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NAEC Meeting Minutes - June 13, 2025

National Institutes of Health

National Eye Institute
Minutes of the National Advisory Eye Council
One Hundred Seventy First Meeting
June 13, 2025

The National Advisory Eye Council (NAEC) convened its 171st meeting virtually at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 13, 2025. The meeting was publicly broadcast by the NIH videocast system. Dr. Michael F. Chiang, Director of the National Eye Institute (NEI), presided as Council Chair. Dr. Hyo-Jung (Anna) Han served as Executive Secretary. The meeting was open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 11:49 a.m., and closed from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. for confidential discussions, including conflict-of-interest matters, application reviews, and cooperative agreement applications.

Council Members Present: 

Dr. Michael F. Chiang, Chair 
Dr. Anna Han, Executive Secretary
Dr. Maria Grant
Dr. Donald Mutti 
Dr. Pradeep Ramulu 
Dr. Victor Perez Quinones 

NIH Staff Members Present:

Shawn Adolphus
Neeraj Agarwal
Elvira Agron
Houmam Araj
Negin Atri
Sofia Becerra
Sangeeta Bhargava
Kapil Bharti
Rylee Brauer
Nathan Brown
Gleysin Cabrera Herrera
Alysia Champagne
Wang Chenyue
Emily Chew
Edwin Clayton
Karen Colbert
Roland Colbert
Tiffany Cook
Jeffrey Cozart
Christina Curington
Subrata Debnath
Kathryn Demott
Mala Dutta
Salwa Elsaadawy
Donald Everett
Jianguo Fan
Martha Flanders
Ashley Fortress
Alexandra Fritz
Shaojian Gao
Nataliya Gordiyenko
Tony Gover
Steven Henle
David Higgins
Awilda Holland
Ji Jeong
Stephanie Kennedy
Jimmy Le
Paekgyu Lee
Richard Lee
Jennifer Lei
Renee Livshin
Barbara Mallon
Alexander Manuel
George McKie
Sheldon Miller
Mahesh Mujumdar
Elizabeth Murphy
Amelia Naik
Erika Nelson
Lisa Neuhold
Claude Ngopa
William O'Donnell
Maryann Redford
Carissa Reilly-Weedon
Jessica Ryan
Vatsala Sagar
Jennifer Schiltz
David Schneeweis
Shauna Schwartz
Grace Shen
Azadeh Shoaibi
Hongman Song
Afia Sultana
Ginger Tansey
Kirk Thompson
Santa Tumminia
Susan Vitale
Leslie West-Bushby
Cheryl Wiggs
Bronte Williams Washington
Keturah Williams
Solomon Woldeselassie
Charles Wright

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

—Dr. Michael Chiang, Chair, NAEC, and Director, NEI

Dr. Chiang opened the meeting, acknowledged the virtual format, and thanked members for their participation. He noted a smaller-than-usual group due to pending council slate approvals.

COUNCIL PROCEDURES AND RELATED MATTERS 

—Dr. Anna Han, Executive Secretary, 
NAEC, and Acting Director, Division of Extramural Activities (DEA) 

Dr. Han introduced herself as Acting Director of the Division of Extramural Activities (DEA), following Dr. Kathy Anderson’s retirement in May. She recognized Dr. Anderson’s decades of 
service and contributions. Dr. Han also welcomed Council members, NEI staff, advocacy partners, colleagues from the Center for Scientific Review, and members of the public. She reviewed meeting etiquette, including the importance of self-identification when speaking, use of the “raise hand” feature, and limitations of the Teams chat box. She reminded Council members of their responsibilities as Special Government Employees, including restrictions on lobbying. Dr. Han announced the next Council meeting will be held Friday, October 3, 2025, ideally in person. She explained that minutes will no longer require formal approval during meetings but will continue to be circulated for review and comment.

