The IRRF Endowed ARVO Travel Award Honoring Ramon F. Dacheux, II, PhD
In 2006, The International Retinal Research Foundation endowed the Ramon Dacheux, II PhD Memorial Travel Award, to honor Dr. Ramon F. Dacheux
II, who passed away in May of that year. The Award is administered through the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Foundation for Eye Research. Researchers from around the world meet at the ARVO annual meeting to present their latest discoveries in eye research, and this Award was established to recognize not only Dr. Dacheux’s scientific achievements, but also his willingness to share his knowledge with other scientists.
Dr. Dacheux was among the initial research scientists that Dr. Alston Callahan helped to recruit to the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) team housed at the then Eye Foundation Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. (Now, the UAB Callahan Eye Hospital, named for its founder, Alston Callahan, MD.) Joining the staff in 1992, where he was an Associate Professor of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, as well as a recipient of the Research to Prevent Blindness Jules and Doris Stein Professorship. His studies addressing the structural and functional features of the connection between the neurons of the retina added tremendously to the work already being done at the UAB and the Eye Foundation.
Dr. Callahan later co-founded the International Retinal Research Foundation, the two developed a unique friendship that allowed them to join forces in fundraising. Dacheux was always available for impromptu visits by Dr. Callahan and a potential donor, and this relationship proved so successful, a campaign for funds to purchase a transmission electron microscope for the shared use of the vision scientists was launched. When Callahan made the decision to focus his energy toward establishing a research foundation dedicated to discovering the cause and cure of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Dacheux was there to encourage and advise, and together they realized the creation of the International Retinal Research Foundation (IRRF).
The 2025 Ramon Dacheux II, PhD Memorial Travel Grant Awardees:
Julia Fadjukov, PhD is currently a Post Doctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Gegory Schwartz, PhD at Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA, states her research focuses on a different area of vision science – specifically the retinal pigment epithelium, and that attending a prestigious conference like ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology), particularly the sessions emphasizing inner retinal research, has been an invaluable opportunity. “As an international postdoctoral researcher who recently relocated to the United States, this experience was particularly impactful,” states Dr. Fadjukov. Further, “Attending the conference has helped me stay up-to-date with advances in visual neuroscience and deepen my understanding of inner retinal circuitry, both within and beyond the scope of my project.”
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the travel grant sponsor for making my attendance at the ARVO conference possible. This opportunity had a profound impact on my development as a scientist, allowing me to connect with leading researchers, share my work with a broader audience, and gain valuable insights into the field of visual neuroscience.”
Austin Karesh, BS, PhD (PhD Candidate in Physiological Optics and Vision Science) is currently at the University of Houston, College of Optometry, Houston, Texas, USA and stated that this was his third ARVO meeting. Karesh says, “This year, I was able to orally present my research and ideas in front of the leading scientists in my field. Hearing their feedback and ideas has given me confidence in my abilities as a scientist, and helped me hone my own ideas within my projects. This year, I established key networks within my field.”
Dr. Karesh went on to say, “When first awarded the Ramon Dacheux II Travel grant, I took the time to familiarize myself with his work. He was an integral figure in visual neuroscience and almost 20 years after his death, his legacy and support for younger scientists remains strong.”