Jump to Section
Overview
The Nixon Visions Foundation, in collaboration with the Foundation Fighting Blindness, has committed funding to advance research towards potential treatments for PRPH2-associated retinal diseases. The Foundation Fighting Blindness will make awards for meritorious research proposals that advance our understanding of the biology and pathophysiology of PRPH2 in the retina. The award is up to $500,000, dispersed over one to three years. Individuals from underrepresented racial, ethnic and gender groups, as well as individuals with disabilities, are always encouraged to apply.
Applying
All prospective award recipients first submit a Letter of Intent and, by invitation only, an application via the Foundation’s online application portal. Application guidelines should be downloaded and reviewed before beginning your letter or application.
Start Application
Funded Awards
- Muayyad R. Al-Ubaidi – PARD Science Award
University of Houston, Houston, Texas
6/30/2024 to 6/29/2027
Award Total: $481,269 | Genetic Technologies
“Mutation-independent therapeutic strategy for peripherin 2 associated diseases”
Dr. Al-Ubaidi aims to create a new treatment for diseases linked to the PRPH2 gene by using small RNA molecules to switch off the mutated gene and replace it with a healthy one in animal studies.
Diseases: Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa, PRPH2-associated inherited retinal degenerations (PARD)
Genes: PRPH2 - Jason Comander – PARD Science Award
Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts
4/1/2025 to 3/31/2028
Award Total: $500,000 | Genetics
“A Comprehensive Approach to Determining the Genetic Causality of PRPH2-Associated Retinal Degeneration”
Dr. Comander will investigate which of the 6000+ genetic changes in the PRPH2 gene cause vision loss. Using advanced cell tests and zebrafish models, he aims to identify problematic gene variants and understand how they lead to retinal degeneration, ultimately improving patient diagnoses and treatments.
Diseases: Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa, all PRPH2-associated IRDs
Genes: PRPH2
Supported by the Nixons Vision Foundation - Frauke Coppieters – PARD Science Award
Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
4/1/2025 to 3/31/2028
Award Total: $496,728 | Cell and Molecular Mechanisms
“Elucidating Disease Heterogeneity and a Novel Therapeutic Approach for PRPH2-related Inherited Retinal Disease”
Dr. Coppieters will investigate why symptoms vary widely among people with PRPH2-related eye diseases. By studying protein levels and genetic factors in patient cells, she aims to understand these differences and test a new treatment approach using antisense oligonucleotides to correct genetic issues, potentially offering new therapeutic options.
Diseases: PRPH2-associated inherited retinal degenerations (PARD)
Genes: PRPH2
Supported by the Nixons Vision Foundation - Andrew Goldberg – PARD Science Award
Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan
4/1/2024 to 3/31/2027
Award Total: $433,729 | Genetic Technologies
“Natural history and AAV-mediated interventions for dominant negative and haploinsufficient mouse models of PRPH2-associated disease.”
Dr. Goldberg will conduct a natural history study on two strains of mice with different PRPH2 mutations. One mouse strain has a loss-of-function mutation, meaning there is a mutated copy of the gene that is not working properly and the other healthy copy cannot make up for the loss. The second mouse strain has a dominant negative mutation of the gene, resulting in a protein that interferes with normal function. His team will test whether AAV-mediated delivery of PRPH2 can stop or slow disease progression. The characterization of the mice to understand how these mutation types affect PRPH2-related disease will be a resource for other researchers developing therapies for this disease.
Diseases: PRPH2-associated inherited retinal degenerations (PARD)
Genes: PRPH2
Supported by the Nixons Vision Foundation - Yoshikazu Imanishi – PARD Science Award
Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana
4/1/2024 to 3/31/2027
Award Total: $500,000 | Novel Medical Therapies
“Elucidating Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Advancing High-Throughput Drug Discovery in PRPH2-Related Retinal Dystrophies”
Dr. Imanishi will determine how mutations in PRPH2 affect protein trafficking and incorporation into the outer segment of photoreceptors. This will improve our understanding of disease processes and aid in the identification of new therapies. His team will screen small drug-like molecules to find potential treatments and examine how mutations in the PRPH2 gene differently effect rods and cones using frog photoreceptors.
Diseases: Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa, PRPH2-associated inherited retinal degenerations (PARD)
Genes: PRPH2
Supported by the Nixons Vision Foundation - Krzysztof Palczewski – PARD Science Award
The Regents of the University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
6/1/2024 to 5/31/2027
Award Total: $500,000 | Genetic Technologies
“Precision genome editing in humanized mice expressing mutant peripherin-2”
Dr. Palczeski aims to create a mouse carrying the human PRPH2 gene in place of the mouse gene, which will allow researchers to test genome editing therapies for PRPH2-associated retinal diseases.
Diseases: Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa, PRPH2-associated inherited retinal degenerations (PARD)
Genes: PRPH2
