Members of the Vision Cluster have been recognized with a 2025 Innovation and Translational Research Award from the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI). This award supports research teams that are transforming scientific discoveries into practical health solutions with real-world impact.
The awarded project, “Innovative Drug Delivery by Eye Drop System for Retinal Diseases,” is led by Dr. Joanne Matsubara, with Drs. Myeong Jin Ju and Zaid Mammo as Co-Investigators. Their collaborative effort will improve the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss among older adults.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a serious eye disease and common cause of vision loss in older adults. The condition is associated with a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which induces the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye, leading to cell damage and potentially blindness if left untreated.
The current intervention for AMD involves injecting a special medication directly into the eye to block VEGF. While injections are effective, they come with risks such as bleeding, retinal detachment or infection. They also require frequent clinic visits, placing added burden on patients and the health care system. Dr. Joanne Matsubara’s study aims to develop a non-invasive, anti-VEGF eye drop that would offer an alternative treatment to injections. The eye drops would temporarily and safely lower cell barriers in the eye, allowing the anti-VEGF medication in the eye drops to permeate cell barriers and enter deep into the eye without causing long-term damage.
“There is a clear need for a better way to deliver these medications that would be safer, more convenient and less stressful for patients,” says Matsubara. “Developing an eye drop would be a significant advancement to alleviate the clinical burden and improve patients’ quality of life.”
The Vision Cluster congratulates Drs. Matsubara, Ju, and Mammo on this well-deserved recognition. Their interdisciplinary work exemplifies the Cluster’s commitment to advancing patient-centered, translational vision research.