Dr. Vrathasha hopes to demonstrate through her studies in iPSC-RGCs from LHON patients and the LHON mouse model that mitochondrial transplantation is a viable therapy and can be used as a mitigating treatment for ChO-LHON before the onset of vision loss.
Read MoreDr. Cao’s objective of her study is to further understand the role and mechanisms of HMGB1 in OIR, in order to develop treatments targeting HMGB1 in retinopathy of prematurity.
Read MoreThese studies will validate the superior therapeutic efficacy and safety of anti-Scg3 for preserving vision in children afflicted with corneal neovascularization and leading consequences like permanent blindness and amblyopia.
Read MoreDr. Vats will use cells from LHON patients, as well as cells from volunteers without LHON, to create RGCs as well as other retinal cells in order to study the mechanism(s) causing preferential damage to RGCs. Dr. Vats is hoping to better understand the pathology of LHON and lead to the development of potential LHON therapeutics.
Read MoreThe grant supports Dr. Zaidi’s proposal titled “Exogenous Apolipoprotein A1 Mitigates Inflammation and Pathological Neovascularization in the Model of Retinopathy of Prematurity,” which focuses on preventing infant blindness through innovative molecular approaches.
Read MoreThis research should bring better treatments for kids with visual incapacitation due to mutations in PRPH2, clearly giving them a chance for a better life.
Read MoreMost Eminent Grand Master, Right Eminent Grand Officers and Sir Knights all, what a great year we had during the 57th Voluntary Campaign. Contributions for awards totaled $1,877,594.49. That is an increase of over 16%! The total amount received, including Trusts and Wills, topped out at $8,698,115.20, an increase of $337,648.88.
Read MoreThe Children’s Eye Foundation of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (CEF of AAPOS) is pleased to announce another year of grant support from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation (KTEF) to advance pediatric eye care and educational opportunities for future pediatric ophthalmologists.
Read MoreThis study may highlight PAX-6 regulation through miRNA-190 in the eye development and its role in cell-proliferation or cell-death and any dysregulation in this system may lead to Aniridia.
Read MoreDr. Son hopes to contribute to the development of future therapeutic strategies for conditions affecting the visual system in children.
Read MoreCareer-Starter Research Grants for the next award period of July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. The Foundation has increased the grant amount to $100,000 per grant. Deadline for the receipt of the submission is Thursday January 15, 2026. Grants supported by the Knights Templar Eye Foundation are awarded to impact the eye care of infants and children. Clinical or basic research on conditions that are potentially preventable or correctable such as amblyopia, cataract, glaucoma, optic nerve hypoplasia, nystagmus, retinopathy of prematurity, and hereditary diseases that occur at birth or within early childhood, such as retinoblastoma, are encouraged.
Read MoreDr. Singh aims to understand the HSP90 and AIPL1-dependent folding and maturation mechanism of PDE6. The structural elucidation of the enzyme and the client-chaperone complex will provide insights into the interaction of PDE6 with the chaperones at the molecular level which will help her to understand the mechanism of PDE6 maturation process and the underlying mutations that lead to severe retinal diseases. This will aid in development of therapeutic strategies for vision disorders in children.
Read MoreDr. Shosha will examine the utility of the HDAC3 inhibitor as a treatment in the mouse model of ROP with the future goal of translating her findings from the lab to the clinic. This is the first step toward a positive impact on the lives of infants with ROP. Her ultimate goal of saving infants’ sight will contribute to the KTEF’s mission to improve vision through research.
Read MoreDr. Scalabrino will modify how photoreceptors send light signal to other cells by strengthening the connections between those cells. By strengthening connections, she ensures light signal continues to be transmitted even after many photoreceptors have been lost. Overall, she will define adaptations that can be harnessed for lasting cures for childhood blindness.
Read MoreThrough this work a risk calculator will be developed in order to identify which children and communities are most at risk for vision loss from amblyopia. He aims to deploy new interventions and strategies in order to improve outcomes of amblyopia in high-risk patients.
Read MoreChildren who have undergone cataract surgery in both eyes do not have a natural lens driving accommodation, and thus they will have less accommodative ability in either eye. This research is important to further understanding of the process of accommodation and inform the work being done to counteract presbyopia and develop accommodative intraocular lenses.
Read MoreDr. Pfeiffer will help enable a better understanding of the causes of the loss of cones in retinitis pigmentosa to guide future therapies to treat retinitis pigmentosa and preserve children’s vision.
Read MoreThe 57th Annual Voluntary Campaign Final Report is now available at:
https://www.ktef.org/campaign-reports
Read MoreThis year the committee reviewed thirty-four career starter grants, and nineteen competitive renewal grants. After a discussion on each grant the committee awarded a total of twenty-six grants, sixteen for career starters and 10 for competitive renewal, a total of $2,339,762 in research was funded.
Read MoreThis year KTEF awarded 95 travel grants to help student/trainee members attend the 2025 annual meeting. These funds from the KTEF represent 24% of the total travel grants awarded by ARVO and the ARVO Foundation annually. In total, ARVO and the ARVO Foundation supported 396 travel grants in 2025.
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