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“We have taken ROP as far as we can—we need something more, something that will move
us forward and can make a difference,” said Randall J. Olson, MD, professor and chair of
the University of Utah Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and CEO of the
Moran Eye Center. “Dr. Bretz’s work is translational research at its best, and the Knights
Templar Eye Foundation’s support is a wonderful catalyst.”

Competitive proposals focus on prevention and correction

Securing federal funding can be difficult
for a new researcher, and there are not
many other eye foundations that solely
fund pediatric research. By offering
Pediatric Ophthalmology Research Grants
to support physicians and researchers who
are beginning their academic careers, the
KTEF is investing in the future.

Proposals, vetted by the KTEF Scientific Advisory Committee comprised of 10 physicians
specializing in pediatric ophthalmology at leading hospitals and research institutions, are
highly competitive and must be focused on research that can prevent vision loss—first and
foremost—and correct conditions early.
To date, KTEF has expended over $154 million on research, patient care, and education. The
organization has awarded research grants totaling over $26 million to researchers working in
the fields of pediatric ophthalmology and ophthalmic genetics.

Bretz background
Before joining the Hartnett lab, Bretz completed his doctorate in the lab of John Penn, Ph.D.,
at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, where he focused on identifying critical and potentially
therapeutic signaling targets important in the pathogenesis of ocular diseases, such as
diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, and age-related macular degeneration.
Bretz obtained his master’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and his
bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Vanderbilt University.

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