jeffrey M. Gross, PhD – Basic Research Grant

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

Ching-Kang Jason Chen, PhD – Basic Research Grant

Erika Tatiana Camacho, PhD – Basic Research Grant **

University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Curtis Brandt, PhD – Murfee Macular Degeneration Project

Christine M. Sorenson, PhD – Basic Research Grant

University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Timothy Corson, PhD – Joe M. and Eula C. Lawrence Research Project

West Virginia Univ. School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV

Jianhai Du, PhD – Basic Research Grant

University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Nashville, TN

Francesco Giorgianni, PhD – Basic Research Grant

Northeastern University, Boston, MA

James Monaghan, PhD – Basic Research Grant

University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Seongjin Seo, PhD – Basic Research Grant

University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

Rui Chen, PhD – Emmett A. Humble Research Project

University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL

Andrius Kazlauskas, PhD – Basic Research Grant

University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ

Erika D. Eggers, PhD – Basic Research Grant

University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Ann C. Morris, PhD – Basic Research Grant

Jakub K. Famulski, PhD – Basic Research Grant

Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA

Ming Zhang, MD, MBA – Basic Research Project

University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA

Alex J. Smith, PhD – Basic Research Project

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA

Kinga Bujowskas, PhD – Basic Research Project

Eleftherios Paschalis Ilios, PhD – Basic Research Project

Schepens Eye Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

David M. Wu, MD, PhD – Basic Research Project

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Thanh Hoang, PhD – Basic Research Project

Eric Weh, PhD – Basic Research Project

University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Georgia Zarkada, PhD – Basic Research Project

Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC

Oleg Alekseev, MD, PhD – Basic Research Project **

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

Patricia R. Taylor, PhD – Basic Research Project **

Utah State University, Logan, UT

Elizabeth Vargis, PhD – Basic Research Project **

RRF Macula Research Project

Administered by The Macula Society

2025 Giovanni Staurenghi, MD, Ospedale Luigi Sacco, University of Milan, Italy

2024 Leo Kim, MD, PhD, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical Schoool, Boston, MA

2023  Francesco Bandello, MD, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy

2022   Anjay E. Kuriyan, MD, MS, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia. PA

2021   Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, MD, MHS – Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

2020  Kathryn L. Pepple, MD, PhD -Emory Eye Center, Atlanta, GA

2019   Stephen Yeh, MD – Emory Eye Center, Atlanta, GA

2018   Cagri Besirli, MD, PhD – University of Michigan, Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI

Established Awards – Awards Recognizing Lifetime Achievement

RRF Award of Merit – Presented by The Retina Society

2024  Anat Loewenstein, MD, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

2023     SriniVas Sadda, MD, Doheny Eye Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

2022     Edwin M. Stone, MD, PhD, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

2021    Douglas A. Jabs, MD, MBA – Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

2020    Russell Van Gelder, MD, PhD – University of Washington, Seattle, WA

2019    James Fujimoto, PhD – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

2018     Paul Sternberg, Jr., MD – Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Nashville, TN

RRF Kayser International Award – Presented by International Society of Eye Researchers (ISER)

2024    Hendrik P.N. Scholl, MD, MA, PhD – Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

2022/2023 Steven J. Fliesler, PhD, University of New York (SUNY)-University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

2020    Samuel Miao-Sin Wu, PhD – Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

2018    Krzysztof Palczewski, PhD – Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

2016   King-Wai Yau, PhD – Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

RRF Pyron Award – Presented by American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS)

2024     Anat Loewenstein, MD, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

2023     Eugene de Juan, MD, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA

2022       Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

2021       Cynthia A. Toth, MD, Duke Eye Center, Durham, NC

2020     Mark Humayun, MD, PhD – USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA

2019    Joan M. O’Brien, MD – Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

2018    Joan W. Miller, MD – Mass Eye & Ear, Mass General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

CL Schepens MD/AAO Award

2024     Steven T. Charles, MD, Charles Retina Institute, Germantown, TN

2023     Emily Y. Chew, MD, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD

2022     Philip J. Rosenfeld, MD, PhD, Bascom Palmer, University of Miami, Miami, FL

2021      Mark Humayun, MD, PhD – USC Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA

2020   Julia A. Haller, MD – Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

2019   Jean Bennett, MD, PhD & Albert Maguire, MD – Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

2018    Joan W. Miller, MD – Mass Eye & Ear, Mass General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

RRF Gonin Lecturer

2024     Anat Loewenstein, MD, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

2022/2023    Ramin Tadayoni, MD, PhD, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France

