Urgent Need: Fund new UCSF Vision Research Initiative — $10M for top scientists’ eye care advancements. Fund New Vision Research Initiative. Read more

New Research Award Announced – Aparna Lakkaraju, PhD

August 12, 2022

Aparna Lakkaraju, PhD, Professor at UCSF Department of Ophthalmology was recently awarded a $150,000 grant from the Owen Locke Memorial Foundation to investigate a Novel approach to target-based drug repositioning for macular degeneration.

Research in the Lakkaraju laboratory builds on fundamental insights from retinal cell biology to develop effective therapies for inherited and age-related macular degenerations (AMD).

The Owen Locke Memorial Endowed Foundation has been dispersing scholarship grants to support California students in their varied career aspirations who might not otherwise be able to reach their goals. This endeavor has fulfilled one-half of the final wishes of the late Gwendolyn Locke. The other half of Gwendolyn’s directive is to fund research aimed at macular degeneration. Gwendolyn Locke’s husband, who was an optometrist lost his sight due to macular degeneration years prior to his death in 1987.

Congratulations to Dr. Lakkaraju!  We wish her great success on this exciting project!

Pictured above: On the left is Dr. Li Xuan Tan, postdoctoral fellow, and in the background, Colin Germer, graduate student, both of whom are working with Dr. Lakkaraju on this project.