STANDARD III –
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY
Summary
Standard III is consistent with the Mission Statement abstracted
below:
"The
As one of the 12 schools of the University of Alabama at
Birmingham (UAB), a research intensive university ranked in the top 25
institutions funded by the National Institutes of Health, the UABSO is expected
to participate fully in the university’s commitment to research and scholarly
activity. This chapter describes specific outcomes demonstrating the degree to
which the research endeavor is supported, encouraged, and maintained.
· Faculty in both the Department of Optometry and the Department of Vision Sciences conduct studies funded by the National Eye Institute, other NIH institutes, private foundations and the private sector.
· The Vision Science Research Center (VSRC), an NIH-supported University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Center, is one of the most productive centers in the university. Its mission is to foster basic and clinical vision research throughout the university.
· The Center for Biophysical Sciences (CBSE), a University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Center, demonstrates a commitment to research and education through (1) the exploration of structure/function relationships for biological macromolecules, (2) the development of novel technologies for biomedical research and engineering projects that enhance UAB’s basic and translational research goals and (3) the enrichment of K-12, undergraduate, graduate and university scholars through innovative science and engineering educational/training initiatives and community outreach.
· The UABSO supports research and scholarly activity by providing space, equipment, faculty time, and support personnel.
· The research environment is enhanced by UABSO-supported seminar series, one (VSRC Visiting Scholars Program) featuring basic research and another (Clinical Visiting Scholars) featuring clinical research. In addition, the Rich Lecture Series in the Department of Ophthalmology is open to faculty and students from the UABSO.
3.1 The program must support, encourage and maintain research and
scholarly activity.
Examples of Evidence
·
Policies that encourage research and scholarly activity
·
Financial support
·
Internal grant program
·
Description of research facilities
·
List of faculty publications
·
List of current grants and contracts
·
Program infrastructure support (e.g. grant writing,
biostatistics, graphics, technology)
·
Mentoring and training opportunities
Along with teaching and service,
research and scholarly activities are critically important to the success of
any research intensive university. Thus, faculty at the UABSO are expected to
engage in research and scholarly activities. Policies that encourage research and scholarly
activity include:
·
Section 2.5 of the UAB Faculty Handbook,
2008,
http://www.uab.edu/images/provost/APUP/Handbook.pdf
which describes the expectation of faculty research and scholarly activity for
appointment and for tenure
· Faculty Handbook and Policies, Department of Vision Sciences, 2007
Introduction to Research
Programs at UABSO
Research at the UABSO is conducted through a variety of programs
that are integrated with the entire university. These include not only the
Department of Optometry and the Department of Vision Sciences, but also the
Center for the Development of Functional imaging (CDFI), the Vision Science
Research Center (VSRC), the Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering
(CBSE), the UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation and other centers across
campus. For example, UABSO faculty have
collaborative research projects with faculty throughout the Academic Health
Center, such as in the School of Medicine, School of Engineering, School of
Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the School of Natural Sciences and
Mathematics. An integral part of the
research program involves graduate and postdoctoral training. A
description of the research and scholarly activities of the UABSO faculty can
be found at:
http://main.uab.edu/Sites/optometry/people/faculty/.
DEPARTMENT OF OPTOMETRY
Overview
All tenured or tenure track faculty in the Department of Optometry
participate in research and other scholarly activity. Full time tenured or
tenure track faculty generally have at least one full day not scheduled for teaching,
clinical or administrative duties and available for research. Some faculty achieve additional research time
with salary support from NIH grants. The Chair of the Department of Optometry
is Dr. Jimmy Bartlett. He reports directly to the Dean of the
Faculty
There are 29 faculty
members in the Department of Optometry (Standard
V). Nine faculty have an O.D. degree only, five
have both O.D. and M.S. degrees, three have O.D. and M.P.H degrees (one
individual with the O.D. and M.P.H degrees also has a Ph.D.), two have O.D. and
M.S.P.H degrees, one has an O.D. and M.B.A, four have a Ph.D. only, one has both
O.D. and J.D. degrees and five have both O.D. and Ph.D. degrees. Additionally, eight faculty are members of the
Vision Science Research Center (VSRC).
(http://www.vsrc.uab.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=27).
The listing of the faculty of the
Department of Optometry, along with synopses detailing the background and
interests of individual faculty members within the Department of Optometry can
be found at http://main.uab.edu/Sites/optometry/about/departments/department/57221/.
Although it is funding that makes
research possible, the fundamental contribution to optometry and to patients
comes from the research programs themselves. The UABSO has developed strong basic science
and clinical science projects, a few of which are highlighted below. Efforts to develop
clinical research have culminated in a broad base of NEI-funded national
clinical trials. Development and participation in these trials have resulted in
many new opportunities to reach out to the public through recruiting
activities, to mentor new faculty, to introduce faculty to research clinicians
of national renown, to bring new techniques and equipment to UABSO and to
develop new approaches to patient care. Some
of the trials have begun since the last ACOE review (Pediatric Research Projects) while others are still continuing with extramural funding
(ASCO Research Survey - UABSO Research Funding
(2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008)).
Important Affiliations and Accomplishments of Members in the Department
of Optometry
·
Dr.
Kent Daum received the UAB Presidential 2002 Award for Excellence in Teaching.
·
Dr.
Tammy Than was special guest and honoree for the Bennett Career for Chemists
Program at West Virginia University in 2002.
·
Drs.
Larry DeLucas and Melvin Shipp were inducted into the National Optometry Hall
of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio in 2002. Dr.
Jimmy Bartlett was inducted in 2004.
·
Dr.
Robert Rutstein received the Excellence in Education Award from the Illinois
College of Optometry in 2002.
·
Dr.
Kent Daum received the Dr. Jack Bennett Invocation in Education Award and the
Michael G. Harris Family Award for Excellence in Optometric Education from
AAO/AOF in 2003.
