Kerur Receives Beckman Initiative for Macular Research Fellowship Award
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 15, 2013) − Nagaraj Kerur, postdoctoral Fellow in the Ambati laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, has received the Beckman Initiative for Macular Research (BIMR) Fellowship Award to pursue his goals in translational Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) research.
Kerur will conduct research under the mentorship of Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati. Previous research from Ambati’s group published in premier journal Cell has implicated the inflammasome pathway in the “dry” form of AMD - an untreatable condition that causes blindness. Kerur’s research will focus on developing deeper insights into this pathway and identify crucial molecules that can be targeted for treating GA.
Kerur earned a degree in veterinary medicine from University of Agricultural Sciences Dharwad, a masters degree in veterinary microbiology from Anand Agricultural University, India, and a doctorate degree at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Ill., under the mentorship of Dr. Bala Chandran. His graduate study focused on examining the inflammasome activation in response to Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus. Kerur joined the Ambati Lab in August 2011.
BIMR grant and fellowship funds provide researchers an opportunity to explore new research areas, learn new skills, and/or collaborate across disciplines. The program enables further pursuit of important new ideas and interdisciplinary connections on atrophic AMD. BIMR grant and fellowship funds provide researchers an opportunity to explore new research areas, learn new skills, and/or collaborate across disciplines.
Media Contact: Ann Blackford at 859-323-6442 or ann.blackford@uky.edu