Kriebel Receives $1.4M Grant for Vision Disorder Research

10/20/2014
By Karen Angelo

Prof. David Kriebel of the Department of Work Environment recently received a $1.4M grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to evaluate whether preventable factors such as heavy lifting cause retinal detachment, a serious condition that can result in vision loss. 

The retina pulling away from blood vessels ranks as one of the most common ophthalmologic emergencies, often leading to irreversible vision damage. Until recently, only a small portion of retinal detachment cases was considered preventable. Emerging research identifies a strong association between retinal detachment and preventable factors such as heavy lifting. 

“The objective of our study is to evaluate the risk of retinal detachment from heavy physical activities like lifting, pushing and pulling,” says Kriebel. “If the findings of this study confirm the association between heavy lifting and retinal detachment, our research team will be able to recommend strategies for preventing this dangerous ophthalmologic emergency. For example, many jobs in manufacturing, shipping and even health care that involve heavy lifting can be modified to use mechanical lifting devices.” 

The four-year study will be conducted in association with the Reliant Medical Group of Worcester. The research team – managed by Research Prof. Susan Sama in collaboration with Prof. Bryan Buchholz and Applied Statistician Rebecca Gore of the Department of Work Environment – will evaluate data from a large cohort of new cases of the condition. The study will also provide research opportunities for UMass Lowell students to collect and analyze the data. 

Potential Link Between Retinal Detachment and Obesity 

Dr. Stefano Mattioli of the University of Bologna, and a colleague of Prof. Kriebel, published the first epidemiologic study in 2008 that identified a strong association between occupational exposure to heavy lifting and risk of retinal detachment. This research also reported a strong association between retinal detachment and obesity, a finding with enormous potential public health impact which will be further investigated in the UMass Lowell study.