·
Dr.
John Amos received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Optometric
Association in 2003.
·
Dr.
Adam Gordon accepted a position on the Norton Board of Advisors at Birmingham
Southern College in 2003.
·
Dr.
Christopher Snyder was appointed U.S. Editor for Contact Lens and Anterior Eye
Journal in 2003.
·
Dr.
Christopher Snyder was elected to a 2-year term on the Alabama Optometry
Association’s Board of Directors in 2004.
·
Dr.
Robert Rutstein presented the Elizabeth Caloroso Lecture at Southern California
College of Optometry in 2004.
·
Dr.
Melvin Shipp was hired as the new Dean of the Ohio State University College of
Optometry in June, 2004.
·
Dr.
Robert Kleinstein was selected as Senior Scientist for the UAB Center for
Health Promotion in 2004.
·
Dr.
Tammy Than received the UAB Presidential 2004 Award for Excellence in Teaching.
·
Dr.
Janene Sims received the President’s Award from the Alabama Chapter of the
National Optometric Association in 2004.
·
Dr.
Christopher Snyder participated as the International Keynote Speaker for the
Contact Lens Specialty Club in Manchester, United Kingdom in 2005.
·
Dr.
Tammy Than was selected as the Alabama Optometric Association’s 2005 Young
Optometrist of the Year.
·
Dr.
Rodney Nowakowski was appointed member of the National Eye Institute Steering
Committee for National Ophthalmic Disease Genotyping Network in 2005.
·
Dr.
Mark Swanson was chosen by Alabama Governor Bob Riley to serve as
representative of Alabama at the White House Conference on Aging in 2005.
·
Dr.
Janene Sims was recipient for the School of Optometry of the UAB Minority
Research Day Award in 2005.
·
Drs.
Jimmy Bartlett and Leo Semes were inducted as Distinguished Practitioners of
the National Academy of Practice in Optometry in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
·
Dr.
Robert Rutstein was appointed Co-Chair of PEDIG Research Committee in 2006.
·
Dr.
Rodney Nowakowski was appointed member of the Executive Committee and Chair of
Health Careers Advisory Committee of the Norton Board of Advisors at Birmingham
Southern College in 2006.
·
Dr.
Rodney Nowakowski was elected Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of Alabama
Department of Public Safety.
·
Dr.
William Benjamin was elected as full member of the International Society of
Contact Lens Specialists in 2006.
·
Dr.
William Benjamin received the Joseph Dallos Award from the Contact Lens
Manufacturer’s Association in 2006.
·
Drs.
Wendy Marsh-Tootle and Patti Fuhr were invited speakers for the Inaugural World
Congress on Refractive Error and Service Development in Dubin, South Africa in
2007.
·
Dr.
William Benjamin received the American Optometric Association Contact Lens Section
Achievement Award in 2007.
·
Dr.
Robert Rutstein was appointed to the National Steering Committee of PEDIG in
2007.
·
Dr.
Kent Daum received the Rural Volunteer Excellence in Service Award from the
Black Belt Eye Care Consortium in 2007.
·
Drs.
Michelle Anderson, Keshia Elder, Joseph Fleming, Caroline Pate and Janene Sims,
Elizabeth Steele attained fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry.
·
Dr.
Kristine Hopkins received the UAB Presidential 2008 Award for Excellence in
Teaching.
·
Dr.
William Benjamin was keynote speaker for the annual meeting of Contact Lens
Manufacturers Association in November, 2008.
·
Dr.
Marcela Frazier received the 2008 Charles Barkley Young Investigator Award at
the UAB Health Disparities Research Symposium in 2008.
·
Dr.
Mary Jean Sanspree was selected as District Governor for the Rotary
International in 2008.
·
Dr.
Eugenie Hartmann was appointed Chair of the Strabismus and Amblyopia Section
for the International Congress of Eye Research Conference in Beijing China in
2008.
·
For
the past decade, Dr. Jimmy Bartlett has been a member of the United States
Pharmacopeia, representing the profession of optometry.
UAB
Pediatric Optometry Research
One area of note is the UAB Pediatric
Optometry Research Program. In addition
to providing clinical services for over 4,500 patients per year at UAB Eye
Care, all faculty and residents in the Pediatric Optometry Service are actively
engaged in clinical research. The
research often includes national collaboration in randomized clinical trials
with funding primarily provided by the NIH/NEI through U10 and RO1 grants. There is also original individual research
that is locally funded. Other research
extends beyond international borders. The faculty have collectively published
nearly 100 PubMed-referenced articles on a variety of subjects including
amblyopia, myopia, aniseikonia, and convergence insufficiency. Participants (research subjects) are often
discovered by the PreSchool Peepers program through its local vision screening
of pre-schoolers. Other participants are
identified through care received at UAB Eye Care or outside referrals. Once participation in the clinical research
has ended, individuals are seen at UAB Eye Care for continuing care or sent
back to the referring doctor. The
services provided are often of no cost to the patient and include glasses at no
charge to the participant. Funding
through 2010 and beyond ensures that the faculty of the UAB Pediatric Optometry
Service will remain at the forefront of pediatric vision research. The complete list of active research projects
by title is included in the document: Pediatric Research Projects. Highlights include: the cluster of Amblyopia
Treatment Study (ATS) trials (ATS 1 to 13) run in cooperation with the
Pediatric Eye Disease Investigative Group (PEDIG) and funded by the National
Eye Institute, the Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT), the
Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial 2 (COMET2), COSMICC (following myopia
cessation in the COMET1 children) and the RO1 grant, Multimodal Physician
Intervention to Detect Amblyopia.
Some of these clinical studies have already altered clinical practice. For example, the ATS studies have shown that atropine penalization is as effective as patching. Others, such as COMET, have provided results that suggest that in some patients the course of myopia progression can be altered by optical treatment. Indeed, myopia research at the basic science and clinical level is ongoing worldwide to develop therapies that can slow myopia progression in children.
