VAF Resident Grant Program Award Winners

Each year the ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation offers research grants of up to $5,000 to ABVO-approved residents in areas of veterinary ophthalmology. Results of funded research must be presented at the annual ACVO Conference within 2 years of grant award.

For the 2021-2022 grant cycle, we had 11 outstanding applications. The grant recipients are listed below, will receive a total of $21,385, all thanks to generous donations to the VAF.

CONGRATULATIONS to the awardees and THANK YOU to all applicants who submitted grant proposals this cycle. It is wonderful to see all of the research project proposals that are working towards the advancement and understanding of animal ophthalmic health.

Dr. Billie Beckwith-Cohen, Michigan State University
$5,000
Retinal remodeling and plasticity in a CABP4-mutant model of retinal degeneration

Dr. Kourtney Dowler, University of Missouri
$5,000
Ophthalmic viscoelastics commonly used in cataract surgery: a microbiota investigation

Dr. Michael Minaldi, Mississippi State University
$1,385
Effects of topical ropivacaine hydrochloride 0.5% and lidocaine hydrochloride 2% on corneal sensitivity in horses

Dr. Melanie Mironovich, Louisiana State University
$5,000
Utilizing polymeric antioxidant-loaded nanoparticles as a delivery system to mitigate photo-oxidative stress of whole porcine lenses in vitro

Dr. Brett Story, UC Davis
$5,000
Ocular pathology of Tay-Sachs disease in Jacob sheep

The hard work and dedication of the members of the VAF Grant Committee has also made this all possible.

THANK YOU to: Rachel Allbaugh, Heather Chandler, Andrew Lewin, Keiko Miyadera, Sami Pederson, Erin Scott, Gillian Shaw, Kyle Tofflemire, Sarah Thomasy and Tomo Wiggans.