Better eye scans to find and track glaucoma
Official title: Novel Glaucoma Diagnostics for Structure and Function.
Funded at Wills Eye Health System · NIH-11191463 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using advanced OCT image analysis and AI to spot glaucoma earlier and predict which patients are likely to get worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wills Eye Health System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2000 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,047,658 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY013178-26 |
| Project ID | NIH-11191463 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with glaucoma, those suspected of having glaucoma, or individuals at high risk who can undergo OCT eye imaging would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without OCT imaging data, those with vision loss from non-glaucoma causes, or those unable to access participating clinics may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will apply new signal and image-processing techniques to OCT eye scans to detect subtle structural and functional changes linked to glaucoma. They will develop methods to harmonize scans from different OCT machines so results are comparable across clinics. AI algorithms will be trained to identify early disease, monitor progression at different stages, and predict future vision loss. The goal is to create tools that work better for patients in very early or advanced stages where current tests are limited.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help doctors catch glaucoma sooner and more accurately track progression so treatment can better preserve vision.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work using OCT and AI has shown promise for glaucoma detection, but harmonizing data across devices and accurate stage-specific prediction remain less proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Wills Eye Health System
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schuman, Joel S — Wills Eye Health System
- Study coordinator: Schuman, Joel S
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.