Other Clinical Research
In addition to the pediatric studies, other faculty members
have ongoing research programs pursuing their interests in clinical eye care
issues. These projects are typically steered by one researcher with extensive
collaboration between researcher and clinicians as well as other campus-wide
experts, particularly fellow faculty in the Department of Vision Sciences.
Additional details of the projects listed below, as well as others, are
presented on the UABSO faculty website.
Dr. Lei Liu conducts basic research on functional measures of
vision. His goal is to develop better testing strategies for assessments of
visual acuity and visual fields. He also collaborates with Dr. Patti Fuhr in
the VA Medical Center on low vision rehabilitation projects to develop a new
rehabilitation training protocol (visual search training), new low vision
rehabilitation methodology (virtual reality training), and new devices
(wearable low vision aids). Dr. Liu, in collaboration with Dr. Mark Swanson,
has partnered with a corporation to pursue federal funding to develop and
validate new vision tests for early detection and monitoring of age-related
macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
Dr. E. Eugenie Hartmann is the PI for the Vision Testing Center for the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study (IATS), an NEI funded U10 grant. The PI for this study is Dr. Scott Lambert of Emory University. Dr. Hartmann is responsible for development of the testing protocol and for acquisition of the primary outcome data for this project: monocular acuity estimates at 12-months of age using the Teller Acuity Cards and monocular acuity estimates at 4.5 years of age using the HOTV EVA test. IATS is presently in its 5th year of funding and has received administrative approval for an additional 5 years of funding to obtain follow-up data from the 114 patients when they are 4 to 5 years of age (http://www.sph.emory.edu/IATS/index.htm).
Dr. Hartmann has also developed several other research
protocols with Drs. Leo Semes and Mark Swanson. They are participating as a
clinical site for an NEI funded SBIR grant to evaluate a new VEP instrument.
They are also conducting a double-blind, placebo-controlled industry sponsored
project to evaluate the effects of an oral supplement on macular pigment
optical density and dark adaptation.
Dr. William J. Benjamin has been very active in evaluation of
the amount of oxygen supplied to the cornea through contact lenses and by the
overlying eyelids when the eye is closed. He has advanced the measurement
techniques for oxygen permeability (Dk) of contact lens materials and oxygen
transmissivity of contact lenses (Dk/t), and has created a method of
calibration for the instrumentation. He recently acquired the third of three
basic methods of measurement for Dk and Dk/t, and his laboratory is the only
site world-wide known to have acquired all of them.
Several faculty members have participated in industry-initiated
research projects, with our subject recruitment and retention standards being a
convincing draw to these sponsors. Recent examples of these projects include:
Visual Comfort of Antireflective Lenses vs. Non-Antireflective Lenses in Children
Investigator: Dr. Janene Sims; sponsored by Essilor
Effect of Supplemented Infant Formula on Blood Levels in Preterm Infants: Electroretinographic (ERG) Testing and Visual Assessment
Investigators: Dr. E. Eugenie Hartmann, Stefanie B. Varghese, Dr. Marcela Frazier; sponsored by Ross Labs
Evaluation of Lipid Deposition on Contact Lenses Worn 10 Hours and Evaluation of Lipid Deposition of Contact Lenses Worn Extended Wear
Investigator: Dr. Keshia Elder; sponsored by ALCON
DEPARTMENT OF VISION SCIENCES
Overview
The Department of Vision Sciences is
a research intensive department that includes 18 PhD vision scientists who
conduct research in many areas of biomedical research, including optics,
biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology of the eye, as well as mechanisms of
central visual processing and perception. The Chair of the Department of Vision
Sciences is Dr. Paul D. R. Gamlin. He reports directly to the Dean of the
Faculty
The 18 faculty with appointments through the Department of Vision Sciences include 13 who are also members of the VSRC. Five additional members of the department include Lisa Moses, PhD, a research assistant professor specializing in Orientation and Mobility of the vision-impaired, and Sarah Alvarez, OD, PhD, who maintains a practice at Brookwood Hospital. Also faculty members include Drs. Champion Deivanayagam, Krishna Murthy and Craig Smith who are members of the Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering (CBSE). This breadth of interests and expertise allows study of the eye and visual system at molecular, cellular, and systems levels and extends to studies involving animals and humans. The listing of the faculty of the Department of Vision Sciences, along with synopses detailing the background and interests of individual faculty members within the Department of Vision Sciences can be found at: http://main.uab.edu/Sites/optometry/about/departments/visionsciences/35801/.
Important
Affiliations and Accomplishments of Members in the Department of Vision
Sciences
·
National Cancer Institute Core
Support Grant for High Resolution Imaging (Dr. Kent Keyser)
·
HSF Endowment Fund, UAB Health
Services Foundation, for Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (Dr. Kent Keyser)
·
Community outreach and education
module (Drs. Kent Keyser and Mary Jean Sanspree) to raise public awareness of
vision research, to develop vision screening initiatives, and to provide
information and referral to research, treatment and rehabilitation facilities
and professionals
·
In 2004, the Board of Trustees of the
·
Dr. Om Srivastava received the UAB
President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2006 and Dr. David Whikehart
received the UAB President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2007.
·
Faculty in the Department of Vision
Sciences participated in the recently funded Alabama Neuroscience Blueprint
Core facility, a research program funded by the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) that will link investigators from the universities and institutions
across the state and region. A five-year, $8.6 million grant will provide six
shared core facilities for scientists working in neuroscience.
·
Faculty
in the Department of Vision Sciences participated in the development of the
recently funded UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS)
grant.
·
Faculty members are active
participants in the
Civitan International Research Center, Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, the
Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences CCTS), and the Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC).
·
Eight faculty members have served on
NIH and NSF study sections over the past five years.
