Generous gift from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. allows innovative screening program to serve more Americans in need of eye care.
Read More
It is 30 years since the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. (KTEF) joined the American Academy of Ophthalmology in a journey to improve the vision care of patients both across the United States and around the globe, said Academy CEO Stephen D. McLeod, MD. “At the Academy’s 2025 annual meeting we honor its steadfast commitment to supporting the care so many patients need today, and its foresight in supporting innovative educational programs that help the patients of tomorrow.”
Read More
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 More
Dr. 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 More
These 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 More
Dr. 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 More
The 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 More
This 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 More
Most 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 More
The 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 More
This 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 More
Dr. Son hopes to contribute to the development of future therapeutic strategies for conditions affecting the visual system in children.
Read More
Career-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 More
Dr. 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 More
Dr. 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 More
Dr. 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 More
Through 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 More
Children 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 More
Dr. 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 More
The 57th Annual Voluntary Campaign Final Report is now available at:
https://www.ktef.org/campaign-reports
Read More