For Immediate Release
Study Will Help Mitigate the Global Shortage of Surgical-Quality Donor Corneas
Washington, D.C., November 12, 2019 —The Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) awarded its 2020 High Impact Research Grant to Dr. Mark McDaniell MBBS, FRANZCO, FRACS, from Centre for Eye Research Australia.
The grant of $50,000 funds the proposal, “Tissue Engineered Corneal Endothelium.” Dr. Daniell is affiliated with Eversight, which will provide the tissue for his research.
Dr. Daniell’s work aims to increase the number of usable donated corneas for corneal transplant to restore sight around the world.
“While there is a surplus of cornea tissue in the United States, that is not the case around the world,” said EBAA President & CEO, Kevin Corcoran. “Dr. Daniell’s project will help make more corneas viable for transplant surgery, and combat the 12 million corneal disease cases worldwide that result in blindness or vision impairment.”
The High Impact Grant was awarded at the 2019 Cornea and Eye Banking Forum; the funding cycle will be November 1st through October 31st.