- Examples of national and international symposia faculty members have attended and presented invited lectures are ARVO, the International Myopia Conference (Cambridge, UK [2004], Singapore [2006], Palm Cove, Australia [2008]), the International Congress of Eye Research (Sydney, Australia [2004], Buenos Aires, Argentina [2006], Beijing, China, 2008), the Retinal Degeneration Conference (Chengdu, China), the International Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (Tokyo, Japan), and the Pupil Informatics Symposium (City University London, England).
Financial Support for Research
To accomplish its research mission and be recognized at UAB as having a
strong research component, federal support is required, particularly from the
National Eye Institute. In the current financial climate, competition for NEI
funding is very strong. It is a testament to the UABSO’s strength in basic and
clinical research that established grants are being successfully renewed and new
grants are obtaining funding (see section 3.7). Three sources provide research
funding: 1) internal grants within the UABSO and across UAB, 2) private
foundation and corporate funding, and 3) federal (NIH, NSF and other agencies)
research and research-training grants.
List of Current Grants
and Contracts
To support the
substantial research effort at the UABSO and at UAB, extramural research
support is critically important. Despite a very competitive budgetary
environment at NIH, UABSO has fared well. A list of active grants as of September
30, 2008 is included in the 2007-2008
ASCO Research Funding Report. Over the past five years, total funding to
UABSO averaged approximately 17.9 million per year.
UAB and UABSO Internal
Grant Programs
New research projects
rarely are sufficiently mature at their onset to compete successfully for
extramural grant support. In addition, some projects are small and can be
accomplished without federal (NIH or NSF) support. Thus, a variety of funding
sources are provided by the UABSO and from other sources at UAB.
Clinical Research Advisory Committee
Research Awards: Internal funding from the Department
of Optometry has been allocated to the Clinical Research Advisory Committee
(CRAC) for support of pilot projects since FY2005. These funds are intended to
serve as seed money for projects that have potential for long-term extramural
funding from federal grants or industry contracts. Allocations of funds have
totaled as much as $20K per year. The application process is coordinated by the
Director of Clinical Research on an annual basis. Requests are critiqued and
discussed by all members of the committee with particular emphasis being placed
on clarity of presentation, statement of hypothesis(es), explanation of
experimental design including sample size requirements, and expectation of
successful completion including publication of the findings. Specific projects
that have been funded through this mechanism are including in this document (Projects
Funded through CRAC). The ability to provide pilot grant support is
subject to budgetary constraints and is reviewed on an annual basis.
UAB Faculty Development Grants: The Office of the Provost at UAB sponsors a Faculty Development
Grant Program (FDGP). This program provides seed money for research, teaching
and service related projects. The grant program is open to all UAB full-time
faculty within schools that have agreed to participate. Applications may
request up to $5,000 per individual
application or up to $10,000 for multidisciplinary collaborative proposals.
Each must be matched one-to-one by funds from schools and/or departments. In
2007-2008, three FDGP awards were made to UABSO faculty, Dr. Thomas T. Norton
(in collaboration with Dr. Kent Keyser and Dr. Christopher Girkin (Ophthalmology)),
Dr. Om P. Srivastava, and Dr. David R. Whikehart. In 2008-2009 awards were made to Drs. Rod
Fullard and Alecia Gross. All faculty
except Dr. Girkin are in the Department of Vision Sciences.
Center Pilot Grants: Many Centers at UAB administer Pilot Grant Programs every one to
three years. The one or two year awards typically range from $20K-50K. Among
those relevant to investigators in the
UAB Core Facilities: UAB has long recognized that research competitiveness and
productivity require investigator access to state-of-the-art technologies and
the expertise to effectively use those technologies. This need has been
addressed effectively through the establishment and maintenance of Core
facilities that serve the university community.
Strictly speaking, these are not “internal” grant programs in that many
of the Core facilities currently available for general use are located outside
of the UABSO and funded from one or more of the following mechanisms: UAB
Health Services Foundation-General Endowment Fund (the UAB physician practice
plan endowment fund) support, UAB University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research
Center funding, and federal funding, either as part of NIH Center and Program
Project grants or through the National Center for Research Resources. There are now over 60 Core facilities at UAB ranging
in function from assistance with participant recruitment and study design to
instrumentation-intensive cell and tissue analyses. The operations of many of
these facilities are funded partly through NIH or other extramural as well as
intramural funds. A complete listing of UAB Core Facilities may be found at http://main.uab.edu/uasom/2/show.asp?durki=117644.
Private Foundation Grant Programs
For larger projects,
including pilot research that is aimed at eventually achieving federal support,
research support is also available from private foundations, primarily The
EyeSight Foundation of Alabama. UAB School of Optometry faculty have been
notably successful in securing research funds from The
Eyesight Foundation of Alabama.
List of Faculty Publications
From 2003 through 2008, faculty at the UABSO have published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. They have published many textbooks and monographs. The number of publications, textbooks and monographs is reported annually on the UABSO Scorecard. However, this data is only available for 2006-2007 with the current iteration of the Scorecard. The complete list of Faculty Publications is included.
UABSO Research
Facilities
Henry
The facilities of the
School of Optometry are fully discussed in Standard VII. Most faculty members in the Department of
Optometry, along with several from the Department of Vision Sciences, conduct
research in the Henry B. Peters building. The entire 4th floor of the Henry
B. Peters Building is dedicated to a wide range of research projects (see above
right photograph). There are 20
individual lab spaces, varying from 128 to 381 square feet, as well as a suite
of rooms housing the Clinical Eye Research Facility (CERF). The Henry B. Peters building has a gross
square footage of 105,500 and net of 96,300.
