Dr. Tawna Roberts receives RPB grant

Tawna Roberts, OD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatric ophthalmology, has been granted a $100,000 RPB Walt and Lilly Disney Award for Amblyopia Research from Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) to support eye research into amblyopia. The support is provided over a two-year period, and includes a collaboration with Justin Gardner, PhD, assistant professor of psychology. 

"These children endure decreased visual acuity and deficits in a multitude of visual processing, like fixation, blurred detection, focusing, and motion sensitivity. Our goal is to develop treatment tailored to their specific deficits in hopes of restoring their vision.

The Award was established in 2002 to strengthen and support amblyopia research. To date, the program has given awards to 26 vision research scientists in departments of ophthalmology at universities across the country.

Amblyopia, also known as “lazy eye,” begins in early childhood when one eye does not develop at the same rate as the other, leading to complications in visual development. More than 2000,000 cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. 

"These children endure decreased visual acuity and deficits in a multitude of visual processing, like fixation, blurred detection, focusing, and motion sensitivity," Roberts said. "Our goal is to develop treatment tailored to their specific deficits in hopes of restoring their vision."