Carl Camras, M.D., professor and vice chairman of the University of
Nebraska Medical Center Department of Ophthalmology, has received a $60,000
Senior Scientific Investigator Award from Research to Prevent Blindness.
The grant supports work of nationally recognized senior scientists conducting
eye research.
Research to Prevent Blindness is the world’s leading voluntary organization
in support of eye research that supports investigations into blinding eye
diseases. Dr. Camras is one of 103 scientists at 46 institutions who have
been honored since the award was established in 1987.
Dr. Camras will use the award to continue research into latanoprost,
a glaucoma drug he and his colleagues invented which currently is one of
the leading treatments for glaucoma in the United States because of its
effectiveness and safety.
He and colleagues will continue to investigate the unique side effects
latanoprost produces, such as darkening the eye color and darkening, thickening,
and lengthening eyelashes. Although these effects do not appear to
be harmful, these and other possible side effects must be monitored in
long term studies performed in patients undergoing treatment for many years.
In addition, Dr. Camras and his colleagues will continue to investigate
how glaucoma medications reduce pressure in the eye that may lead to better
understanding of glaucoma. He also plans to make refinements in a new glaucoma
device designed to increase the safety and effectiveness of surgical procedures
for glaucoma.
Dr. Camras received his bachelors degree in 1975 from Yale University
and in 1979 received a medical degree from the Columbia University College
of Physicians and Surgeons. He did his residency in ophthalmology from
1980 to 1983 at the Jules Stein Eye Institute of the UCLA School of Medicine,
and from 1983 to 1984, did a one-year fellowship in glaucoma at the Mount
Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
In 1983, he held a faculty appointment as assistant professor of ophthalmology
at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and in 1988 was named associate professor.
In 1991, he joined UNMC as professor and vice chairman of ophthalmology.