NEI DIRECTOR’S REPORT 

—Dr. Michael F. Chiang

Dr. Chiang presented an overview of NIH and NEI updates since April 2025, emphasizing alignment with NIH priorities under new Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.

Leadership Transitions

  • NIH-Wide
    • Dr. Bhattacharya began as NIH’s 18th Director in April
    • Dr. Matt Memoli was appointed Principal Deputy Director.
  • NEI
    • Dr. Sangeeta Bhargav was appointed Director of the Division of Extramural Science Programs.
    • Dr. Anna Han serving as the Acting Director of DEA
    • Departures included:
      • Kathy Anderson (retired)
      • Maria Zacharias (retired)
      • Shefa Gordon (affected by NIH reduction in force)
      • Kerry Goetz (moved to industry)

NEI Alignment with NIH Strategic Priorities

A. Innovation
NEI initiatives exemplify innovation with broad implications across medicine:

  • OCT Imaging:
    • Revolutionized real-time, non-invasive retinal imaging; foundational in multiple fields.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI):
    • First FDA-approved autonomous AI diagnostic was for diabetic retinopathy (Michael Abramoff).
    • Ongoing frontier work includes precision medicine, “oculomics,” and data privacy.
  • Gene and Cell Therapy:
    • Luxturna: First FDA-approved gene therapy emerged from NEI research.
    • NEI participated in Bespoke Gene Therapy Consortium and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Project.
    • 3 of 8 trials in the bespoke program target eye diseases.
  • Research Highlights:
    • Prime editing delivery in retinal diseases (collaboration: UC Irvine, Broad Institute)
    • Cell-based neuroprotective therapy for MacTel2 (approved March 2025)
    • Laser-based cone stimulation system created "new" human color perception (“Olo”)
    • Microns Project: Brain-wide connectome mapping using mouse visual cortex—520 million synapses mapped

B. Chronic Disease 

  • Multi-omics and AI:
    • Proteomic "aging" studies showed disease-linked molecular signatures outlasting clinical symptoms (e.g., diabetic retinopathy).
  • Neuroplasticity & CVI:
    • NEI-led working groups on neuroplasticity and extracellular vesicles (EVs)
    • EVs underutilized in ophthalmic research—only 9 clinical trials between 2010–2023
  • Bridge2AI Program:
    • NEI is a lead institute
    • Study led by Drs. Aaron and Cecilia Lee (UW) combines ocular imaging, environmental sensors, wearables, and EHR data in diabetes progression
    • 1000 participants, 2TB data already shared
  • PRIMED AI (proposed):
    • $121M initiative under development for multimodal AI-driven precision medicine
    • NEI is one of 5 lead institutes
  • Myopia & Uveitis Studies:
    • BLINK2 Trial: Slowed axial elongation in older teens
    • ADJUST & MIRA Trials: Informed treatment withdrawal protocols and efficacy of intravitreal therapies
  • Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI):
    • Now leading cause of pediatric visual impairment in the U.S.
    • Multidisciplinary collaboration with NICHD and NINDS
    • National registry launching
    • Simultaneous publications in Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, and Annals of Neurology 

C. Reproducibility 

Dr. Chiang stressed the need to shift research culture: 

  • Data Sharing:
    • Concern: Data sharing compliance is often performative
    • Academic incentives need to align with collaborative and reproducible science
    • S-Index Challenge: $1M prize competition to design metrics that reward impactful data sharing. 44 full submissions received.
  • Federated Vision Research Network:
    • Four winning teams selected to build interoperable clinical research models:
      • Harvard, Oregon, Columbia, Stanford
    • Focus on common data models, harmonization, and pediatric ophthalmology
  • Interoperability & Standards:
    • Strong push to adopt DICOM standards in ophthalmic imaging
    • NEI, FDA, and AAO guidance now discourages use of non-standard compliant imaging in NIH-funded research
    • Ongoing work with NIBIB and FDA to develop image calibration “phantoms”
  • All of Us Initiative – "Eyes on Health":
    • Pilot study underway to integrate OCT, OCT-A, and fundus imaging into the NIH All of Us program
    • Goal: Deep phenotype linkage between retinal health and systemic disease

