Fighting Blindness Award supports International Collaboration to Advance Vision Research

A key priority for Fighting Blindness is to support the next generation of vision researchers and clinicians. Fighting Blindness launched its Career Development Awards in 2022 to support early to mid-career researchers and clinicians working in the field of vision research.

The Career Development Awards are designed to help recipients in their professional development through training opportunities, research collaborations, and networking. A key feature of this funding scheme is its strong focus on Public and Patient Involvement (PPI). People living with sight loss play an active role in the review process through the Fighting Blindness PPI Review Panel, assisting in the selection of successful applications. Ashkan Dehghan, a PhD student at the South East Technological University (SETU), previously received a Career Development Award from Fighting Blindness to support a research internship at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik.

Ashkan Dehghan, PhD student in the Ocular Therapeutics Research Group (OTRG) at SETU

Ashkan is a PhD researcher in the Ocular Therapeutics Research Group (OTRG) at SETU, under the supervision of Principal Investigator, Dr Laurence Fitzhenry. His work focuses on developing new, non-invasive treatment options that aim to help prevent sight loss from conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and promote more patient-friendly drug treatments.

With his award, Ashkan travelled to the University of Iceland to work with Professor Hákon Hrafn Sigurðsson. The internship took place within the School of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, known for its cutting-edge work in drug delivery for eye treatments.

During the placement, Ashkan had the opportunity to receive specialised training in the use of a tool called NanoSight. This advanced piece of equipment helps scientists closely examine tiny particles (called nanoparticles) that are invisible to the naked eye, by showing them live on screen. This technology is especially useful for eye treatments (e.g., eye drops) as it allows researchers to watch how these nanoparticles move and behave in liquid. Understanding this is important for creating safe and effective drug treatments for eye conditions.

Find below a video generated by NanoSight of the nanoparticles Ashkan developed for his research!

This video shows tiny particles, called nanoparticles, moving around in a liquid. The video was taken using special advanced equipment called NanoSight. The background is dark, and there are lots of small, glowing dots moving across the screen as they dance and float in different directions. Each dot is a single nanoparticle, which are so tiny that they can’t be seen by the naked eye. This movement helps scientists learn more about the size and behaviour of these particles, which is important for developing safe and effective treatments for eye diseases.

Ashkan spoke about his internship experience, emphasising how this opportunity played an important role in advancing his professional development:

Having hands-on experience with NanoSight, I now have expertise in two out of four techniques in nanoparticle investigation … This exposure significantly enriched my skill set and filled a crucial gap in my expertise, providing a valuable tool for my ongoing and future research endeavours.

The experience provided Ashkan the chance to develop advanced skills in nanoparticle drug development for vision research, while also helping to build professional connections with international experts and groups in the field, laying the groundwork for further research collaborations with the potential to drive future advancements in the field.

The knowledge and skills Ashkan gained will also benefit other vision researchers at SETU, where this specialised expertise was not previously available. Ashkan added:

I’m excited to bring back the knowledge I’ve learned to the other researchers in the OTRG. By sharing what I’ve learned, the group can gain invaluable knowledge that will help us improve our approaches and understanding of how we can better improve treatments for vision loss and AMD.

Once again, Fighting Blindness want to congratulate Ashkan Dehghan for receiving this award and highlight the importance of his research for the vision loss community. We wish him continued success in his promising research career.

In the latest round of our Career Development Awards, three early-career researchers received funding to support their professional training and participation in major international conferences, including ARVO 2025 (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology). We’re excited to follow their journeys and see how these opportunities contribute to their growth in the field of vision research!

You can learn more about the 2024 Career Development Award recipients here.