Dr. Zaidi is studying whether Apolipoprotein A1 can reduce inflammation and abnormal blood vessel growth in retinopathy of prematurity. The research could point toward safer ways to protect vision in premature infants.

Dr. Wu is using advanced retinal imaging to study how juvenile myopia and related complications damage the retina. Her work aims to improve early detection and monitoring before permanent vision loss occurs.

Dr. Wang is investigating Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can be acquired through contaminated food or exposure to contaminated soil or cat feces and can also be passed from mother to child during pregnancy. Her research focuses on how chronic cysts from the parasite form, persist, and reactivate in the eye, potentially leading to new treatments that prevent recurring eye damage and vision loss.

Dr. Vemula is studying the role of VEGF-A in infantile nystagmus, particularly in patients with albinism. His work could help determine whether an existing class of eye drugs may offer a new therapeutic approach.

She anticipates that these studies will provide important insight into mechanisms that drive Stargardt disease and find ways to treat this currently untreatable condition.

The Knights Templar Eye Foundation awarded a record number of fourteen Swords of Merit in FY 2025–2026. Each Sword of Merit is awarded for a donation totaling $25,000 or more, achieved either as a single gift or through the accumulation of twenty-five Grand Master Clubs. Additionally, during the same time frame, the Foundation awarded eleven Golden Chalices, each representing a single contribution of $10,000.

In 2015, the Foundation began funding Travel Grants. In that first year, only 59 grants were awarded. Today, with annual funding increased to $100,000, the Foundation was able to award 95 Travel Grants this year alone.

The Officers and Directors of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation wish to thank all Grand Commanderies that have become either 100% or 200% Life Sponsors within their jurisdiction and to those Grand Commanderies that are actively working towards the 100% goal.

Dr. Szczepan will test this hypothesis using genetically modified mouse lines and disease models with two aims: (1) to determine whether glial c-Fos controls the development of abnormal retinal neovascularization in an ROP mouse model; and (2) to determine what controls glial activation and glia mediated-retinal inflammation during retinal neovascularization. Successful completion of the proposed research will strengthen her understanding of ROP disease and lead to new therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Rossen will complete gene-disease associations and variant curation guidelines for the thirteen Crystallin genes, which are associated with approximately half of all isolated pediatric cataracts, by standard methods and compare them to an accelerated Artificial Intelligence (AI)-supported workflow that she will create. The AI-supported workflow, once validated, will be employed for other ocular gene curation work.