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2016 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 CALENDAR Dear Friends

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2016 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 CALENDAR Dear Friends MCPHERSON EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2016 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 CALENDAR Dear Friends, During the 2015-2016 academic year, the McPherson Eye Research Institute passed its frst ten-year milestone, and did so in our customary way – by looking towards the future as well as the past. The Institute’s growth over the past ten years, outlined on the page below, has been remarkable and full of individual and collaborative research achievements. All of us who have worked to establish and grow the McPherson ERI know full well, however, that much work remains to be done in fnding cures for the most intractable blinding diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. We celebrate our successes – and there are important new discoveries each year, as you’ll see outlined in the research pages of this report – but we keep our eyes focused on building the Institute and its path ahead. The people who form the community around the Institute are the foundation for the work that we do. Collaborative research is the Institute’s goal and core belief, but we know that extraordinary collaborative teams are composed of extraordinary individuals. This is true of the world-class scientists who form our unparalleled lab research teams. It’s also true of our dedicated donors and other supporters – from the teams of blind and sighted riders who participate in Cycle for Sight each year, to our Advisory Board, to connected individuals and families who support the Institute with both resources and advice. Sandra and Dr. Monroe Trout have been true friends of the McPherson ERI since we were introduced to them in 2012. Drawn to the Institute by the age-related macular degeneration research taking place at UW-Madison, the Trouts quickly became strong supporters of its work. In 2013, they endowed the Sandra Lemke Trout Chair in Eye Research. At the start of 2017, the Trouts will fully endow the Timothy William Trout Professorship in Eye Research, named for their younger son who passed away in May 2016. Tim Trout was a championship college basketball player, a successful investment fund manager, a loving partner and the caring father of two sons. We are proud to help honor his memory through this named professorship, which will link the Trout name with future advances in vision research. As you look through this report, please keep in mind that we are inspired and enabled to move forward by your interest in our work, and by the need that exists for all of us to break new ground in vision research and cures. Thanks for moving along with us. David M. Gamm, MD, PHD RRF Emmett A. Humble Distinguished Director Sandra Lemke Trout Chair in Eye Research Sandra and Monroe Trout, and Timothy Trout (inset) 200 200 180 180 160 160 MEMBERSHIP 140 140 GROWTH 120 120 100 100 80 80 60 60 40 40 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2005 2006 MERI TIMELINE 2008 2011 David M. Walsh Research Travel Awards are The Eye Research Institute is placed within, and initiated, allowing selected trainee researchers soon receives operational support from, the UW- to present results at academic conferences. Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. 2009 2012 FEBRUARY 2005 2007 A monthly academic-year seminar Cycle for Sight, the Eye Research Institute’s The UW Eye Research Dr. Alice McPherson revises an series is initiated, which continues primary fundraiser, is held for the frst time Institute is activated as a unit earlier agreement in order to provide to the present. This forum gives on the UW-Madison campus. by UW-Madison Chancellor extensive future endowment funding member researchers opportunities 2014 for the research mission of the John Wiley, and placed under to share recent fndings in vision New space! The McPherson ERI moves to the top foor of the Wisconsin Eye Research Institute. purview of the Provost. This research. Also in 2009, the frst Institutes for Medical Research Tower II. In addition to three McPherson formal establishment was annual Eye Research Institute vision ERI member research labs and the Institute’s headquarters, the space preceded by ten years of science poster session is held, includes a long-envisioned art gallery. In MAY 2014, the gallery is discussion among Founding featuring research fndings from dedicated as the Mandelbaum & Albert Family Vision Gallery in honor of Director Daniel M. Albert, dozens of affliated laboratories. Dr. Albert and his family members David and Nathan Mandelbaum, early Dr. Alice McPherson and generous supporters of the Institute. (graduate of the UW School of Medicine and the frst woman retinal surgeon in the United States) and others, including frst Associate 2012 JUNE Director Arthur Polans. 2007 The Institute takes a new name! 2013 JANUARY The Eye Research Institute In recognition of Dr. Alice McPherson’s Dr. Monroe & Mrs. Sandra assembles its external Advisory 2006-2007 support of vision research at UW-Madison, Trout establish the Sandra Board, frst chaired by David M. the Institute is renamed the McPherson Lemke Trout Chair in Eye The Retina Research Foundation (RRF), Walsh (currently chaired by Eye Research Institute at a ceremony Research. 