Jennifer Rossen, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, received a $1 million five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute to study the genetics of cataracts in children, according to a June 10 announcement.
Pediatric cataracts are often inherited and can be associated with more than 200 syndromes. Rossen will evaluate all candidate genes for pediatric cataracts and aims to develop a comprehensive AI-assisted, web-based, open-access database of genes along with potential associated diseases. The research is intended to improve genetic testing and clinical outcomes for children diagnosed with cataracts.
Rossen will also assess current clinicians' practice patterns in genetic testing for children with cataracts and identify any inconsistencies or barriers that may exist. In addition, she plans to evaluate how well genetic testing can identify treatable diseases among patients who have pediatric cataracts.
"Currently the field of ocular genetics is mostly focused on retinal diseases, and cataracts have not received much attention," said Rossen. "I am dedicating my career to advancing pediatric cataract genetics, in order to improve ocular and systemic outcomes for patients."
