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Glaucoma scientist receives $40,000 grant
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CHARLESTON, S.C. — One scientist’s gene therapy research received an acknowledgement at the American Glaucoma Society meeting in the form of a $40,000 grant from the Helen Keller Foundation and Pfizer.
Xuyang Liu, MD, PhD, submitted his proposal, “Modulation of aqueous outflow by gene therapy targeting actin,” along with 29 other researchers, but Dr. Liu’s work was the unanimous choice of the reviewing committee.
Dr. Liu he plans to use the grant to further his work with gene cloning in the hopes of creating inactive strands that will eliminate the production of actin. “This may hold the clue to glaucoma gene therapy,” he said.
This award is the “first of its nature,” said Richard Black U.S. Product Manager of Pfizer.
Dr. Liu said he first heard of Helen Keller when he was a child in middle school in China. He called her the “First Lady of courage” and said he was “deeply honored” to receive the award in her name.
“Her great success made a deep impression on me,” he said.