Friday, March 29, 2024
Abbot “Abe” Clark, PhD, FARVO, FAAO, regents professor of pharmacology and neuroscience
in the School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, has received the International Society for Eye Research 2024 Ernst H. Bárány Prize.
The award was given in recognition of Clark’s outstanding contributions to research that has increased the understanding of ocular pharmacology.
“I am very honored to receive the International Society for Eye Research Ernst H. Bárány Prize for excellence in ocular pharmacology. It is humbling to be recognized by my national and international peers,” Clark said.
“I view this honor as a team award that recognizes all the work done in my laboratory by previous and current graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as well as my collaborators. I have been very blessed to work with outstanding young scientists, the majority of whom have gone on to successful careers of their own.”
Clark has devoted most of his life investigating the molecular mechanisms responsible for ocular diseases with a focus on glaucoma, which is the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment and blindness and affects more than 80 million people worldwide.
His collaboration with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and national and international researchers has uncovered novel molecular pathways that cause glaucomatous damage to the eye and vision centers in the brain. These discoveries are based on his lab’s use of molecular genetics, molecular biology, cell biology and unique in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models to identify novel disease modifying therapeutic targets to better treat glaucoma.
Clark has more than 250 scientific publications, and he has presented his lab’s research at 145 national and international scientific meetings. He has mentored 25 PhD students and seven postdoctoral fellows.
The award will be presented in October at the XXVI Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Eye Research in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Clark will present the plenary lecture at the meeting.
From HSC Newsroom - Research by Matt Havlik