Dr. Brian Soetikno from Stanford University Awarded $70,000 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Grant for Optic Disc Drusen Research

Dr. Brian Soetikno from the Stanford University School of Medicine was awarded a $70,000 grant titled: Developing quantitative biomarkers for optic disc drusen using deep learning-based image segmentation and macrophage imaging

Optic disc drusen (ODD) is a rare disease of the optic nerve head, in which calcium deposits can cause vision loss in both children and adults. Advanced imaging technologies, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), have allowed visualization of ODD for diagnosis. In addition, clinicians can obtain image-based quantitative measurements, which correlate with the patient’s visual prognosis. However, many of these measurements require manual annotation, which is time-consuming to perform. In addition, improvements in the processing of OCT angiography (OCTA) have enabled imaging of macrophage-like cells (MLC) on the retina’s surface. This could provide information about immunity and inflammation, which may play a role in vision loss in ODD. However, these image findings have not been explored in ODD. Dr. Soetikno is proposing three aims meant to improve the automated collection of quantitative measurements from OCT images. In Aim 1, he will develop an annotated imaging dataset, specifically for pediatric ODD.

In Aim 2, he will develop a novel algorithm for segmenting ODD in OCT using recent advances in deep learning. In Aim 3, he will investigate whether MLCs on OCTA relate to vision loss in ODD. Ultimately, these studies will help Dr. Soetikno develop automatic imaging algorithms and tools to improve the care of ODD in pediatric patients