The CERF consists of
approximately 1,400 square feet and is used exclusively for human research
studies. Offices for two Clinical
Research Coordinators are located inside the CERF. There is also a small conference
room, which is ideal for the inevitable monitoring visits. There are three
fully equipped examination rooms inside the CERF. One of these is a regular size examination
room, allowing investigators to use protocols that specify this standard of
testing distance. There is a fourth special testing examination room that can
be used for visual field testing or other specialized testing required by a
particular project. In addition, there are three smaller rooms, one of which is
ideal for Dr. Hartmann’s Acuity Card stage for behavioral testing of infants.
(Dr. Hartmann coordinates the
The CERF is particularly
unique in that it does not process any billing or insurance paperwork in this
area. Participants may or may not be current patients of UAB Eye Care. The
results from the clinical research may be used to enhance or facilitate an
individual’s eye care, but the testing is clearly research and will not
generate any fees to the individual or his/her insurance.
Worrell
Building
The Worrell Building includes
approximately 42,452 gross square feet and 22,300 net square feet of research
space. It houses many of the faculty of the Department of Vision Sciences along
with the department offices and the offices of the
Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering
In
October 2001, the Center moved into a newly renovated 77,600 gross and 44,600
net square foot building that houses contemporary research laboratories for the
Center’s Science Division and Engineering Laboratories including a 100K class
clean room for the Engineering Division.
Also included are administrative offices, a conference center,
conference rooms, and other supporting space for use by faculty, scientists,
engineers, graduate students, and fellows.
The CBSE maintains a variety of research equipment along with the trained staff to provide support for the research needs of Center members. These services are available at a minimal or reduced cost for users in support of their research. These capabilities are grouped into the following four Core areas:
|
· X-Ray Diffraction Core |
· Protein Nano-Screen Core |
|
· Biomolecular Analysis Service Core |
· Self Interaction Chromatography (SIC) Core |
The CBSE also maintains an 850 square foot study room divided up into 22 cubicles for use by graduate students as well as a conference center and 4 conference rooms. The 1,910 square foot conference center includes configurable seating, audio/visual capability, and moveable dividers to allow the space to be divided into two smaller rooms.
Additional information on the CBSE laboratory capabilities and equipment as well as other facility accommodations can be found in section Standard VII (Facilities, Equipment, Resources) of this document.
Program Infrastructure
Support
Because the UABSO is a fully-integrated part of a major research university, there is an infrastructure in place university-wide to facilitate research grant submission and management. For instance, UAB has the federally-required infrastructure of a Conflict of Interest Review Board, an Institutional Review Board for Human Use, an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, an Office of Grants and Contracts, Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting, and a separate UAB Research Foundation to facilitate translation of intellectual property developed at UAB into commercial enterprises.
Within the UABSO, the most important aid to faculty in developing and maintaining research and scholarly activities is having up-to-date office computers and software. Not only are standard programs, such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint, provided to all faculty, but the university has site licenses for a wide range of programs, including all Adobe software (Acrobat, Illustrator and others). Also important is provision of a computer network to connect faculty and support staff to resources on and off campus. For instance, the Lister Hill Library provides on-line electronic access to over 28,000 journals, of which 5,600 are in the biomedical sciences. This allows nearly instantaneous access not only to the latest research articles but, increasingly, to older sources as well. An excellent interlibrary loan office is available to provide faculty with articles and book chapters that may not be available on line.
Lister Hill Library for the Health Sciences
In addition, both the Departments of Optometry and Vision Sciences have experienced support staff who are familiar with the procedures for electronic submission (now required) of NIH and NSF research grant applications and progress reports. A fulltime faculty member in the Department of Vision Sciences has specific expertise in biostatistical methodologies, and the School of Public Health has a powerful group of biostatisticians who can be contacted for statistical advice and support.
Mentoring and Training
Opportunities
DEPARTMENT OF
OPTOMETRY
Student mentoring and research opportunities are readily available and are offered formally through the joint O.D/M.S. program and joint O.D./Ph.D. program. Faculty research mentoring and development activities are conducted through specific programs offered by the Department of Optometry, UAB Office of the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development, and by the Faculty Research Institute sponsored biennially by the American Optometric Association and American Academy of Optometry. The Department of Optometry also offers an annual competitive grant program known as the Clinical Research Advisory Committee (CRAC) grant, an intramural peer-reviewed research program designed to stimulate and encourage development of pilot studies that may lead to large-scale extramural funding. Typically three or four awards are given annually. Current active research funding is $1.6M but reached a record of $2.5M in spring of 2008.
VISION SCIENCE GRADUATE PROGRAM
Graduate Students and
Postdoctoral Trainees are a critical part of the research effort. The Vision
Science Graduate Program offers courses of study and research training that
culminate in the MS, MS/OD, PhD, or OD/PhD degree. There are currently 30 students in the program
with 25 of those seeking the PhD. A T32 Institutional Training Grant funded by
the NEI supports predoctoral graduate education in vision science. There is a
core course sequence that is completed in the first year by students entering
predoctoral training through the Vision Science Graduate Program. Students also
participate in three 11-week research rotations during the first year to gain
experience with the research questions, experimental approach, and research
methodology in different disciplines. After
the first year students join a specific laboratory where they receive intensive
research training and complete their dissertation research.
Office of Postdoctoral Education
So important are postdoctoral students to the research effort that UAB has created and funded the Office of Postdoctoral Education (OPE), directed by Lisa M. Schwiebert, PhD, Associate Dean for Postdoctoral Education. The office’s website is: http://www.postdocs.uab.edu/. The OPE provides resources to foster the development of postdocs and foster the transition toward earning a faculty position.
RESEARCH SEMINAR PROGRAMS
Faculty and students involved in research benefit by
attending research seminars provided by important clinicians and scientists
from around the world. The UABSO sponsors two such programs, the Clinical
Visiting Scholars Program and the Vision Science Research Center (VSRC)
Visiting Scholars Program. In addition faculty and students are welcomed at the
Rich Lecture Series in the Department of Ophthalmology.
