OOG, the Eye Research Association

OOG / EYE Research Association has set its goal on helping to finance cutting-edge research to find treatments for blindness in children due to genetic eye diseases. The association also aims to inform people affected by these eye disease about the progress that is being made in (inter)national eye research.

OOG is an organisation run by dedicated volunteers, with no financial reward for those involved. Neither the advisory board, nor the “4Light” organizers receive any financial compensation. The entire proceeds of the donations are spent on scientific research into severe genetic eye diseases, with the focus on those in children.

• In the Netherlands annually around 100 children get the diagnosis of a severe genetic eye disease that can lead to blindness
• More then 5000 people in the Netherlands are affected by severe genetic eye diseases, and more than 100.000 people in the United States
• In The Netherlands around 500.000 persons encounter poor sightedness. More than 2 million people worldwide are affected by severe genetic eye diseases.

Who would we gratefully welcome as a member/donor of OOG?

• Parents, family/friends, and sympathizers of children with an eye disorder.
• Adults with an eye disease with their partners, family/friends and sympathizers.

What do we offer?

• An invitiation to a yearly meeting(free) at Amsterdam UMC location, on a Saturday, where you can take a look behind the scenes of the eye research programme. Explanation in understandable terminology will be given by the eye doctors and professors involved.
• Three digital nieuwsletters annually.
• Participation in a (social) community of benefactors and associates of OOG / EYE Research Association, where experience and developments can be exchanged and shared.

Advisory Board

• Rob Bruins (Chairman)
• Prof. dr. Mies van Genderen.
• Drs. Lieneke Hogervorst-Gijsbers
• Frank Hess
• Drs. Will van Heugten
• Mr. Jaap Kras MBA
• Drs. Toby Nieman AA RA
• Philip van Poecke
• Dr. Olivier ter Brake

Coördinator Walk4Light

• Dave Hogervorst

The Research group

The research group of the Expertise Center for Hereditary Eye Diseases of the Amsterdam UMC includes a multidisciplinary group of experts, including ophthalmologists, researchers from the clinical trial center, lab researchers, physician researchers, and clinical geneticists. Together they strive for optimal treatment of these complex eye diseases and innovative scientific research takes place 'from patient to molecule and back'. New gene and stem cell therapy techniques are being developed in the laboratory. New treatments are also already being applied to patients with these hereditary eye diseases in groundbreaking clinical treatment studies.

The research group consists of broad spectrum of specialists in our department who work closely together, such as :

• Professors
• Eye doctors in the field of hereditary eye diseases
• Paediatricians specialising in eye diseases
• Trainee Eye specialists
• PhD researchers in laboratories and in the clinical department
• Employees of the clinical trials center
• Postdoctoral researchers
• Employees who give technical support