Dr. Parisa Emami-Naeini from University of California, Davis Awarded $90,000 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Grant for Pediatric Uveitis Imaging Research

Dr. Parisa Emami-Naeini from the University of California, Davis located in Sacramento was awarded a $90,000 grant for her research entitled: Non-Invasive and Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers for Pediatric Uveitis.

Uveitis, an inflammation of the eye, is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness in children. Accurate and prompt diagnosis, treatment, and frequent monitoring is necessary to prevent permanent damage and vision loss. Posterior inflammation (inflammation in the back of the eye) is the more common type of uveitis in children and is associated with worse visual outcomes, but diagnosis is often delayed due to lack of non-invasive, accessible imaging options for younger children. Currently, fluorescein angiography (FA) is the only imaging modality available for diagnosis of posterior inflammation, but it is invasive, lengthy, and difficult to perform particularly in children.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) are fast, non-invasive and can be performed in young children, however, it is currently unknown if they can be used to accurately diagnose and monitor uveitis in children. This project aims to generate quantitative and objective measures of disease activity based on OCT and OCTA findings for use in clinical practice and research. This will lead to improved screening, monitoring, and treatment of inflammation in children, resulting in better long-term vision outcomes and preventing vision loss.