The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami has announced it will establish a research center dedicated to eradicating blinding injuries and lethal orbital malignancies, according to a news release.
The new center will be funded by a $10 million donation from Nasser Ibrahim Al-Rashid, PhD, the founder and chairman of Rashid Engineering. The gift will establish the Dr. Nasser Ibrahim Al-Rashid Orbital Vision Research Center in the Miller School's Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Vision Research Center.
"This is an extraordinary gift by an exceptional humanitarian who is passionate about advancing biomedical research into a broad range of eye diseases that have few effective therapies," said Eduardo C. Alfonso, MD, professor and chair of Bascom Palmer, in the release. "Dr. Al-Rashid's investment in the future, coupled with Dr. [David] Tse's expertise in performing lacrimal, eyelid, and orbital reconstructive surgeries needed for disease or injury, will ensure the Dr. Nasser Ibrahim Al-Rashid Orbital Vision Research Center will improve the quality of life for generations of patients worldwide."
Dr. Tse is professor of ophthalmology and holder of the Dr. Nasser Ibrahim Al-Rashid Chair in ophthalmic plastic, orbital surgery and oncology, and will serve as director of the center.
The center will be the first cure-based orbital research laboratory of its kind, according to the release. It will assemble a broad array of research scientists and clinicians focused on finding novel therapies for orbital cancers and traumatic optic nerve injuries, as well as developing clinical applications for stem cell and biomedical studies.
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