Dr. Hafiz Hussain from Baylor College of Medicine awarded $90,000 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Grant for DDX41 Gene Research

Dr. Hafiz Hussain from Baylor College of Medicine was awarded a grant for $90,000 for his research entitled: DDX41 as a novel candidate gene for inherited retinal diseases (IRDs).

Dr. Hussain has identified a new gene, called DDX41, in a patient affected by inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). Through the study of the newly established Ddx41 mutant mouse model, he plans to reveal how the DDX gene family is involved in retinal degeneration in humans. Dr. Hussain will expand the understanding of the genotypic and phenotypic correlation of DDX41, which will be beneficial for undiagnosed IRD patients, future gene therapy, patient management, and genetic counseling for individuals with similar diseases.