16 ROGER WINGHONG LI, PH.D. Associate Professor, NSU College of Optometry LEAD RESEARCHER LISA ROBISON, PH.D. Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, NSU College of Psychology LEAD RESEARCHER Related Specialty | Amblyopia and spatial vision Grant | $100k Grantmaker | Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Walt and Lilly Disney Award for Amblyopia Research Hope | Find ways to treat the develop- mental visual disorder known as amblyopia. Hook | For 200 years, “lazy eye” treatment involved patching, but the deficiency is not in the eye itself, but the brain’s visual cortex. Line | Establishing a novel stereoscopic treatment for childhood amblyopia using 3D video games may improve stereo vision that was generally thought not to be reversible after the critical periods of visual development. Sinker | This developmental problem in the nerve connecting the eye to the brain is a common cause of vision problems in children, but also impacts adults. Related Specialty | Identifying novel pharmacological interventions Collaborators | Robert Speth, Ph.D., NSU College of Pharmacy; Natalia Noto, pharmacy Ph.D. student (’25); and seven NSU undergraduate students majoring in neuroscience or biology Grant | $154k Grantmaker | American Heart Association Hope | Help patients with early- and later- stage dementia. Hook | Test new strategies for the prevention/treatment of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)—a condition in which toxic proteins accumulate and damage blood vessels in the brain. Line | Several drugs being tested are already approved and commonly used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Repurposing medications means fewer unknowns and could reduce risks. Sinker | CAA contributes to the risk of stroke, cognitive decline, and several forms of dementia. NSU DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 Grant Strikes Structural imaging of the brain can show effects of CAA and dementia.
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