Foundation News » Macular Degeneration
Greg Hageman, World-Renowned AMD Researcher, to Receive Prestigious Honor
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January 12, 2012 – Dr. Greg Hageman, one of the world’s foremost research authorities on the genetics and disease pathways of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), will receive the Lighthouse International Pisart Award for his distinguished contributions toward vision-saving treatments. The annual honor will be presented on January 19, 2012, in New York City. A member of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Hageman was part of a Foundation-funded research group that identified the first major genetic risk factor for AMD. The group determined that certain variations in the gene Complement Factor H (CFH) — a gene that controls part of the immune system — were linked to half of all AMD cases. The landmark advancement led to the discovery of several more AMD-related complement genes, and is now leading to the development of AMD treatments that may prevent vision loss before it occurs. In 2006, the Foundation presented its Board of Directors Award to Dr. Hageman and his collaborators for their pivotal work. Dr. Hageman is currently the John A. Moran Presidential Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and director of the Moran Center for Translational Medicine at the University of Utah. Among his many projects and responsibilities, he continues to study the genetic pathways of AMD and maintains a repository of more than 8,000 human donor eyes, which serve as an invaluable research resource. “The Foundation is delighted to see Dr. Hageman honored with the International Pisart Award for his pioneering contributions toward overcoming vision loss due to AMD,” says Stephen Rose, Ph.D., chief research officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness. “His work is opening the door to halting a disease that robs millions of seniors around the world of their vision and independence.”
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