By: Tom Moore

The Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) recently named Edwin Stone, M.D., Ph.D., as the recipient of the Llura Liggett Gund Award, the FFB's highest research honor.

The award recognizes the “best of the best,” researchers who have, throughout their careers, consistently made the greatest contributions to the study of blinding retinal diseases. Since its inception 41 years ago, the recognition has now been awarded for only the seventh time.

Stone is one of the world's leading genetic researchers. He and his team have discovered genes associated with multiple vision disorders, including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, Leber congenital amaurosis, Stargardt disease, and Bardet-Biedl syndrome.

Stone and his team are actively pursuing gene- and stem cell- based treatment for these disorders.

Stone is also an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Contacts

Tom Moore, UI Health Care Marketing and Communications, 319-356-3945