Clinical Visiting Scholars Program
The Clinical
Visiting Scholars Program, sponsored by an
Educational Grant from Alcon, Inc., allows research clinicians to communicate
important new information about eye and vision products, conditions and their management.
This program supports approximately four
speakers per year and serves a dual role to assist in the process of faculty
recruitment. The programs for 2005 to 2008
shows the speakers and topics. These programs are also open to students in the
professional program, who are encouraged to attend. Pizza is routinely provided so students and
faculty can attend without missing lunch. A list of recent speakers in this program is
available. In addition, faculty receive Continuing
Education credit for attending these seminars.
VSRC Visiting Scholars
Program
For over 30 years, the
VSRC has enhanced scientific communication through the Visiting Scholars
Program, which annually supports nine to ten speakers of national and
international renown. A list of investigators who have come to UAB under the
auspices of the Visiting
Scholars Program over the past year is included.
Research Centers
Research is fostered by having a “critical mass” of faculty, postdocs,
optometry and graduate students who share a common research interest. In
addition, when organized as a group, core facilities may become available that
could not be purchased by individual researchers. The UABSO has developed and
has administrative responsibility for three such centers. One (the Center for the Development of
Functional Imaging (CDFI)) is administered in the Department of Vision
Sciences. Two (CBSE and VSRC) have achieved recognition as University-Wide Interdisciplinary
Research Centers.
CENTER
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL IMAGING (CDFI )
The CDFI was established
by the Department of Vision Sciences in 2002 and is directed by Dr. Paul Gamlin.
The Center is located adjacent to the
The CDFI also offers a
4-credit one semester course entitled “MRI for Biologists.” This course
provides both general information about the application of MRI technology to
biological problems and specific information on the use of the Center’s
facilities. In addition, an intranet site provides tutorials on how to
use these facilities.
The CDFI has sponsored two successful symposia. A symposium on Functional Imaging was held November 8-9, 2002 initiating the Center for the Development of Functional Imaging. This event brought together, for the first time, virtually all of the researchers using primates in fMRI studies with some of the leaders in the field of MRI. The CDFI sponsored the highly successful Frontiers in Neuroimaging Symposium October 19-20, 2006. This symposium brought internationally-recognized speakers from the US, Canada, and Europe to UAB and focused on recent studies on brain function using techniques such as fMRI, MRI, MR spectroscopy, and optical imaging.
Five, currently-funded NIH grants completely or partially rely on the CDFI for planned research activities. Three CDFI participants, Drs. Gamlin, Gawne, and Twieg, are on NIH or NSF Study Sections.
CENTER
FOR BIOPHYSICAL SCIENCES & ENGINEERING (CBSE)
The
Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering (CBSE) is described at its
website http://www.cbse.uab.edu/. The CBSE (renamed in February 2000) developed
from the Center for Macromolecular Crystallography (CMC), which was originally established
in 1975 as an x-ray crystallography core for the Comprehensive Cancer Center
(CCC). In November 1985, the UAB CMC was
established as a NASA Center for Commercial Development of Space. In 1990, an
engineering component was added to support scientists in the design and
operation of ground-based and microgravity instruments. On behalf of NASA, the
CBSE has recruited industrial groups and other government agencies to pursue
commercial applications of macromolecular crystallography and structure-based
drug design (a drug discovery methodology).
In 1994, Lawrence
J. DeLucas, OD, Ph.D, a professor of optometry, was named as Center Director
and is still serving in that position. In 2001, the CBSE was established as a
The CBSE encourages a
multidisciplinary approach to understand the structure and function of
macromolecules. Examples of applications from CBSE research programs include
autoimmune diseases, bacterial and viral infections, cancer, multiple
sclerosis, cataract, and heart disease. The
CBSE has partnered with scientists from Europe, Central America, and
Faculty
of CBSE Appointed in School of Optometry
In addition to the Director, Lawrence DeLucas, OD, PhD, other CBSE
members with appointments in the
Major Accomplishments of the CBSE
CBSE has a long history of strong faculty and staff research and engineering based programs funded through NIH, DOD, NASA, NSF and multiple industrial for-profit sponsors. The outstanding faculty programs have determined several hundred new protein/protein-complex structures, advancing modern day pharmaceutical design. The Center continues to combine these efforts with the development of innovative technologies that are critical to the advancement of structure-based drug discovery efforts and applied engineering designs. Several technologies developed at the CBSE include a high throughput nano-crystallization system, a high throughput capillary counter diffusion system and a high throughput lipidic crystallization system – all of which are used worldwide by researchers in their efforts to determine the structure for proteins of interest to their programs. The latest system developed is an integrated high throughput self-interaction chromatography system combined with a neural network program. This system addresses the need for quantitative parameters of protein solubility and stability that enhance programs focused on protein crystallization and protein formulation optimization. In addition, the CBSE also has a world class ISO 9001:2000 Certified Engineering Division. The engineering group has successfully advanced the design and development of space-qualified advanced turnkey systems, specialty products, laboratory instruments, electronics and software products. Most recently the CBSE designed and fabricated a cryogenic freezer and a custom microgravity experiment research incubator for NASA. Over 400 peer reviewed publications and 19+ patent applications and several successful spin off companies have resulted from these efforts. Specific examples of major accomplishments in the last three years (2005-2008) include:
· CBSE programs resulted in 23 industry collaborations generating more than $5.0 million grants and contracts from these industrial partners.
· CBSE research resulted in 17 intellectual property disclosures and 11 patents filed/issued.
· CBSE research resulted in a license event for two new commercial products, a micro-fluidic nano-crystallization system (Fluidigm Corporation) and a HTP capillary crystallization system (Genomic Solutions). License revenues from the Fluidigm agreement resulted in the UABRF receipt of 600,000 shares of Fluidigm stock, cash and a five year $1.0M sponsored research agreement with the CBSE.
