The Dedication of the Forsythe Laboratory for the Investigation of the Aging Retina “With Rick and Sandy’s generous gift, we are now able to perform unique investigations of how the retina changes with age and how these changes may underlie age-related retinal diseases.” Arthur Neufeld, PhD, expressed his gratitude to Richard and Sandra Forsythe at the dedication of the Forsythe Laboratory for the Investigation of the Aging Retina in the Department of Ophthalmology. Held on June 25, 2007, the dedication ceremony honored the extraordinary commitment of the Forsythes to discover the causes and treatments of retinal disorders, such as age-related macular degeneration.  |
Hosted by J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, newly-installed dean of the Feinberg School of Medicine, the ceremony featured a range of speakers, each highlighting the important elements of meaningful philanthropy. Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, Lee Jampol, MD, shared his thoughts on the new laboratory within the context of the entire department, saying it was an exciting time for ophthalmology to use basic science investigations, such as those conducted by Dr. Neufeld and his team, to complement recent genetic findings and produce better treatments for age-related retinal diseases. Later in the ceremony, Richard Forsythe commented on how thrilled he and his wife were to participate philanthropically and be a part of efforts to improve the health of people suffering from retinal disorders. Richard and Sandra Forsythe have long been supporters of the Department of Ophthalmology and of various local and national organizations that study and treat visual impairments. Their efforts reflect their commitment to discovering breakthroughs that will lead to a greater capacity to prevent, treat, and possibly cure age-related retinal diseases, such as macular degeneration. In macular degeneration, the macula, or the light-sensitive part of the retina, breaks down. Affecting millions of people around the world, macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. With their leadership gift, the Forsythes are supporting innovative research with a unique focus, creating new connections between discovery and treatment. Under the direction of Dr. Neufeld, the Forsythe Laboratory for the Investigation of the Aging Retina provides researchers in the Department of Ophthalmology with the resources to identify susceptibility factors that underlie the development of age-related retinal degeneration. Throughout his career, Dr. Neufeld has focused his research on human eye diseases  by using animal models. The diseases of the eye on which he has performed research are generally diseases of elderly people. Many years ago, almost at the start of his career, he wanted to work on old animals. He reasoned that disease processes and disease treatments might be different in aged animals. However, aged animals were not available. Therefore, he, like other scientists, had to make observations on very young animals that were hopefully relevant to age-related human diseases. Several years ago, when aged mice and rats became available through the National Institute for Aging of the NIH, Dr. Neufeld’s research clearly indicated that when modeling retinal ischemia and applying the same damaging stress to young and old animals, old animals had more retinal damage compared to young animals. He concluded that there are changes in the retina of old animals that make this tissue more susceptible to damage than the retina of young animals. Although the statement that age is a risk factor for many adult human eye diseases is widely accepted, the cellular and molecular explanations for that clinical statement are not generally known. Dr. Neufeld and his team hypothesize that older individuals have underlying changes in retinal tissues that contribute to the cause and/or progression of age-related disease processes. Such underlying changes increase the susceptibility of the retina to the causative disease processes. Thus, these changes can be identified as susceptibility factors and may be manifested clinically as risk factors. Acknowledging the importance of philanthropic support for cutting-edge research, Dr. Neufeld said “When you are exploring new frontiers in science, such as the aging retina, government support can be difficult to obtain. The generous gift of a donor allows you to step out of the box and try something new.” Photo Credit: Nathan Mandell |
