Yousefi to develop artificial intelligence to improve glaucoma research, diagnosis

IMAGE: Siamak Yousefi, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and the Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has received two... view more He was awarded $180,000 from the Bright Focus Foundation to study the impact of glaucoma on certain retinal ganglion cells, as a path to uncover more information on glaucoma progression. The foundation is a nonprofit organization supporting research on brain and eye diseases. "Glaucoma affects over 90 million people worldwide and its incidence is predicted to double over the next two decades," Dr. Yousefi said. "The costs of treatment of glaucoma increase sharply for later stages of the disease. Therefore, earlier detection of glaucoma and its progression could result not only in retaining vision, but also in significant financial savings. Effective monitoring and determining appropriate treatment strategies require reliable approaches that quantify disease-induced changes more accurately."