Understanding how diet and aging affect vision and eye health
Official title: The role of diet and aging in photoreceptor homeostasis and visual function decline
Funded at Buck Institute for Research on Aging · NIH-11125803 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how what we eat and how we age influence our eyesight and the health of our eyes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Buck Institute for Research on Aging NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Novato, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $730,509 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG071995-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11125803 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is for anyone interested in the long-term health of their eyes, particularly those concerned about age-related vision changes or eye conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment for existing eye conditions may not directly benefit from this basic science research.
What this research studies
Many older adults experience eye problems that make daily tasks difficult, and aging is a major factor in these conditions. We know that eating less (dietary restriction) can slow down aging and improve overall health, and it also seems to boost our body's natural daily rhythms, which are often disrupted by overeating. This project aims to uncover the specific ways that diet and these daily rhythms protect our vision as we get older. We believe that a restricted diet strengthens these internal clocks, helping to keep the light-sensing cells in our eyes healthy and potentially extending our healthy lifespan.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new dietary strategies or treatments to prevent or slow down age-related vision loss and eye disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that dietary restriction can delay visual aging and improve the health of light-sensing eye cells, suggesting promise for this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Novato, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kapahi, Pankaj — Buck Institute for Research on Aging
- Study coordinator: Kapahi, Pankaj
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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.