Urgent Fundraising Campaign Until June 30, 2025
BIRDSHOT UVEITIS EYE TO THE FUTURE
An exciting AI-based birdshot research opportunity was recently presented to members of BUSNA’s Board of Directors and Advisory Board. After careful consideration, the board has decided to support the study.
Dr. Jennifer E. Thorne, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Ocular Immunology at Johns Hopkins, will lead the study. She will collaborate with the Johns Hopkins Data Science and AI Institute, whose function is to “harness emerging applications, opportunities, and challenges presented by the explosion of available data and the rapid rise of accessible AI.”
The goal of the study is to use artificial intelligence to collect and assess countless characteristics of scans and to develop a foundational AI model of birdshot uveitis. The investigation will compare tens of thousands of birdshot images to hundreds of thousands of other eye images and relate its findings to clinical observations.
As Dr Thorne explained, AI picks up more information from retinal images when compared to what is possible using the human eye. Johns Hopkins already has 25,000 images from 20 years of follow-up of hundreds of birdshot patients. This large and ready-made data set will save the time and expense of gathering images from a variety of institutions and clinics. That fact, along with the nature of AI studies, means that its findings can be published much sooner than is usually the case for traditional medical research.
Birdshot uveitis presents various challenges to researchers and specialists. Findings from this Johns Hopkins study have the potential to positively affect many aspects of how birdshot uveitis is managed, including earlier diagnosis and more accurate treatment protocols.
BUSNA’s initial goal for this project is to raise $45,000 by June 30th 2025. Dr. Thorne is excited and ready to start the research upon receipt of this donation. With the valuable support of you, our birdshot community, we are confident that we can make this happen.
As BUSNA celebrates its 5th Anniversary this year, we are asking you to please contribute to this important research project.
In the coming weeks you’ll see BUSNA newsletters and social media posts appealing for your support. At any time, please visit our website for updates and to make donations.
This project gives our entire birdshot community an opportunity to truly make a difference. Please give generously!