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May 11, 2026 | Center for Translational Vision Research
BCTVR Hosts Foundation Fighting Blindness Vision Connection Event at UC Irvine
The Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research (BCTVR) hosted the Foundation Fighting Blindness Vision Connection event at UC Irvine, bringing together researchers and community members for presentations on breakthrough vision research and emerging therapies for blindness. The event featured talks from five UC Irvine vision experts.
May 04, 2026 | UC Irvine School of Medicine
Yexuan Cao, MD, PhD Awarded Knights Templar Eye Foundation 2026-27 Career-Starter Research Grant
Dr. Yexuan Cao, a postdoctoral scholar at the UC Irvine School of Medicine and BCTVR, received a 2026–2027 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Career-Starter Research Grant to support research on the genetic causes of childhood-onset blindness.
Apr 30, 2026 | UC Irvine School of Medicine
Marco Bassetto, PharmD, PhD, Awarded Grant From BrightFocus Foundation’s Macular Degeneration Research Program
UCI researcher Marco Bassetto, PharmD, PhD, has been awarded a BrightFocus Foundation grant to support innovative research aimed at advancing new treatments for macular degeneration.
Apr 21, 2026 | UC Irvine School of Medicine
Marco Bassetto Named 2026 Beckman Scholar
Marco Bassetto, from Dr. Philip Kiser’s lab, has been selected as a 2026 Beckman Scholar at UC Irvine, with his fellowship beginning in July 2026. Chosen from a highly competitive pool, Marco is recognized for his promising work on early detection and treatment of retinal diseases.
Mar 23, 2026 | UCI School of Medicine
Lilangi Ediriwickrema, MD, Elected to the NEI Council of Vision Editors Fellow Program
Lilangi Ediriwickrema, MD, was selected by the National Eye Institute for its Council of Vision Editors Fellow Program, a two-year fellowship focused on peer review and academic publishing in vision science.
Mar 06, 2026 | UCI School of Medicine
Gulab Zode, PhD, Receives Inaugural Cristina Kenney Grant for Vision-Saving Research
The first Kenney Research Grant was awarded to Gulab Zode, PhD, for his work addressing the unsolved problem of vision loss in glaucoma patients that continues even when eye pressure is well controlled.
Jan 13, 2026 | UC Irvine News
How These Long-Living Sharks Keep Sharp Vision for Centuries
Research led by Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD, shows that Greenland sharks—among the longest-lived vertebrates—retain structurally intact and functional retinas well beyond 100 years of age. Their remarkable visual preservation appears tied to ongoing activation of DNA-repair and protective molecular pathways, providing new insight into mechanisms that may counteract age-related retinal degeneration.
Jan 07, 2026 | UC Irvine Health Affairs
Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk Awarded RPB Catalyst Award for Innovative AMD Lipid Metabolism Research
Dr. Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk has received the Dr. H. James & Carole Free Catalyst Award for Innovative Research Approaches for Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Her project explores lipid metabolism and omega-3 fatty acids as early intervention strategies to preserve retinal health during aging.
Jan 06, 2026 | UC Irvine Health Affairs
Audrey Lapinaite Awarded RPB Career Advancement Award for Innovative AMD Genome Editing Project
Dr. Audrey Lapinaite has received the RPB Career Advancement Award for her project, “Modulation of Angiogenic Factors via Precision Genome Editing in AMD.” Her work uses next-generation genome editing technologies to develop a durable, one-time therapeutic strategy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
Jan 05, 2026 | UC Irvine Health Affairs
Emily Tom Awarded 2025–2026 Distinguished Public Impact Fellowship
Emily Tom, an MD/PhD candidate in Dr. Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk’s lab, has just been selected to receive a 2025-2026 Distinguished Public Impact Fellowship. The Fellowship is intended to support and highlight academically excellent students whose research demonstrates the potential to significantly improve or enrich the lives of people in California and beyond.