Old News Articles

July 2014

The John Lab shows that the Schlemm’s canal is a unique vessel that develops by a novel process called “canalogenesis”. The paper is published in PLOS Biology.

Link to journal

Synopsis of paper

The Jackson Lab article


February 2014

Howell accepts Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Prize

Our discoveries were honored with the Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Prize for the paper: Radiation treatment inhibits monocyte entry into the optic nerve head and prevents neuronal damage in a mouse model of glaucoma. J Clin Invest 122(4):1246–1261. It is a great honor that Dr. Gareth Howell accepted this award on our behalf.


October 2013

John accepts 2013 Bressler Prize in Vision Science


May 2013

Inter-Institutional Symposium: Biomedical Engineering & Genetics


March 2013

Dr. Gareth Howell receives Shaffer Prize for innovative glaucoma research


Spring 2013

Mouse models of a blinding disease paired with tiny devices lead to big ideas for treatments


August 2012

Congratulations to Dr. Gareth Howell, Ph.D., promoted to Jackson Laboratory faculty, to study Alzheimer’s disease, glaucoma


Summer 2012

Simon John is featured in Search magazine


August 2012

Gambling on Transformative Research

In this article, Dr. John is interviewed and provides advice for young investigators. He is truly appreciative and thankful for this opportunity. He wishes to highlight the contributions of his engineering collaborators, Dr. Pedro Irazoqui and Dr. William Chappell of Purdue University to this research. They are essential for this research, which is not possible without them.


September 2011

Dr. Gareth Howell is awarded NIH R01 funding to study the complement cascade in glaucoma


May 2011

John Lab discovers a gene for Angle Closure Glaucoma

Paper published in Nature Genetics


March 2011

Research linking RNA granules to juvenile cataracts and glaucoma published in Science


April 2010

Howell granted Thomas R. Lee Award for National Glaucoma Research

Howell's award from the American Health Assistance Foundation will support his research to asses the importance of the Endothelin System in glaucoma, specifically its role as a mechanism of neuronal cell death. The research will use a mouse model of heritable glaucoma, concentrating on early stages of the disease, prior to significant neuronal cell loss. Endothlelins are known to influence blood pressure. Howell's work shows that Endothelins change very early on in glaucoma and could even be driving pathogenesis. This work has the potential to lead to improved therapies for human glaucoma.


February 2010

Simon John invited to lecture at 40th Anniversary Celebration of the National Eye Institute


March 2009

Simon John invited to lecture at Cardiff University for 125th Anniversary


November 2008

HHMI awards $40 million dollars for unique collaboration

John awarded Collaborative Innovation Award for work with Purdue engineers on ultra-miniature sensors.


September 2008

Partridge Foundation grants $1.25 million to John for radiation based neuroprotection


August 2008

Alcon Research Institute Award

Simon John is one of seven researchers recognized by the Alcon Research Institute of Fort Worth, Texas, for dedicating their lives to enhancing the understanding of vision and eye health. These seven doctors, who were nominated by previous winners and selected by ARI’s independent Scientific Selection Committee, will receive $100,000 in unrestricted grant money from the ARI to continue pursuing their research into the underlying causes of eye disease. They also will be recognized at the ARI’s biennial symposium in 2009, where they will present their research to all of the members of the ARI. (adapted from JAX press release)


December 2006

Simon John accepts 2005 World Glaucoma Association (WGA) Science Award for radiation paper and his creative and breakthrough body of research on glaucoma


April 2006

Simon John Lab finds genetic link to cerebral hemorrhage and brain disease in infants


Research finds genetically weakened blood vessels may increase danger of certain type of stroke

Findings published in The New England Journal of Medicine


May 2005

John Lab discovers gene mutation that leads to cerebral hemorrhaging

Paper published in Science


March 2005

Radiation with bone marrow transplant prevents neurodegeneration in inherited glaucoma

Important findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences


August 2004

Simon John awarded 2004 Lewis Rudin Glaucoma Prize


April 2004

Simon John awarded ARVO's Cogan Award

The Cogan Award is presented annually to a researcher of 40 years of age or younger, who has made important and worthwhile contributions to research in ophthalmology or visual science that are directly related to disorders of the human eye or visual system, and who shows substantial promise for future research. Dr. John has been selected to receive this honor for his important contributions in the development, analysis and use of mouse models for genetic and therapeutic studies of glaucoma. Dr. John will receive the award and present the Cogan Lecture on Tuesday, April 27 at the 2004 ARVO Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (adapted from JAX press release)

Award lecture (transcript)


March 2003

John Lab discovers important gene in inherited glaucoma

Findings published in Science


May 1997

Simon John selected to be a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator