Yexuan Cao, MD, PhD Awarded Knights Templar Eye Foundation 2026-27 Career-Starter Research Grant

The Knights Templar Eye Foundation (KTEF) has awarded a 2026-2027 Career-Starter Research Grant to Yexuan Cao, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine and the Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research (BCTVR).

The $100,000 grant will support Cao's innovative research into the genetic mechanisms of childhood-onset blindness. The KTEF Career-Starter program is highly competitive, designed to launch the careers of promising clinical and basic researchers focused on preventing and curing potentially blinding diseases in infants and children.

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) remain a leading cause of blindness in children and young adults worldwide. Despite major advances in genomic sequencing, approximately 25% of patients still lack a molecular diagnosis-a "blind spot" in clinical care that prevents families from accessing targeted treatments. Cao’s research aims to close this gap.

Through comprehensive genetic screening of unrelated families affected by childhood-onset retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Cao and her team identified Fibronectin Type III and SPRY Domain-Containing Protein 1-Like (FSD1L) as a novel IRD-associated gene. With the support of the KTEF, Cao will investigate how FSD1L maintains the health of photoreceptor cells. This research is a vital first step in moving from a genetic diagnosis to a functional cure, providing the insights necessary to develop targeted therapies for children facing hereditary blindness.

The KTEF Career-Starter Grant is specifically designed to launch the careers of researchers focused on the prevention and cure of potentially blinding diseases in infants and children. By supporting clinical and basic research into conditions such as retinal dystrophies, congenital glaucoma, and retinopathy of prematurity, the foundation plays a critical role in the scientific ecosystem.

Cao’s work is highly translational, aligning with the core mission of the BCTVR to accelerate the movement of laboratory discoveries into real-world medical solutions. Her study will not only provide insights into photoreceptor biology but also lay the groundwork for gene-editing therapies targeting FSD1L-related diseases.