Steven Pittler, PhD, director of the UAB School of Optometry Vision Science Research Center, has been awarded an R01 grant to develop mouse model studies of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP), a prevalent and progressive blinding disorder that currently has no treatment or preventive means.

The four-year, $2.2 million grant is funded by the National Eye Institute, a center of the National Institutes of Health.

"We know that defects in the DHDDS gene have been implicated in arRP. However, little is known about DHDDS in the retina," Pittler said. "The studies will provide new information on the function of DHDDS in the retina, as a prelude to developing gene therapies for arRP."