Christine Sorenson, PhD, distinguished scientist, Division of Neonatology and Newborn Nursery, conducts a line of research focused on understanding the role apoptotic processes play in vascular development and function. A recent R21 grant through the National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute will support her project, “Bcl-2, Subretinal Scar Formation and Neovascular AMD.” This research will focus on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and hypothesizes that unbridled Bcl-2 expression in mononuclear phagocytes (MP) prolongs inflammation resulting in enhanced subretinal fibrosis and scar formation. Current treatments for this disease are limited, and this project provides a novel treatment modality to address this disparity. Nader Sheibani, PhD, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, will serve as a co-investigator. The two-year grant commenced on September 30, 2023, and is expected to total $427,625.