Blending Clinical Care and Research for Novel IRD Therapies Daniel Balikov, M.D., Ph.D., a first-year resident, is following in the footsteps of his mother, an ophthalmologist specializing in glaucoma, and his grandfather, a general ophthalmologist. For Dr. Balikov, the Kellogg Eye Center was a perfect fit for his residency, as he was seeking an institution with strong clinical training and research opportunities that would integrate his biomedical engineering background into the field of ophthalmology. “The Kellogg Eye Center offers opportunities to examine a large volume of patients with both common and uncommon ocular diseases, and it gives me the chance to work with a team of mentors who share similar excitement for translational research,” he says. Dr. Balikov’s focus is on inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs), which result in the deterioration of cells within the retina and, ultimately, vision loss. He has applied for three grants aimed at helping
restore vision in IRD patients. Two grants, one of which was funded by the VitreoRetinal Surgery Foundation, focus on designing a polymer scaffold that helps stem cell-derived retinal tissue more closely mimic the human retina. If successful, this scaffold system will make it easier for vision researchers to discover unknown causes of IRDs and test new therapies to restore normal vision. In the third grant, Dr. Balikov proposes a method to grow blood vessels around and into a type of artificial retina. Retinal blood vessels play pivotal roles in influencing retinal health. These blood vessels could open the door to novel discoveries about retinal disease and accelerate the timeline to developing new therapies for patients. “I hope to be able to bring something back to my future patients with the work I’m doing,” Dr. Balikov says. “It is one of the most satisfying rewards for any physician scientist when that dream becomes a reality.” 21