2006 Rose Barroilhet). Advisory Board Dr. Alice McPherson’s vision research hosted by Interim Chancellor David Ward. foundation in Houston, establishes The Leadership Committee members give essential advice four chairs and professorships at the of the Eye Research Institute, and support to the Institute’s Eye Research Institute. Among these comprised of nine faculty Director and staff. positions is the RRF/Emmett A. Humble 2013 APRIL 2016 members engaged in vision Distinguished Directorship, endowed The frst annual McPherson McPherson ERI Advisory Board members, researchers, research in multiple UW- by Advisory Board member Emmett Eye Research Institute Endowed and supporters celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Eye Madison Schools and Colleges, Humble and frst held by Founding Lecture is delivered on campus by Research Institute at a lively dinner at The Madison Club. is formed with the mission Director Daniel M. Albert. In 2010 and Dr. Jean Bennett of the University In only 10 years, the McPherson Eye Research Institute of steering the Institute’s 2012, three additional endowed faculty of Pennsylvania, focusing on retinal has more than doubled in member-researchers, working growth and direction. positions are gifted to the Eye Research gene therapy. In succeeding years, collaboratively to understand vision and ultimately to cure Institute by the Retina Research the lectures are given by Dr. David blinding diseases. The groundwork has been laid for further JULY Foundation. These seven RRF-endowed 2012 Williams, Dr. Sheila Nirenberg, and signifcant research advances in years to come. positions continue to support research Dr. David M. Gamm is appointed Dr. Pawan Sinha. by McPherson ERI members in multiple as Institute Director, as Dr. Daniel departments. Albert retires from the position. RESEARCHER RESEARCHER William L. Murphy, PhD Melissa Skala, PhD From left: Tim Reese, Theresa Selzer, David Gamm, Ruchira Singh Harvey D. Spangler Professor, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering HOPEFUL PATIENT Orthopedics & Rehabilitation, School of Medicine and Public Health Morgridge Institute for Research Co-Director, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center Tim Reese Director, Human MAPs Center The McPherson ERI has rich connections with investigators who arrive Focused on creating innovative biomaterials inspired by the materials found at vision science from a primary or initial interest in other body systems. Tim Reese knew that he had Best disease, an early-onset type of in nature, Professor William Murphy and his research group—the Bioinspired In many cases, this is because the eye provides a complex system macular degeneration, from childhood. He is one of seven siblings; four Materials Lab—are using them to understand stem cell behavior and to induce that is relatively easily accessed from outside the body. Associate have inherited the disease, which also affected his late mother, Dorothy. tissue regeneration. In one example, his lab has used customized biomaterials Professor Melissa Skala and her lab group develop new optical imaging Children have a 50% chance of inheriting the Best gene if one of their to control diverse stem cell behaviors, including adhesion, proliferation, techniques to study cell metabolism, vascular remodeling, and molecular parents carries it. Reese remembers watching his mother struggle with migration, phenotypic transformation, and lineage-specifc differentiation. expression. Skala, who typically focuses her techniques on the detection the disease. “Losing your sight is the slowest death in the world,” he They have recently used “arrays” of hundreds of biomaterials to fnd the says. His own vision loss has accelerated, but he continues to work for and treatment of cancer, is greatly interested in using these techniques conditions that make stem cells assemble into human tissues outside the body. a construction company in suburban Chicago. Tim Reese and his wife of They are now using human tissues assembled in bioengineered devices to to monitor drug response in the eye. 38 years, Daphne, have two grown children, Violet and William, and two predict the effects of new drugs on the human body. In work on both cancer and the eye, Dr. Skala has advanced new grandsons. Their children inherited the Best gene mutation but have not molecular imaging methods that combine the power of optics and shown symptoms of the disease. Biomaterials developed by the Murphy group are progressing toward use in nanotechnology for high-sensitivity deep-tissue imaging. These clinical applications, pharmaceutical applications, and as tools for fundamental “Several years ago,” Reese remembers, “I received a telephone call that methods make use of a wide range of recently developed imaging biological discovery. In the eye research area, new bioinspired materials are truly changed my life and gave me hope, renewed dedication, and respect being used to assemble microscale human ocular tissues on a chip to model techniques: optical coherence tomography to monitor blood fow for research.
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