· CBSE
research in the past three years resulted in two new companies, Transgeneos,
Inc. and Vivo BioSciences, Inc. Transgeneos is currently raising venture
capital monies while Vivo attracted $2M in venture capital and is the recipient
of more than $1M in NIH funding.
VISION SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER (VSRC)
The
http://www.vsrc.uab.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=27
The Director of the
VSRC, Dr. Kent Keyser, is a member of the
University–Wide Interdisciplinary Research Centers
The Vision Science
Research Center (VSRC) has been designated by UAB as a University Wide
Interdisciplinary Research Center (UWIRC) since 1997. UAB has over 40 Centers
(including, for example, the
Sponsorship by the VSRC
The VSRC supports many
research projects as well as education and outreach efforts. The following
projects demonstrate some of the ways the VSRC enhances investigators’ research
efforts.
·
Committed funds for the
purchase of a new Electron Microscope, High Resolution Imaging Facility, new instrumentation
for the NEI P30-funded Computer Module and Machine Shop Modules
·
Invested in a Typhoon
Trio for the NEI P30-funded Molecular Biology and Physiology Module
·
Provided support for the
Neuroscience Graduate Training Program and the Vision Science Graduate Program
with salary support for administrative staff and the purchase of computer
equipment
·
Sponsored events
including the Frontiers in Neuroimaging Symposium held in Birmingham October
19-20, 2006
Important VSRC
Affiliations and Accomplishments of the Membership
·
Eyesight Foundation of
Alabama awarded grants totaling $2.5 million to VSRC members.
·
VSRC members are part of
the Steering Committee of the
·
VSRC members are
affiliated with the
·
The Director of the VSRC
Education and Outreach Module, Dr. Mary Jean Sanspree, administers the VSRC
Rural Alabama Diabetes and Glaucoma Initiative. In 2007, the project was
recognized with an award from the Alabama Rural Health Association. The project
is also part of the Governor’s Black Belt Eye Care Consortium.
·
VSRC members served on
the Program Planning Committee for the Association for Research in Vision and
Ophthalmology.
·
VSRC members serve on
NIH and NSF study sections.
Planning for the Future - Research “Retreats”
In order to foster strategic planning for new and continuing research programs and to encourage the development of collaborative (interdepartmental and inter-school) investigations, the UABSO and the Department of Vision Sciences have each sponsored a research retreat since the last ACOE self-study.
With financial assistance from Varian, the Department of Vision Sciences held a research retreat on November 15, 2004 with talk sessions entitled: Disease-related Proteomics/Genomics, Visual Neuroscience, and Biophysics-related Proteomics. A number of collaborations emerged as a result of this retreat.
Schoolwide Research Retreat (November 18
& 19, 2005)
The Departments of Optometry and Vision Sciences held a school-wide comprehensive research retreat on November 18-19, 2005. Dr. Michael Oberdorfer from the National Eye Institute was one of the principal speakers. Other speakers included Dr. Robert Rich, Dean of the UAB School of Medicine, Dr. Max Michael, Dean of the School of Public Health, and Dr. Michael Stern, Senior Scientist at Allergan, Inc. During this retreat, faculty from both departments came together to discuss research initiatives in nine areas of common interest. From this retreat emerged a number of research projects that are in development or have come to fruition (Initial Report, 2006; Progress Report, 2007). Principal among these was the purchase of the Luminex 200â instrument for the study of tear cytokines.
The school is in the early stages of planning a research retreat in the specific areas of neural degeneration, ocular immunology and optical and magnetic resonance imaging techniques. This would include faculty not only within the School of Optometry but also others from across campus. It is anticipated that the retreat will be scheduled for early 2010 provided resources are available.
Self-study Survey on
Research
Self Study 2008
School Survey Outcomes
Most of the self-study survey questions relating to research were
relevant only to faculty. Survey
outcomes are listed below the explanation of the survey scoring system. The mean score is based on the following scale: Strongly Agree = 5, Agree
= 4, Neutral = 3, Disagree = 2, Strongly Disagree = 1, Cannot Make a Judgment =
omitted. % J = percentage of respondents who “could make a judgment” (that is,
had the requisite knowledge or experience of the subject of the question to
make an informed judgment). This
pertains only to question 7 below. All
percentage values rounded to the nearest whole number. Raw data for all surveys are accessible using
the link below.
|
1. “The
administration places an appropriate emphasis on faculty research.”
|
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|
2. “The
administration places an appropriate emphasis on faculty scholarly
activities.”
|
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|
3. “The
School provides adequate funding to attend conferences and meetings.”
|
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|
4. “The
administration advocates collaborative research efforts between departments.”
|
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5. “Research
retreats are beneficial.”
|
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6. “I
am familiar with the research projects currently being conducted at the
school of optometry.”
|
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Only one question relating to research was put to multiple groups: faculty, alumni and students.
7. “Adequate accommodation is
made in the program for optometry students who are pursuing concurrent Graduate
Degrees (OD/MS, OD/MPH)”
Raw
data from all surveys are
accessible from the links below. Note
that a significant proportion of all groups felt that they could not make a
judgment on this question.
