Sponsor or institution
Clinical trials and research at Schepens Eye Research Institute
As of November 12, 2026, Find a Trial lists 61 NIH-funded research projects at this institution, with $30.9 million in listed awards. Every study is explained in plain English. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov and NIH RePORTER, updated November 12, 2026.
- 61NIH research projects
NIH-funded research (newest 40 of 61)
Early-stage science funded by the US National Institutes of Health. Most of these projects don't enroll patients, but they show what is being worked on.
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Open, shareable OCT imaging data to speed eye disease research
A large NIH grant aims to create an open, fast way to export and share 3-D eye scans (OCT) from multiple clinics to help researchers develop better AI tools for diagnosing and tracking eye diseases.
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How immune responses cause long-term eye damage after nitrogen mustard exposure
Researchers are looking at how immune cells lead to lasting cornea injury after sudden nitrogen mustard exposure to help people with mustard gas–related eye damage.
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smartphones help kids see better in Africa
A smartphone-based tool helps children in Africa measure vision errors so they can get eyeglasses more easily.
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Population-wide deep learning glaucoma screening Models
Aims to create AI eye-screening tools that work well for diverse populations so people can get easy glaucoma checks from primary care or pharmacies.
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Immune factors driving long-term eye damage from nitrogen mustard exposure
A research project explores how immune responses contribute to chronic eye damage after nitrogen mustard exposure, aiming to improve care for people at risk.
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Corneal Healing: How Epithelium and Stroma Talk to Prevent Scarring
A study exploring how the surface layer of the cornea and the underlying tissue communicate to control healing and scarring after an injury.
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Donor Diabetes and Early Immune Changes in Corneal Transplants
This grant looks at how a donor’s diabetes might affect immune cells in the eye and the long-term success of corneal transplants in people who may need them.
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Microglia-driven inflammation in glaucoma and its impact on retinal cells
A study in mice looks at how immune cells in the eye’s retina (microglia) drive damage in glaucoma and tests if blocking a specific receptor can protect retinal cells.
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Cytoprotective neuropeptide treatment to protect the eye after mustard gas exposure
A small, patient-focused study tests a protective peptide therapy to prevent ongoing eye damage after exposure to mustard gas.
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Mast Cells and Non-Allergic Eye Inflammation: What Drives Tissue Damage
This project studies how mast cells cause eye inflammation without the usual allergy trigger, with the goal of identifying new ways to prevent or treat eye damage.
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Understanding immune signals in glaucoma to protect vision
Researchers are studying how immune cells in the eye contribute to glaucoma and whether targeting these signals could slow or prevent vision loss.
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Nanomaterials to improve growth factor delivery to the cornea
A mentored, patient-facing scientist is developing better materials to deliver growth factors to the cornea, with the goal of improving eye healing and treating corneal diseases.
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Role of oxidative stress in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy
A patient-friendly look at how oxidative stress may contribute to Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy and what this NIH grant aims to learn to improve eye health.
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Corneal Transplant eye protection: how scar-forming cells control rejection
This grant asks how scar-forming cells in the eye help or hinder immune rejection after a corneal transplant, with the goal of making transplants last longer.
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Multimodal AI to screen and predict eye disease progression
A big AI project aims to use eye images and doctor notes to help screen for and predict how eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma may progress.
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High-oxygen eye treatment for mustard gas–related eye injuries
A high-oxygen topical eye emulsion aimed at people with eye injury from mustard gas exposure.
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Slow-release anesthetic contact lens for corneal pain
A soft bandage contact lens that slowly releases a local anesthetic to ease sudden corneal pain after injury or eye surgery.
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Epigenetic aging and retinal nerve protection in glaucoma (in aging mice)
A mouse study looks at how aging changes the retina’s nerve cells in glaucoma and tests new ideas to protect or rejuvenate these cells.
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Understanding how immune memory drives chronic autoimmune uveitis
Researchers are studying why chronic autoimmune uveitis persists and causes vision loss, by looking at immune memory cells in a new mouse model that mirrors human disease.
