Our Crowdfunding Groups
Crowdfund UC Davis thanks all of the donors who gave to this important project in February. This campaign has closed, but we are grateful for your support!
GOAL UPDATE No. 1: We are happy to announce that we reached our fundraising goal of $10,000. We are now aiming higher and have set a stretch goal of $15,000 which will allow us to enroll additional dogs in the trial.
The Plan: We will test the safety and effectiveness of an optogenetic therapy in dogs blind from Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS). This gene therapy will insert a light-sensing gene in the retina of SARDS-affected dogs to restore their vision. If successful, this optogenetic therapy can be used in dogs and people with blinding retinal diseases to return their vision years after they went blind.
Who We Are: The Comparative Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences Laboratory (COVSL) run by Drs. Sara Thomasy and Brian Leonard strives to be a world leading center in translational comparative ophthalmology research. Our mission is to develop novel strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases in animal and human patients. We employ scientists, technicians, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates to complete this mission.
Your gift will directly support this study including the costs of gene therapy, hospital visits, bloodwork to monitor the dogs' health during the study, medications, and the personnel supporting the project. Thank you in advance for your support!
Your gift will enable one visit for a dog after treatment in our study.
This gift will cover two visits for a dog after treatment in our study.
A gift of $100 will pay for the bloodwork needed to check a dog's health in the study.
Your investment of $250 will pay for the gene therapy to treat one dog.
Your generous gift of $500 will cover the surgery and anesthesia costs for a dog to receive treatment.
