COM MSII student awarded prestigious research fellowship to study dry eye syndrome

Second-year medical student Amirala Pasha has received a fellowship from the Sjogren’s Foundation to perform research on the causes of dry eye syndrome.  Under the guidance of his research advisor, Ian Meng, Ph.D., Pasha will determine whether non-painful cooling of the cornea can induce tearing and blinking in normal human volunteers. 

Understanding the regulation of tears by neurons innervating the cornea is important in developing new treatments for those suffering from dry eye syndrome.

The project also represents an important step forward for the newly formed Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, demonstrating the translational research being conducted by the faculty.