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Restoring vision loss in familial dysautonomia
This project tests a pill-like drug and a local gene therapy to try to protect and restore sight for people with familial dysautonomia.
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Seeing and spotting hazards at intersections with side vision loss
This project uses small dashcams and AI to track where drivers with same-side vision loss look and to automatically spot unsafe events so they can drive more safely.
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Off-the-shelf immune-compatible stem cells for eye diseases
Develops ready-made stem cells designed to avoid immune rejection to help people who need cell-based repair for eye conditions.
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Immune causes of chronic dry eye
This work looks at how certain immune cells make dry eye persist in adults and aims to point toward better, longer-lasting treatments.
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Mesenchymal stem cells to calm eye inflammation
Researchers are seeing if mesenchymal stem cells can reduce immune attacks that harm corneal transplants and other inflammatory eye conditions.
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Immune system links to nerve damage in glaucoma
Researchers are looking at whether immune cells and stress signals cause the nerve damage that leads to glaucoma, aiming to protect vision in people with glaucoma.
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AI screening that detects glaucoma across diverse populations
This project builds AI that reads retinal photos and OCT scans to find glaucoma early for people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
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Immune causes of long-term eye damage after nitrogen mustard exposure
Learning whether immune reactions drive lasting corneal damage after exposure to nitrogen or sulfur mustard, to help people with mustard-related eye injuries.
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How donor diabetes affects cornea transplant success
This project looks at whether corneas from donors with diabetes change immune cells and influence transplant outcomes for people who need cornea transplants.
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Improving vision for people with visual field loss using innovative prism designs
This study is testing new prism devices designed to help people with vision loss from brain injuries or eye diseases see obstacles better and avoid accidents, making it easier for them to stay safe and independent in their daily lives.
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Smartphone eye care for people in Africa
This project will create and use smartphone tools to help people across Africa get easier, earlier eye checks and care.
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How the cornea's surface and inner layers communicate during healing and scarring
Researchers are looking at how signals between the cornea's outer cells and deeper stroma change healing and scarring after eye injuries to help people with corneal wounds and vision loss from scarring.
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How immune cells in the eye drive vision loss in glaucoma
This project looks at how retinal immune cells called microglia cause nerve-cell loss in glaucoma to find targets that could protect sight.
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How oxidative stress may cause Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy
This research looks at whether oxidative stress from aging, UV-A light, and smoking harms corneal endothelial cells and leads to Fuchs dystrophy, especially in older women.
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Preventing rejection in high-risk cornea transplants
Looking at how immune cells and blood/lymph vessel growth in inflamed eyes make some cornea transplants more likely to fail, to help people needing corneal grafts.
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Improving vision care in Africa using smartphones
This study is looking at how we can use smartphones to make it easier for people in Africa to get eye care, so they can check their vision and receive help right from their phones, especially in areas where eye care is hard to find.
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How mast cells drive non-allergic eye inflammation
This research looks at how mast cells trigger non-allergic eye inflammation and abnormal blood-vessel growth, which may help people with corneal injury or chronic eye irritation.
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Understanding how immune memory contributes to chronic autoimmune uveitis
This study is looking into how a specific type of immune cell contributes to chronic autoimmune uveitis, a condition that can cause serious vision problems, using a special mouse model to help find new ways to treat it.
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A symposium focused on new technologies for restoring vision in military personnel.
This gathering is for eye care experts from both the military and civilian worlds to share new ideas and treatments for helping people, especially soldiers, who have lost their vision due to injuries, so they can find better ways to restore sight and improve recovery.
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Improving vision restoration by enhancing retinal cell integration
This study is looking at ways to help new retinal cells work better with the eye's existing cells in people with glaucoma, so they can keep their vision longer.
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Investigating treatments for vision loss in familial dysautonomia.
This study is looking for new ways to help people with familial dysautonomia, a condition that can cause vision loss, by testing different treatments to see which ones might help restore sight.
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