Dr. Rajalekshmy Shyam, a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Joseph Bonanno’s lab has been awarded a K99/R00 career transition grant from the National Eye Institute. The funding will begin Sept. 1, 2021. The long-term objective of her project is to come up with new treatments for Fuchs Corneal Endothelial Dystrophy (FECD).
This award consists of two phases—two years of mentored research followed by three years of independent research support. Dr. Shyam will spend the mentored research phase ($225,000 over two years) under the guidance of Dr. Bonanno, dean of the IU School of Optometry, to identify novel molecular signaling mechanisms behind FECD.
FECD is a blinding disease, for which there is no cure, that affects millions of people (4% over the age of 40) in the U.S.
Dr. Shyam completed her Ph.D. training at Dr. Paul Bernstein’s lab at the University of Utah. She joined Dr. Bonanno’s lab in 2017, and has previously received the Indiana CTSI Post-doctoral fellowship (2018–20) and the Knights Templar Career Starter grant (2019–21).
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