SUNY Annual Report 2019

Research Leads to Knowledge and Leaders in the Field Connexin Therapeutics Licenses Research by Stewar t Bloomfield to Advance Glaucoma Treatment

changing optometric care. Bloomfield’s lab has published several papers that explore the cellular and molecular mechanism of ophthalmic diseases. His latest success is the October 2019 license agreement with Cambridge, UK-based biotech startup Connexin Therapeutics to develop and commercialize products that prevent blindness and vision loss in glaucoma patients.

As associate dean for graduate studies and research, director of the Graduate Center for Vision Research, professor of Biological and Vision Science, operations manager for the Research Foundation for the State University of New York and an active investigator, Dr. Stewart Bloomfield is committed to conducting research that results in new therapies for people in need of life-

Dr. Alexandra Benavente-Pérez Aims to Halt the Spread of Myopia

As associate clinical professor Benavente-Pérez is an expert in myopia development, visual control of eye growth, and ocular haemodynamics in health and disease. Her lab focuses on the visual signals that trigger the eye growth changes leading to myopia. Dedicating herself to halting the spread of myopia – which she considers a public health issue because it's increasing prevalence – she continues to try to change lives with her research. Benavente-Pérez plans to carry on and expand upon the role that peripheral retina and eye shape may play as predictors of future changes in refraction.

“When we treat myopic patients, we are only able to correct their defocus with contact lenses, spectacles or refractive surgery. But the defocus experienced by myopes is caused by their eyes growing larger. This increased eye growth can put a myopic patient at risk of eye complications and clinicians have limited options to prevent further myopic deterioration. This is of significant clinical importance, as degenerative myopia is a leading cause of blindness. As a clinician, I care about improving the range of treatment options for our patients to enhance their quality of life.”

14 SUNY Optometry