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NEI Research News

Thanks to the work of NEI scientists and grantees, we’re constantly learning new information about the causes and treatment of vision disorders. Get the latest updates about their work — along with other news about NEI.

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27 items
Doctor giving eye exam

Woman who lost vision to diabetes shares experience to raise awareness

It was Labor Day 2015 when Rosetta Ivey-Foster, a 67-year-old retired bank clerk, learned first-hand how quickly diabetes can deteriorate vision.
African American male patient gets eye exam from doctor

Visual impairment, blindness cases in U.S. expected to double by 2050

The number of people with visual impairment or blindness in the United States is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050, according to projections.
device

NEI Funds Development of Co-Robot to Help Visually Impaired Grasp Objects

As part of the National Robotics Initiative (NRI), the National Institutes of Health announced that it will fund the development of three innovative co-robots—robots that work cooperatively with people. One of these will be a hand-worn device to help visu
From left, Johnson-Thompson, Legge, and Massof after presentation of Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research. Photo courtesy of Dustin Hays.

Two NEI Grantees Awarded Helen Keller Prize

Two researchers funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), both pioneers in the study of low vision, received the Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research on May 5, in Denver.
An occupational therapist at Thomas Jefferson University works with a patient who has low vision. Credit: Thomas Jefferson University.

Rehabilitation helps prevent depression from age-related vision loss

Depression is a common risk for people who have lost their vision from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but a new study shows that a type of rehabilitation therapy can cut this risk in half.
Chichilnisky and colleagues used an electrode array to record activity from retinal ganglion cells (yellow and blue) and feed it back to them, reproducing the cells' responses to visual stimulation. Credit: E.J. Chichilnisky, Stanford.

Making artificial vision look more natural

In laboratory tests, researchers have used electrical stimulation of retinal cells to produce the same patterns of activity that occur when the retina sees a moving object.
Man using robotic cane in an office

NIH Funds Development of Novel Robots to Assist People with Disabilities, Aid Doctors

Three projects have been awarded funding by the National Institutes of Health to develop innovative robots that work cooperatively with people and adapt to changing environments to improve human capabilities and enhance medical procedures.
National Eye Institute logo.

Hearing Impairment and Dual Sensory Impairment are Associated with Increased Mortality in Older Men

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), working with researchers in Iceland, have found that hearing impairment and dual sensory impairment (vision and hearing impairment combined)
National Eye Institute logo.

Three NEI Grantees Join Prestigious National Academy of Sciences

Three researchers supported in part by NEI have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a nonprofit organization that advises the U.S. government on matters of science and technology.
National Eye Institute logo.

New App to the Help the Blind Recognize Objects

NantWorks LLC has released the new LookTel Recognizer app designed to help people who are blind or visually impaired recognize everyday objects by using their iPhone camera.