Zhengping (Ping) Hu, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear, was awarded a Competitive Renewal Grant from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation.The grant will provide $70,000 of support for Dr. Hu’s research on endomucin as a potential therapeutic target in the regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced neovascularization.
Working under the mentorship of Patricia A. D'Amore, PhD, MBA, Dr. Hu has previously shown that endomucin (EMCN) is selectively expressed on endothelium and is an essential regulator of VEGF-stimulated endothelial responses. Dr. Hu now aims to reveal the molecular mechanism of EMCN in VEGF signaling, and to develop a novel endothelium-specific therapy to prevent vision loss from abnormal vessel growth.
The Knights Templar Eye Foundation supports research that can help launch the careers of clinical and basic researchers who are focused on the prevention and cure of potentially blinding diseases in infants and children.