|
|
||||||
|
|
n |
%J |
n |
%J |
n |
%J |
|
Strongly
Agree |
4 |
10% |
22 |
11% |
1 |
1% |
|
Agree |
9 |
22% |
38 |
18% |
7 |
8% |
|
Neutral |
4 |
10% |
39 |
19% |
10 |
11% |
|
Disagree |
6 |
15% |
8 |
4% |
4 |
5% |
|
Strongly
Disagree |
6 |
15% |
0 |
0% |
3 |
3% |
|
Cannot
make judgment |
12 |
|
100 |
|
63 |
|
|
Total |
41 |
100% |
207 |
100% |
88 |
100% |
|
Mean Score |
2.97 |
3.69 |
2.96 |
|||
|
|
Alumni Responses by Graduation
Date (7 year
groupings) |
||||
|
Year |
1973-1979 |
1980-1986 |
1987-1993 |
1994-2000 |
2001-2007 |
|
Mean Score |
3.58 |
3.83 |
3.75 |
3.68 |
3.57 |
The majority of the faculty expressed agreement on two important
questions: 1: "The administration places an appropriate emphasis on
faculty research "(34% strongly agree, 34% agree), and 2: "The administration
places an appropriate emphasis on faculty scholarly activities" (29%
Strongly agree, 46% agree). A sizable minority of the faculty disagreed with
statement 3: “The school provides adequate funding to attend conferences and
meetings” (32% disagree, 12% strongly disagree). This is entirely understandable, given that
both department chairs began reducing faculty travel funding in early 2008
(nine months before the survey was sent out) in response to anticipated future
budgetary cuts. State funding for the
university was in fact reduced for the 2008-2009 academic year. Most faculty (56%) agreed that the
administration advocates collaborative research between departments and 68% considered
that they were familiar with the research projects currently being conducted at
the school.
When asked about the adequacy of accommodations for optometry students enrolled in a combined degree program, the response by faculty and students was not favorable. Only a small majority of non-neutral respondents agreed with the statement. Combined degree students have for several years been offered the choice to devote one of their two available externships to research. With full conversion to a semester-based curriculum in 2009-2010, it is anticipated that half of the students in each class will be offered a third externship. It is also anticipated that this would automatically include all graduate students who are making satisfactory academic progress. By using one of three externships for masters level research, these students would still be able to participate in both an institutional-based and private practice-based externship experience.
Synopsis
The
research commitment of the UAB School of Optometry is substantial in terms of
time, facilities, equipment, and personnel. UABSO has not only responded to a
constantly changing research environment, its leadership has anticipated
changes by recruiting highly qualified faculty with expertise in new fields and
methods, by expanding and renovating new and existing research space, and by
diversifying funding sources. These proactive measures have allowed purchase of
"state-of-the-art" equipment and establishment of a faculty whose
interests span all aspects of clinical and basic vision science. This
commitment has allowed UABSO to compete successfully for intramural and
extramural grants and contracts. UABSO earns more grant dollars compared, on a
national level, to other schools and colleges of optometry, or compared, on a
local level, to many departments within the School of Medicine at UAB.
The
faculty of the Department of Optometry has also substantially increased its
participation in NEI funded studies since the last self-study accreditation
report. UABSO faculty have developed a clinical site for CLEERE, a clinical
center for COMET, and participate through PEDIG in ATS, CITT and COMET2, all of
which are multi-center clinical trials funded by the NEI. Continuation of such trials or participation
in new trials is a priority for Department of Optometry investigators.
The faculty of the Department of
Vision Sciences has demonstrated consistent ability to compete for extramural
funding since the last ACOE review, with $6M funding for 2008. This achievement
is the result of very positive peer review at the national level. The faculty continue to compete successfully
with the best scientists in the world for extramural support.
The
Volker Hall Tower
CONCLUSION
The success of the
overall research enterprise at UABSO rivals that of any other school or college
of optometry, as well as many other departments at UAB. This has been achieved
by dedicated and productive faculty members and administrators who have engaged
in strategic planning while maintaining their individual research programs. The challenge for the future will include the
School’s commitment to maintaining this level of productivity by hiring new
faculty members and inspiring current faculty to push the envelope even
further. The addition of newly
refurbished, state-of-the-art research space in Volker Hall, where retinal
researchers from both optometry and ophthalmology will have their laboratories,
will facilitate that goal, along with continued financial support from the
UABSO.
Standard III: List of Hyperlinked Documents and Pages
|
Document/Page |
Hyperlink |
Reference in Report |
|
UAB Faculty Handbook |
3.1 |
|
|
Optometry Dept.
Evaluation Guidelines |
3.1 |
|
|
Vision Sciences
Dept. Faculty Handbook |
Faculty
Handbook and Policies, Department of Vision Sciences, 2007 |
3.1 |
|
UABSO Faculty Research & Scholarly Activities |
3.1 |
|
|
ASCO Research Survey - UABSO Research Funding |
3.1 |
|
|
ASCO Research Survey UAB Totals |
3.1 |
|
|
UABSO ACOE Report Standard V: Faculty |
3.1 |
|
|
Vision Science Research Center Members |
http://www.vsrc.uab.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=27 |
3.1 |
|
Optometry Department Faculty List |
http://main.uab.edu/Sites/optometry/about/departments/department/57221/ |
3.1 |
|
Optometry Dept. Pediatric Research |
3.1 |
|
|
Infant Aphakia Treatment Study |
3.1 |
|
|
Vision Sciences Department Faculty List |
http://main.uab.edu/Sites/optometry/about/departments/visionsciences/35801/ |
3.1 |
|
Clinical Research Advisory Committee Projects |
3.1 |
|
|
UAB Core Facilities |
3.1 |
|
|
UABSO Eyesight Foundation Grants |
3.1 |
|
|
Faculty Publications |
3.1 |
|
|
UAB High Resolution Imaging Facility |
3.1 |
|
|
UAB Scorecard/UABSO |
3.1 |
|
|
UABSO Faculty Development Program |
3.1 |
|
|
UAB Office of Postdoctoral Education |
3.1 |
|
UABSO Clinical Visiting Scholars Program |
3.1 |
|
|
VSRC Visiting Scholars Program |
3.1 |
|
|
UAB Center for Biophysical Sciences & Engineering (CBSE) |
3.1 |
|
|
CBSE Faculty |
3.1 |
|
|
Vision Science Research Center |
3.1 |
|
|
UABSO Research Retreat Reports |
3.1 |
|
|
2008 Self Study Survey Data |
3.1 |
|
|
2008 Self Study Alumni Survey Data by Grad. Year |
2008 Self Study Alumni Survey Data Grouped by Graduation Year |
3.1 |