Research began at the Retina Foundation 35 years ago on July 1, 1982. We are proud of the many discoveries and innovations we have made towards saving and restoring sight. Our scale, by definition is small, but our purpose and impact is unmatched in our research on pediatric eye disorders, inherited eye diseases, and age-related […]
READ MOREThe Rose-Silverthorne Retinal Degenerations Laboratory at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest is beginning a natural history trial to study disease progression of Usher Syndrome Type 2a, a recessive genetic condition affecting nearly 25,000 people in the United States. Usher Syndrome Type 2a is categorized by patients born with mild to moderate hearing loss and […]
READ MORELea Bennett, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Rose-Silverthorne Retinal Degenerations Laboratory, studies inherited eye diseases under the direction of Dr. David Birch at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest. Dr. Bennett recently received a five-year grant from the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health which she will use to enroll and track degenerative changes […]
READ MORENearly seventy-two years ago, Phyllis Snyder’s mother, Rose Lee Gunter, was misdiagnosed as having glaucoma and incorrectly treated by a “horse and buggy” doctor. Fortunately, technology has come a very long way since that time. Researchers at the Retina Foundation use advanced testing equipment that is able to quickly, painlessly, and accurately test patients’ visual […]
READ MOREThe Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund recently gave a $100,000 gift to the Retina Foundation of the Southwest for the Texas 1000 Project, an ambitious project with an overall goal to genotype 1,000 patients with inherited retinal diseases. Determining the genetic mutations causing retinal degenerations such as retinitis pigmentosa, Usher syndrome and Stargardt disease […]
READ MOREAchromatopsia is a rare inherited eye disease characterized by decreased vision (20/200), extreme light sensitivity, and the absence of color vision that affects less than 10,000 Americans. There is no current cure for achromatopsia. However, research on gene therapy is ongoing and may lead to treatment options in the future. The Retina Foundation of the […]
READ MOREmyVisionTrack®, an iPhone and iPad application developed by researchers at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest to monitor vision for individuals with retinal disease, such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, has received its second FDA clearance for its new service, the Physician Portal. The app was FDA approved in 2013, but with the new […]
READ MOREFirst-in-human trial of a new gene therapy that seeks to restore sight for patients affected with retinitis pigmentosa (Dallas, Texas – August 25, 2015) The Retina Foundation of the Southwest announced today that it will be the initial site in the nation to conduct a Phase I/II clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a […]
READ MOREThe Argus II Retinal Prosthesis system uses a tiny camera mounted on what looks like sunglasses, which sends a wireless signal to electrodes implanted on the retina. DALLAS — Relying on a guide to walk down a hallway is just the beginning of Bonnie Harper’s daily challenges with blindness. “Just losing that freedom and doing […]
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