Onderzoek

For over a decade, the Oakland University Eye Research Institute (ERI) has collaborated with the Pediatric Retinal Research Foundation to advance research in pediatric retinal diseases. This long-standing partnership has now expanded to include the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB) Eye Research Center (ERC), established in 2021, further strengthening our commitment to groundbreaking discoveries in pediatric retina research.

Through this partnership, we have successfully established the Pediatric Retinal Research Laboratory (PRRL), providing a dedicated space at the ERI/ERC for innovative studies aimed at understanding and treating pediatric retinal disorders. Additionally, this partnership actively supports the research endeavors of undergraduate and medical students at both Oakland University and OUWB, fostering an excellent training of the next generation of vision scientists and physician-researchers.

To further promote excellence in pediatric retinal research, we have also implemented pilot research grants, offering crucial funding to investigators exploring new therapeutic approaches for pediatric retinal diseases. This initiative not only enhances research capabilities at ERI/ERC but also contributes to the broader mission of improving childhood eye health through scientific discovery and innovation.

Together, our institutions remain committed to advancing knowledge, training future leaders, and developing new therapies for pediatric retinal diseases.

A tray of microscope slides with pink and blue samples

Ophthalmic Biobank

Our Ophthalmic Biobank is the first database to specifically bank tissue from patients with a wide variety of vision disorders. A biobank allows for the collection of large numbers of samples of rare diseases. From these tissues, subsequent targeted research can be directed as new technology becomes available. The samples have no patient-identifying demographics making a safe repository of valuable data that opens the door for researchers with specific interests and skill to study these diseases.

An example of how a large biobank database helps improve research was our discovery that a specific gene expression pathway, seen in the inherited eye disease Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy, is also involved with premature birth. Newer technologies allow for even more associations between vision- threatening diseases and genetic pathways using Next-Gen Sequencing, done at the Pediatric Retina Research Laboratory at Oakland University. Whole genome sequencing will lead to uncovering clues in the DNA/genes of children and adults impacted by hereditary retinal conditions.

Learn more about how to participate

Two female scientific researchers in white lab coats look into a microscope

Oakland University PRRL

The Pediatric Retinal Research Laboratory at Oakland University is the first laboratory of its kind solely dedicated to pediatric retinal diseases from basic science issues to the development of new therapies.

Funded through the generous contribution of the Clohset family, the “PRRL” (pronounced pearl) opened in 2011. The PRRL lab houses up to date genetic testing facilities, tissue culturing facilities, and animal procedure and imaging facilities as well as internet-based video conferencing to collaborate with other investigators around the world.

Learn more about the PRRL lab at Oakland University

Pediatric Retinal Research Lab Tour

Stephanie Saville, PRRF Foundation Manager, is hosted though a tour of the Oakland University Pediatric Retinal Research Lab (Rochester Hills, MI).

Grants Awarded

We are excited to have awarded five (5) pilot research grants in 2025 totaling $65,000.

Awarding pilot research grants is critical for advancing rare disease research, as they provide investigators with the initial resources needed to generate preliminary data. This early-stage funding helps researchers test hypotheses, refine methodologies, and demonstrate feasibility, all of which are essential for strengthening applications for larger, highly competitive grants from institutions like the NIH. Without pilot funding, many promising ideas would stall before they have the opportunity to prove their potential impact. In the context of rare diseases—where patient populations are small and research is often underfunded—these grants play an especially pivotal role in accelerating discoveries, attracting broader support, and ultimately improving outcomes for patients with few existing treatment options.

This year’s Oakland University Eye Research Institute awardees include (in no specific order):

- The Interplay Between Norrin and TGF / BMP Signaling in Retinal Fibrosis
  Principal Investigator: Dr. Kenneth Mitton, PhD
- Anti-Fibrosis Treatment for Corneal Scarring
  Principal Investigator: Dr. Kimberly Drenser, MD, PhD
- Therapeutic Strategy of L-dopa for Premature-Like Retinal Neovascularization
  Principal Investigator: Dr. Dao-Qi Zhang, PhD
- Modification in Mitochondria Heteroplasmic in the Retina of Kearns-Sayre Syndrome Patients
  Principal Investigator: Dr. Luis Villa Diaz, PhD
- Exploring the Role and Mechanism of Platelet Activation and Microthrombi in Retinopathy of Prematurity
  Principal Investigator: Dr. Amy Tawfik, MD, M.Sc

PRRF serie educatieve video's

How PRRF supports the PRRL

Dr. Kimberly Drenser shares how the PRRF supports the Pediatric Retinal Research Lab at Oakland University, how the lab’s research launched the initial development of the drug Noregen (through Caeregen Therapeutics) which entering clinical trials with the potential to treat the population that started the research in first place.