Policy & Funding Updates

  • NIH is under a Continuing Resolution (CR) through September 30, 2025; NEI funding remains at FY24 levels.
  • New HHS grant termination tracking system available to the public.
  • Policy changes:
    • PEDPs, diversity plans, and other supplemental documentation no longer required in some FOAs.
    • Funding opportunities being revised; applicants should review notices carefully.

Workforce Development & Outreach

  • NEI celebrated poster award winners from NIH Postbac Poster Day.
  • High School Video Contest winners honored in three categories.
  • Council of Vision Editors Fellowship launched second cohort across major journals.
  • NEI supports meta-science research through the NIH Science of Science Scholars pilot.
  • Katz Early-Stage Investigator Awards continue to support research without preliminary data. 

DISCUSSION

Dr. Donald Mutti Question:
Dr. Donald Mutti praised NEI’s accomplishments and asked how consolidation proposals (reducing 27 NIH Institutes to 8, placing NEI under a proposed Neuroscience Institute) might affect NEI’s ability to fulfill its mission. He inquired whether any analysis has been conducted on the implications of such restructuring.

Dr. Chiang’s Response:
Chiang noted that as a federal official, he cannot comment on pending legislation, but emphasized NEI’s historical independence and its unique record of supporting major vision research breakthroughs, especially that almost every breakthrough in preventing blindness in the past 50 years was NEI-supported.

Dr. Mutti followed up, asking whether anyone had undertaken a pros-and-cons analysis of consolidation. Dr. Chiang responded he was not aware of any such analysis and noted it would be difficult to create a counterfactual or randomized comparison of organizational models. 

The meeting took a 15-minute break beginning at 11:30am. Upon returning at 11:45am, Dr. Chiang introduced Council Member Pradeep Ramulu who joined the meeting. Dr. Ramulu indicated that he was from Johns Hopkins as a Glaucoma Specialist and was proud to participate in their 100th year celebration. 

NEI Triannual Inclusion Report

Dr. Song provided a summary of NEI’s compliance with the NIH Inclusion Policy, which mandates the inclusion and reporting of demographic characteristics—sex, race, and ethnicity—in NIH-supported human subject’s research.

Key Responsibilities & Strategies for Compliance:

  • NEI is federally required to present this report every three years.
  • The NIH policy is:
    • Posted on NEI’s website
    • Explicit in all Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs)
  • Compliance is ensured through:
    • Education of peer review members
    • Training for NIH staff
    • Use of tracking systems
    • Ongoing program director oversight, especially for Phase III clinical trials

Data Summary (Past Three Years)

General Enrollment Data:

  • NEI supported approximately 300 individual research studies (IRs) with active enrollment each year.
  • Most studies are U.S.-based.
  • Very few single-sex studies; the vast majority include both male and female participants.

Demographic Representation:

  • Sex (Domestic Studies):
    • ~54% of participants were female, which closely matches the general U.S. population.
  • Race:
    • NEI-supported studies included participants from nearly all racial categories as per U.S. Census categories.
    • The racial distribution of participants generally mirrored the U.S. population.
  • Ethnicity:
    • Over 15% of participants identified as Hispanic, demonstrating significant inclusion across ethnic lines.

Phase III Clinical Trials:

  • Sex representation remains balanced between males and females.
  • Racial composition again aligned well with national benchmarks.
  • Hispanic participation in Phase III trials was around 13%.

Council Discussion 
Dr. Donald Mutti praised the report’s encouraging inclusion data. Suggested that the term “generalizability” could serve as a scientific synonym for “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)”, which has become politically charged. “Generalizability” is neutral, values-based, and fundamental to sound scientific research, making it a useful term to retain core DEI principles without political implications.

