Training Eye Disease Researchers in India Blindness and vision impairment combined are the number one cause of disability among India’s elderly — a growing segment
Kellogg professor David Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H., is the Pro-
of the country’s population. Both in India and in the U.S., poor
gram Director/Principal Investigator on the grant, and is joined
vision in old age is linked to increased risk of falls, dementia,
by co-investigator Joshua Ehrlich, M.D., M.P.H. “Kellogg and
depression, disability, loss of independence, longer and more Non-communicable disease accounts for more than nine in ten cases of vision loss in older Indians, and the majority of those cases are avoidable. The large and growing burden of preventable eye disease in India is compounded by a shortage of population health research expertise
the AECS have a long and productive history of close collaboration and educational exchanges,” Dr.
“
in the country — a critical barrier to developing effective, evidence-
Musch says. “This award reflects the shared commitment of Aravind and Kellogg to pursue research that will reduce and one day eliminate vision loss.” A needs assessment survey
SPECIAL EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACED
helped guide the development of the
ON THE TOOLS NEEDED TO CONDUCT
program’s curriculum. Post-grad-
LIFE-COURSE STUDIES, TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS EARLY- AND MID-LIFE
based interventions to stem the tide of vision-related disability.
“
frequent hospitalizations, and mortality.
EXPOSURES ON LATE-LIFE VISION.
The Kellogg Eye Center has pro-
— David Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H.
posed an ambitious training program to build clinical-epidemiological research capacity in India. The program is a partnership with the Aravind Eye Care System (AECS) located in southern India. AECS is the world’s largest
uate training tracks designed for early- and mid-career AECS faculty will establish a firm foundation in study design, research ethics and statistical analysis. “Special emphasis will be placed on the tools needed to conduct life-course studies,” explains Dr. Musch, “to understand the impact of various early- and mid-life exposures on
late-life vision.”
In addition to preparing India’s next generation
eye care system, and the training program leverages a diverse
of clinical-epidemiological eye researchers, the program will
array of research resources across the University of Michigan.
also bolster the mentoring and teaching skills of AECS faculty
The consortium has been awarded an International
leaders, in anticipation of all training activities transitioning to
Research Training Grant (D43) from the Fogarty International
David Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Joshua Ehrlich, M.D., M.P.H.
16
Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
AECS by the end of the 5-year grant period.
Aravind Srinivasan (Chief Medical Officer, Aravind Eye Hospital, Chennai, India) and Mr. Israel Gnanaraj (Hospital Architect)