P30 Core Grant for Vision Research

The Massachusetts Eye and Ear (MEE) is an internationally-recognized leading institution for academic ophthalmology and vision research. MEE is the primary institution for the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, one of the largest academic departments of Ophthalmology world-wide. The overall purpose of this P30 Center Core Grant for Vision Research is to enhance the research capabilities at MEE by providing resources that would not otherwise be available to investigators who are PIs of NEl-funded R01s. The Core resources have increased research productivity, supported collaborative research, supported young investigators and have contributed to successful faculty recruitment. Through collaboration with MEE vision scientists new faculty have been attracted to vision research. This P30 competing renewal requests funds to support three resource cores: Genomics, (Eric Pierce director), will provide access to state-of-the-art genomic resources; BioBank, (Janey Wiggs, director) will support the processing and storage of patient-related samples and provide support for linking patient material with genomic and clinical data; Bioinformatics and statistics (Ayellet Segre, director) will provide resources and support for a variety of bioinformatics and statistical analyses including analysis of next generation sequence data, genetic associations, power calculations and analysis of gene expression data. These resources form the basis of an integrated research plan that enhances the research capabilities at MEE and in particular supports the clinical translation of basic science discoveries. The overall goal of the core facilities is to enhance the productivity of individual research programs, create opportunities for new research endeavors, and promote collaborative efforts in identifying the molecular, cellular and genetic bases of biological and disease processes