UC Irvine Researcher Receives Grant to Combat Vision-Threatening Eye Disease
Dr. Lilangi Ediriwickrema awarded K23 grant to develop breakthrough imaging technology for thyroid eye disease
Dr. Lilangi Ediriwickrema, a UCI Health ophthalmologist at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, has been awarded a competitive K23 grant from the National Eye Institute to revolutionize how doctors diagnose and treat thyroid eye disease (TED). Her groundbreaking project, “Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging to Investigate Mechanistic Constituents in Active Thyroid Eye Disease,” could transform care for hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide.
A Disease That Goes Beyond Vision
Thyroid eye disease affects an estimated 90 to 300 per 100,000 people globally, with some sources citing up to half a million cases in the U.S. alone. Most commonly linked to Graves’ Disease, TED occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks muscle and fat tissue behind the eyes, causing devastating symptoms including painful, bulging eyes; blurry or double vision; persistent eye pressure and irritation and inflammation and swelling.
“Moderate to severe thyroid eye disease can also be socially stigmatizing, affecting patients beyond their clinical symptoms,” explains Dr. Ediriwickrema, who serves as an assistant professor in UC Irvine School of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology. The condition can profoundly impact patients’ quality of life, self-esteem, and social interactions.
Pioneering Non-Invasive Technology
Dr. Ediriwickrema’s innovative approach uses Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging—a cutting-edge, non-invasive technique—to identify specific optical tissue properties in TED patients. By comparing these findings with age-matched healthy controls, her research aims to pinpoint key disease markers, particularly those related to vascular congestion and tissue swelling.
The research team will also analyze surgical specimens from both healthy individuals and TED patients to validate their imaging findings. This comprehensive approach could lead to earlier, more accurate diagnosis; better monitoring of treatment response; and improved therapeutic options for patients.
“The treatment landscape is continually evolving,” Dr. Ediriwickrema notes optimistically. “We hope that in the next 10 to 20 years we can offer patients even more options to manage this disease.”
Building Tomorrow’s Medical Leaders
The K23 award specifically supports early-career clinician-scientists like Dr. Ediriwickrema in developing independent patient-oriented research careers. Working under the guidance of mentors Drs. Bernard Choi, Anthony Durkin, and Anand Ganesan, she represents the next generation of physician-researchers tackling complex medical challenges.
This funding mechanism emphasizes patient-oriented research—studies that directly involve human subjects or their biological materials—ensuring that laboratory discoveries translate into real-world medical advances.
About the National Eye Institute (NEI)
The National Eye Institute (NEI) leads the federal government’s efforts to eliminate vision loss and improve quality of life through vision research, including driving innovation, fostering collaboration, expanding the vision workforce, and educating the public and key stakeholders. The NEI supports basic and clinical science programs to develop sight-saving treatments and to broaden opportunities for people with vision impairment. For more information, visit https://www.nei.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
