Lighthouse Guild Recognizes Krzysztof Palczewski, PhD and Gabriel Kreiman, PhD for Their Outstanding Contributions to Vision Science

NEW YORK, May 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Lighthouse Guild, the leading not-for-profit vision + healthcare organization, today announced that accomplished scientists Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski and Dr. Gabriel Kreiman are the 2015 recipients of its annual vision science awards.

Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski will receive the prestigious 2015 Bressler Prize and Dr. Gabriel Kreiman will be honored with the 2015 Pisart Award for their remarkable contributions to the field of vision science. Drs. Palczewski and Kreiman were chosen by an independent panel of judges from various vision care disciplines for the important impact of their research. 

"Lighthouse Guild is proud to recognize groundbreaking research in vision science, as it is the dedication of vision scientists like Dr. Palczewski and Dr. Kreiman that give promise to a better future for people who are blind or vision impaired," said Alan R. Morse, JD, PhD, President and CEO of Lighthouse Guild. "We look forward to seeing their work continue, as we believe ongoing advancements in vision research show great potential for discovering new care and treatment solutions for the people we serve."

2015 Bressler Prize Recipient Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski

Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski is a professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, who has a long history of leadership and service to vision research. Dr. Palczewski has made far-reaching advances in understanding hereditary blindness as well as developed the ability to slow retinal degeneration in adults. It is hoped that Dr. Palczewski's findings will lead to new therapies for degenerative eye diseases.

"I am so delighted to be the recipient of this wonderful honor. The Bressler Prize is greatly respected in our field and I'm grateful to Lighthouse Guild to be chosen as the 2015 recipient," said Dr. Palczewski.

"Our focus is to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for vision and physiological consequences of these molecular processes in normal and pathological states to improve pharmacological treatment of patients suffering from blinding diseases."

Dr. Palczewski is a leader in the vision science field, having served on advisory committees to Prevent Blindness America, as well as the Association for Vision Research in Ophthalmology. In building one of the world's preeminent Pharmacology Departments in close collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology and other departments at Case Western Reserve University, he has mentored dozens of successful students and postdoctoral fellows — many who now hold faculty positions throughout the world. 

Since 2003, the Bressler Prize has annually recognized a mid-career vision clinician or scientist whose leadership, research and service have led to important advancements in the understanding of vision loss, treatment of eye disease, or the rehabilitation of people with vision loss. As the 2015 Bressler Prize winner, Dr. Palczewski will receive a prize in the amount of $50,000 thanks to the generosity of the late Alfred W. Bressler. He will also host Lighthouse Guild's Annual Symposium in New York City, where he will be joined by other top researchers who will present their latest findings in vision research.

2015 Pisart Award Recipient Dr. Gabriel Kreiman

Dr. Gabriel Kreiman is an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Neurology at Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, where he has dedicated his research to the assessment of the brain. By focusing on the way we understand visual information, his findings have significantly influenced neuroscience and helped in our general understanding of the human brain and how vision develops. Dr. Kreiman's work is particularly important for integrating insights from anatomical, physiological and behavioral studies through quantitative computational models.  Through these efforts, Dr. Kreiman and his team are leading important advancements in the understanding of vision loss.

"I am humbled and honored to receive the Pisart Award. I want to thank the selection committee and also the amazing cadre of students, colleagues and friends that help in my ongoing journey to pursue my dreams of understanding the magic of visual cognition and helping those affected by vision loss," said Dr. Kreiman. "Information from the retina is converted into our visual perceptions through a complex cascade of processes along cortex. By understanding these computations, we hope to shed light on the mechanistic basis of visual perception and to be able to help those people who are visually impaired or blind."

The Pisart Award was established in 1981 and, since then, has annually recognized an early-career vision clinician or scientist whose noteworthy, innovative and scholarly contributions in vision science have the potential for substantial influence in the understanding of vision loss, treatment of eye disease or the rehabilitation of people with vision loss. As the 2015 Pisart Award winner, Dr. Kreiman will receive a prize in the amount of $30,000 at Lighthouse Guild's Annual Symposium.

About Lighthouse Guild
Lighthouse Guild is the leading not-for-profit vision + healthcare organization with a long history of addressing the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities or chronic medical conditions. Lighthouse Guild was created upon the successful merger of Jewish Guild Healthcare and Lighthouse International, which was completed in 2013.  With more than 200 years of combined experience and service, Lighthouse Guild brings a level of understanding to vision care that is unmatched. By integrating vision + healthcare services and expanding access through education and awareness, we help people lead productive, dignified and fulfilling lives. For more information, visit lighthouseguild.org.

SOURCE Lighthouse Guild

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