Dr. Maria Grant commended Dr. Chiang’s broader director’s report (presented earlier in the meeting) as "vast and incredibly" representative of NEI's reach and excellence. Expressed a desire for more public visibility and awareness of NEI’s value and independence as a specialized institute.

Dr. Chiang reiterated that while he cannot comment on pending legislation (e.g., NIH consolidation proposals), his role is to focus on NEI's mission and strategic plan. Dr. Chiang reiterated NEI’s mission-driven approach, collaborative research ecosystem, and balance between being a small, cohesive community and a nationally impactful institute.

Dr. Chiang also emphasized the importance of fostering a research ecosystem where “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” He acknowledged NEI’s unique balance:

  • Small enough to be cohesive and collaborative
  • Important enough (vision health) to make a national impact

Dr. Donald Mutti (Follow-Up)

  • Echoed Dr. Grant’s sentiments, underscoring that vision science is “special” and should remain distinct. “What was true in 1968 is still true today—vision is a uniquely prized sense.”

Closing

Dr. Chiang closed the session by thanking all contributors and reaffirming NEI’s commitment to its strategic goals. Dr. Han expressed her appreciation for participants’  engagement and invited suggestions for future agendas, including the October meeting. As the meeting was ahead of schedule, she transitioned directly into the closed session. Before adjourning, Dr. Chiang recognized the behind-the-scenes efforts of Nathan Brown and commended Dr. Han’s leadership in managing her first Council meeting. 

The open session of the meeting was adjourned at 11:49am. 

CLOSED SESSION

This portion of the meeting was closed to the public in accordance with the determination that this session concerned matters exempt from mandatory disclosure under Sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5, U.S. Code, and Section 1009(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. §§ 1001-1014). Members absented themselves from the meeting during discussion of and voting on applications from their own institutions or other applications in which there was a potential conflict of interest, real or apparent. Members were asked to sign a statement to this effect.

REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS

  • NAEC members reviewed 655 NEI-primary applications requesting $225,283,564 (direct costs, year 01)
  • Another 205 application where NEI was a secondary institute requesting $115,787,778 (direct costs, year 01).
  • Council concurred with Institutional Review Group recommendations on these 860 applications.

ADJOURNMENT
The 171st meeting of the National Advisory Eye Council was adjourned at 1:00 p.m. on June 13, 2025. 

CLOSED SESSION ATTENDEES

Council Members Present:
Dr. Michael F. Chiang, Chair 
Dr. Anna Han, Executive Secretary
Dr. Maria Grant
Dr. Donald Mutti 
Dr. Pradeep Ramulu 
Dr. Victor Perez Quinones 

NIH Staff Members Present:

Shawn Adolphus
Neeraj Agarwal
Houmam Araj
Negin Atri
Sangeeta Bhargava
Rylee Brauer
Nathan Brown
Alysia Champagne
Edwin Clayton
Roland Colbert
Tiffany Cook
Donald Everett
Martha Flanders
Ashley Fortress
Shaojian Gao
Nataliya Gordiyenko
Tony Gover
Steven Henle
Stephanie Kennedy
Jimmy Le
Paekgyu Lee 
Renee Livshin
Barbara Mallon
George McKie
Lisa Neuhold
Maryann Redford
Carissa Reilly-Weedon
Jennifer Schiltz
Azadeh Shoaibi
Hongman Song
Afia Sultana
Kirk Thompson
Santa Tumminia
Leslie West-Bushby
Cheryl Wiggs
Charles Wright

CERTIFICATION
We hereby certify that, to the best of our knowledge, the foregoing minutes and attachment(s) are accurate and complete.

______________________________________
Michael F. Chiang, MD
Chair
National Advisory Eye Council

 

______________________________________
Hyo-Jung Han, PhD
Executive Secretary
National Advisory Eye Council

Last updated: September 16, 2025