Brian Hafler, MD Recipient of $1,500,000 Cushing Foundation Award for Excellence and Creativity in Scientific Research

Congratulations to Dr. Brian Hafler on receiving a $1,500,000 Cushing Foundation Award for excellence and creativity in scientific research from the H. Eric Cushing and Nancy Lurie Marks Foundations to support his research on macular degeneration. The goal of the research is to understand the molecular mechanisms of age-related macular degeneration using new spatial multi-omics technologies. The research will generate a comprehensive atlas that will identify the precise molecular mechanisms of inflammation across stages of age-related macular degeneration. It will also focus on reprograming stem cells in the retina to regenerate damaged neurons based on single-cell comparison with zebrafish, which have the ability to regenerate their retina following injury.