Research

The ASOPRS Foundation encourages and supports research and development of new technologies

in oculofacial plastic surgery diagnosis and treatment.

Current Projects:

Annual ASOPRS Research Award

International Thyroid Eye Disease Study (ITEDS)

To identify and grade significant changes in TED disease activity and its response to novel therapeutics, a TED CRI that incorporates criteria found to be clinically relevant in grading the disease by a wide group of participants is necessary. In order to do this, criteria will be identified and the method used to characterize each criterion will be established so that a data-driven database derived from the TED CRI may be developed.

UCSD Driving Simulator Study to Examine the Benefits of Ptosis Repair/Blepharoplasty

The ASOPRS Foundation recently funded a seed grant to investigate the effect of drooping eyelids on a patient’s driving performance. This study will take place at the Shiley Eye Center at the University of California, San Diego Department of Ophthalmology. Bobby S. Korn, MD, PhD, will direct the study using a next generation high fidelity driving simulator to test driving performance before and after functional surgery. This study seeks to elucidate the impact of surgical correction of upper eyelid senescent changes on daily function.

UCSD Driving Stimulator Study

MD Anderson ASOPRS Oncology Database

MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas is developing an electronic web-based database to capture the oncologic diseases treated by ASOPRS members. The database will be linked to the ASOPRS Forum and can be accessed by all members of ASOPRS after appropriate IRB approval at each site. This database could capture atients with a cancer diagnosis both prospectively and retrospectively.

Thyroid Eye Disease BioBank

The International Thyroid Eye Disease Society (ITEDS) Biobank was established in 2012 and was made possible through several generous grants from the ASOPRS Foundation. The bank stores tissue, serum, and associated de-identified clinical data donated from individuals with various stages of thyroid orbitopathy, through a number of contributing Clinical Centers. This tissue is made available to research groups for approved research projects. The goal is to better understand the clinical features of, and new treatment options for thyroid eye disease. For surgeons and institutions wishing to become a contributing center, further information and IRB submission documents are available on the ITEDS website (thyroideyedisease.org).

FUNDING OF THE FOUNDATION COMES SOLELY THROUGH CHARITABLE GIFTS RECEIVED FROM
PHYSICIAN MEMBERS, INDUSTRY, GRATEFUL PATIENTS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

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Announcements

GRANT APPLICATIONS

If you have any projects you wish to be considered by the Board of Trustees, please submit them to the Chair of the Foundation, John B. Holds, MD, at [email protected].

Do you have a grant proposal for the Board of Trustees to consider? Please complete the online form on this website and submit it electronically to [email protected]. We look forward to reviewing all requests. The next deadline will be January 15, 2024, giving the Grants Submission Committee time to check and make a recommendation to the full Board of Trustees at their Fall Meeting.

Travel Grants

The ASOPRS Foundation will happily extend a one-time travel grant to all ASOPRS Fellows. Fellows can use the grant to attend a NON-ASOPRS meeting, skills training, or workshop. (i.e., the funds cannot be used to pay for any travel to or registration for the Fall Symposium or other ASOPRS-provided seminar, webinar, or meeting). To learn more or apply, click here to download the request form.

To provide an online donation to the ASOPRS Foundation, go to the Donate Page, and halfway down the page, click the Donate Now button. You will see a login page – please feel free to establish a login based on your email address. Remember, you do not need to log in at the top of the page – just on the form provided before the Donor Submission form. This will accredit your donation to us for our records and your tax deduction!