About Our Research
Backed by $3.8 million in federal funding, Monika Fleckenstein, MD, and her research collaborators at the John A. Moran Eye Center are using two National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants spanning five years to better understand various subtypes on the age-related macular degeneration (AMD) spectrum. High-resolution retinal imaging has unveiled diverse AMD patterns. Recognizing AMD as a spectrum emphasizes the importance of tailoring treatments to specific subtypes and stages, potentially preventing irreversible vision loss in the future.
NIH-Funded Research
"The Impact of Non-Exudative Type 1 Macular Neovascularization on AMD Progression" (R01EY033365)
This research project challenges the current concept of AMD. Demonstrating that a specific neovascular subtype of AMD actually prevents disease progression in the sense of an intrinsic “rescue mechanism” would not only provide essential information for currently tested treatment approaches but also provide a rationale for new therapeutic strategies in AMD to prevent vision loss.
"Progression of Early Atrophic Lesions in AMD" (R01EY034965)
Early atrophic AMD represents an important time window in the course of so far untreatable atrophic AMD, as patients typically experience only some degree of visual dysfunction, while being at significant risk for marked further loss of vision. To allow the precise evaluation of upcoming therapeutic interventions, a better understanding of the manifestation and variable disease progression is needed. This project aims to investigate refined tools to detect and monitor early atrophic AMD more accurately, including the impact on visual dysfunction and quality of life.
Research Publications
- Age-related macular degeneration: natural history revisited in geographic atrophy. Broadbent E, Künzel SH, Pfau M, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Fleckenstein M. Eye (Lond). 2025 Feb;39(2):217-227.
- Informing Endpoints for Clinical Trials of Geographic Atrophy. Lad EM, Fleckenstein M, Holz FG, Shen L, Priore LVD, Silva R, Staurenghi G, Waheed N, Chakravarthy U. Annu Rev Vis Sci. 2024 Sep;10(1):455-476.
- [Use of artificial intelligence in geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration]. Chang P, von der Emde L, Pfau M, Künzel S, Fleckenstein M, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Holz FG. Ophthalmologie. 2024 Aug;121(8):616-622.
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Review. Fleckenstein M, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Chakravarthy U. JAMA. 2024 Jan 9;331(2):147-157.
- Association of Reading Performance in Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Visual Function and Structural Biomarkers. Künzel SH, Lindner M, Sassen J, Möller PT, Goerdt L, Schmid M, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Holz FG, Fleckenstein M, Pfau M. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2021 Nov 1;139(11):1191-1199.
- Association of Complement C3 Inhibitor Pegcetacoplan with Reduced Photoreceptor Degeneration Beyond Areas of Geographic Atrophy. Pfau M, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Ribeiro R, Safaei R, McKeown A, Fleckenstein M, Holz FG. Sci Rep. 2022 Oct 25;12(1):17870.
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Fleckenstein M, Keenan TDL, Guymer RH, Chakravarthy U, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Klaver CC, Wong WT, Chew EY. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021 May 6;7(1):31.
Contact Us
For research grant inquiries:
- "The Impact of Non-Exudative Type 1 Macular Neovascularization on AMD Progression"
Ray Nelson, study coordinator, 801-585-1890 or Ray.nelson@hsc.utah.edu
- "Progression of Early Atrophic Lesions in AMD"
Karen Daynes, study coordinator, 801-587-2978 or Karen.daynes@hsc.utah.edu