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Institutional Grants Anchor Research Infrastructure, Training
Kellogg researchers are among the most productive, grant-supported, published and cited in all of ophthalmology. How do we attract and retain the best and the brightest? With a structure and culture that fosters innovation and collaboration.
“Our research program is designed to be both a magnet for the most creative minds, and an incubator for their most original ideas,” says Kellogg Interim Chair Shahzad Mian, M.D. “We’re continuously improving the fundamentals—our mix of technologies and resources, training and support—to meet the changing needs of researchers from dozens of specialties, pursuing hundreds of lines of investigation.”
Kellogg’s research enterprise is anchored by four interconnected institutional grants, supporting basic, clinical and translational investigators at every career stage. All four grants were renewed this fiscal year, and a new core facility was added.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Eye Institute (NEI) University of Michigan Vision Research Center (UMVRC) Grant (P30)
The University of Michigan holds one of the longest standing P30 Center Grants in ophthalmology and visual sciences. Center grants provide resources and facilities for core services shared by researchers across the University that carry out vision research.
The P30 center grant funds state-of-the-science instrumentation, services and training for vision researchers to connect and pursue cutting edge ideas. The center has research cores, each supervised by faculty and staffed by technical experts:
Functional Assessment—This core, directed by P30 Principal Investigator David Antonetti, Ph.D., provides training and support to investigators performing nonlethal measures of ocular structure and function, including optical coherence tomography, electroretinography, fundus imaging, and pupillometry.
Instrument and Electronics—Directed by James Weiland, Ph.D., this core provides and maintains specialized instrumentation— both commercially available and custom built—for use by NEIfunded investigators.
Molecular Biology —directed by Steven Abcouwer, Ph.D., this core offers services, equipment and support for projects involving molecular biology, statistical genetics, and bioinformatics.
Morphology and Imaging —this core, directed by Jillian Pearring, Ph.D., processes ocular and brain tissue samples for light microscopy, immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization, and fixes specimens for electron microscopy. Assistance in analysis and presentation of imaging results is also available, and the core is a hub for training investigators in tissue processing, microtomy, staining and immunohistology techniques.
New Data Integrity Core—The renewal of Kellogg’s P30 grant coincides with the establishment of a fifth research core, dedicated to protecting Data Integrity from study design through publishing of findings. The addition of this core reflects the importance of protecting the reliability of the data generated in the course of research studies, as well as the methodologies and strategies used to analyze that data.
Launched by co-directors Maria Woodward, M.D., M.S., and David Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H., the core welcomed co-director Patrice Hicks, Ph.D., M.P.H. in 2024. The core is supported by senior biostatistician Chris Andrews, Ph.D., and biostatistician Amy (Ming-Chen) Lu, M.S.
“Central to our mission is ensuring that Kellogg researchers are trained in and adhere to NIH FAIR principles– findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability,” explains Dr. Woodward. “Following FAIR standards guarantee that our data is of the highest quality, and that it is gathered and analyzed in ways that can be shared and reproduced by others.”
As more researchers collaborate over open access platforms, the ability to reproduce and publicly share code is key. Experts in the data integrity core advise eye researchers on how to plan and monitor the use of datasets, algorithms, tools and pipelines (DATP), the building blocks of code sharing and duplication.
The team goes beyond reviewing a proposed statistical approach, offering independent, expert input to critique the feasibility of a study’s aims and hypotheses. “There may be more than way to go about answering a question,” says Dr. Woodward. “This additional step ensures that diverse viewpoints have been considered.”
NIH/NEI Training Grant (K12)
One of only six U.S. ophthalmology programs to hold a K12, Kellogg was first awarded the grant in 2013. The K12 funds the Michigan Vision Clinician-Scientist Development Program, which provides mentored training for ophthalmologists interested in developing research programs in tandem with their clinical practice.
Directed by Principal Investigator David Zacks, Ph.D., the K12 provides protected research time, core instruction and skill building for up to two scholars at a time, each for up to three years.
NIH/NEI Vision Research Training Program Grant (T32)
Under the supervision of Principal Investigator Patrice Fort, Ph.D., M.S., and Associate Director Sara Aton, Ph.D., this training grant supports graduate students and postdoctoral fellows launching careers in vision science. Primarily focused on basic and translational research tracks, it supports a diverse group of trainees in the completion of their theses or the development of research projects geared to help them progress towards independent positions. By providing extensive visioncentric education, mentoring and professional development, the T32 aims to train the next generation of vision science researchers.
Kellogg has held a T32 grant for more than 20 years.
Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Unrestricted Grant
This institutional grant provides maximum flexibility to develop and expand eye research programs in new and creative ways. Kellogg’s RPB grant, which automatically renewed for five years at the end of 2022, is overseen by Dr. Mian.
