The NEI, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has become the first U.S. government agency to develop a formal collaborative research and training agreement with the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS). The agreement was signed earlier this year. Human ocular immunology will be the initial focus of the collaboration. Human immune system response can lead to inflammation which has been associated with diseases such as uveitis, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.
The program was launched in London on May 22, 2012, with a formal symposium, facility visits and other related activities. The current collaborating institutions include University College-London, University of Bristol, Moorfields Eye Hospital in London as well as the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.