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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 2, 2005

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American and Indian Researchers Partner to Advance Vision Research

Rockville, MD – American and Indian vision researchers will meet to plan ways the United States and India can work together to further vision research in both countries at a workshop to be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in April in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The workshop is funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Eye Institute, the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

The workshop in Fort Lauderdale follows a five-day meeting held in India in February during which research areas that would benefit most from United States-India collaboration were identified and discussed. Both countries’ populations have many major eye disorders in common including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. At the Fort Lauderdale workshop, to be led by ARVO Executive Vice President Paul L. Kaufman, M.D., and D. Balasubramanian, Ph.D., Director of Research at L.V. Prasad Institute, attendees will work on grant planning, study design and the practical aspects of detailed research collaborations. There will be broad dissemination of a report that will integrate the conclusions reached at both workshops, including collaborative research opportunities and research models to utilize the unique research resources available.

There are numerous scientific and population-specific resources in India which can make research collaboration between the two countries mutually beneficial. For example, India has significantly more cases of familially inheritable eye disorders, due to the prevalence of intra-community and consanguineous marriages, than are found in the United States, offering the possibility of studying these conditions in greater depth and rigor. Conditions that are relatively rare in the United States, including various forms of corneal dystrophy or glaucoma, are more prevalent in India. In addition, several eye care centers in India maintain more long-term, detailed medical records of patients than their American counterparts, analysis of which would yield new leads and directions for research. India also offers excellent opportunities for clinical research, pilot human studies, and fellowship training. Many Indian eye centers have high-quality science and clinical researchers with a proven track record of results, and, in some instances, experience with collaborating with U.S. researchers. Finally, research dollars go further in India, due to lower costs of manpower and infrastructure. The United States offers Indian scientists the benefit of results from large-scale clinical trials and epidemiologic studies. In addition, American scientists offer their experience with innovative technologies and practices and have access to a broad range of additional scientific resources for the conduct of vision research.

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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc. (ARVO) is a 77-year-old membership organization of more than 11,200 eye and vision researchers from over 70 countries. The Association encourages and assists its members and others in research, training, publication and dissemination of knowledge in vision and ophthalmology. ARVO’s headquarters are located in Rockville, Maryland. The Association’s Web site is www.arvo.org.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) was established by Congress in 1968 to protect and prolong the vision of the American people. As one of the Federal government's National Institutes of Health (NIH), the NEI conducts and supports research that helps prevent and treat eye diseases and other disorders of vision. This research leads to sight-saving treatments, reduces visual impairment and blindness, and improves the quality of life for people of all ages. NEI-supported research has advanced our knowledge of how the visual system functions in health and disease. The NEI Web site is www.nei.nih.gov.