2018     Morten Dornonville de la Cour, MD – Copenhagen University, Denmark

2016     Thomas W. Gardner, MD – Kellogg Eye Center, Ann Arbor, MI

Gonin Medalist

2022      Stanley Chang, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY

2018     Jean-Jacques DeLaey, MD, PhD  – Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium

2014     Alice R. McPherson, MD – Baylor College of Medicine and RRF, Houston, TX

Paul Kayser/RRF Global Award – Administered by Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO)

2023     Ranjeer Muni, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2019     Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD – John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

2017     Jennifer Kang-Mieler, PhD – Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL

Research Chairs – Ongoing Proven Research Projects

University of Wisconsin and McPherson Eye Research Institute, Madison, WI

Helmerich Chair  and Associate Director, McPherson ERI – Kevin Eliceiri, PhD

RRF Chair – Nader Sheibani, PhD

Humble Distinguished Director, McPherson ERI – David Gamm, MD, PhD

Murfee Chair – Krishanu Saha, PhD

Albert Chair – Bikash Pattnaik, PhD

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

RRF Research Chair – Christina Weng, MD

Research Professorships – Ongoing Proven Research Projects

McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Gamewell Professor – Sarah Gong, PhD

Matthews Professor – Timothy Gomez, PhD

Brown Professor – Mrinalini Hoon, PhD

International Fellowships – Advanced Subspecialty Training

IOFF RRF Helmerich International Fellowships – Administered by International Ophthalmology Fellowship Foundation (IOFF) in partnership with the Ophthalmology Foundation (OF)

2024-25  Patcharaporn Wangvoravit, MD (from Thailand)

2023-2024 Aim-On Saengsirinavin, MD (from Thailand) and  Lily Myint, MD (from Myanmar, recognized by the U.S. as Burma)

2022-23  Rolika Bansal, MD (from India) and  Daisy Asiama Asare, MD (from Ghana)

2021-2022 Amare Atoma Gelacha, MD (from Ethiopia) and Chibuzo Barbara Ekumakama, MD (from Nigeria)

2020-21  Odugbo Ojo Perpetua, MD (from Nigeria) and Juan Manuel Lopez, MD (from Argentina)

2019-20  Estephania Feria Anzaldo, MD (from Mexico) and Irmak Karaca, MD (from Turkey)

2018-19   Dhariana Acon Ramirez, MD (from Costa Rica) and Federica Solanes, MD (from Chile)

2017-18   Hassan Mansoor, MD (from Pakistan) and Supalert Prakhunhungsit, MD (from Thailand)

Gillingham Fellowships – Administered by Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO)

2024  Carolina L. Mercado, MD (Columbia), Nancy Paola Arias Gonzales, MD (Dominican Republic) and Marcella Huertas Bello, MD (Columbia)

2022 Natasha Ferreira Santos da Cruz MD (Brazil) and Miguel N. Cruz Pimentel MD (Dominican Republic)

2021 Mariana Matioli da Palma (Brazil) and Estephania Feria Anzaldo (Mexico)

2020  Julia de Lima Farah, MD (from Brazil) and Matias Ariel Soifer, MD (from Argentina)

2019  Paulina Liberman Salazar MD (from Chile) and Alvaro Jose Mejía Vergara MD (from Colombia)

2018  Claudio Ignacio Perez Valenzuela, MD (from Chile) and Jaime David Martinez Martinez, MD (from Mexico)

Research Initiatives – Educational and Travel Scholarships

AAO Educational Trust Fund – Administered by The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (FAAO)

Retina-related educational research programs for clinical and basic science

RRF Lawrence Travel Scholarships – Administered by The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

2025      29 vitreoretinal scientists representing 24 schools  and institutes

2024      27 vitreoretinal scientists representing 25 schools  and institutes

2023      29 vitreoretinal scientists representing 23 schools  and institutes

2022      28 vitreoretinal scientists representing schools in 15 states

2021      126 vitreoretinal scientists received scholarships to participate in ARVO’s virtual meeting, presenting their posters and research in a virtual setting

2020     scholarships not awarded due to a program pause during COVID-19 pandemic

2019     22 vitreoretinal scientists representing schools in 13 states

2018     22 vitreoretinal scientists representing schools in 13 states and the District of Columbia