Sayoko Moroi, MD, PHD
Professor
Ophthalmology
Academic information
- Department: Ophthalmology
Leadership titles
- William H. Havener, MD Endowed Professor
- Chair and Director of the Havener Eye Institute
Research interests
- Intraocular Pressure Variation in Glaucoma Treatment
About
Biography
My goal is to prevent glaucoma-related blindness. Over my 25 years at the University of Michigan and now at The Ohio State University since 2020, I have focused primarily on patient outcomes and genetics. I have assimilated my clinical experience, evidence-based medicine, and research to develop an individualized treatment plan for a patient based upon their phenotype and environment of work, hobbies, and home. This individualized approach toward prevention and treatment strategies are the fundamental principles of precision medicine.
Specifically on patient outcomes, I have focused on those individuals who are outside the average or median, such as unusual pharmacological treatment reactions, surgical results, wound healing, and clinical-pathological correlations. Specifically on genetics, I have been a key clinical contributor to a complex co-morbid glaucoma-retina phenotype that confirmed a novel causative mutation that was initially only attributed to a retina phenotype. I have been a major clinical contributor to an otolaryngology, retina, and glaucoma projects on genetics. With “on-the-job” genetics team science environment at Michigan, I was first author on a genetics project focused on case-control candidate gene study design and an integral participant in a glaucoma consortium, called NEIGHBOR (NEI Glaucoma Human Collaboration). I was the co-investigator with Michigan geneticist, Jun Li, PhD, leading the quantitative trait analysis of intraocular pressure (IOP) and central cornea thickness.
With respect to clinical trials, I served as site PI for the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study, Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study, and numerous clinical pharmacology trials. I serve as PI for a NIH funded, multi-center project that is designed to establish a clinical database on aqueous humor dynamics under baseline and glaucoma drug treatment conditions. I serve as multi-PI on a NSF grant focused on aqueous vein outflow and perilimbal sclera tissue biomechanics and NEI R21 grant focused on ocular conditions and diseases in women’s health. I also serve as co-investigator on Dr. Andras Komaromy’s pre-clinical gene therapy testing in a spontaneous dog model of glaucoma. The outcomes of these research projects align with the goal of precision medicine whereby informative biomarkers will be used to prevent glaucoma-related blindness and improve outcomes.
Credentials
Education
- Fellowship - Glaucoma
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University of Michigan W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, Ann Arbor, MI
7/1/1994 - 6/30/1995 - Fellowship - Glaucoma
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Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
7/1/1993 - 6/30/1994 - Residency - Ophthalmology
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Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
7/1/1990 - 6/30/1993 - Internship - Internal Medicine
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Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
7/1/1989 - 6/30/1990 - Doctor of Philosophy
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Ohio State University at Columbus, Columbus, OH
8/1/1982 - 6/9/1989 - Doctor of Medicine (MD)
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Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
6/1/1982 - 6/9/1989
Certification
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American Board of Ophthalmology
5/4/1997
Research
Research interests
- Intraocular Pressure Variation in Glaucoma Treatment
Active Funding
The Ohio State University Vision Sciences Research Core Program (OSU-VSRCP)
P30EY032857 (PI: Sayoko E. Moroi, MD, PhD)
09/30/2022 - 06/30/2027
The goal of this project is to provide high quality and cost-effective services to the vision scientists at The Ohio State University in three modules: Core A. Structural and Functional Assessments; Core B. Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Genetic Analysis; and Core C. Image Analysis and Data Science.
Towards healthy aging: Quantifying vestibular contributors to age-related changes in balance and fall risk
R01AG073113 (PI: Merfeld)
Role: Co-Investigator
09/30/2021 - 05/31/2026
The goal of this project is to develop and test an intervention designed to improve vestibular precision, which could also improve balance and reduce falls.
Research to prevent blindness challenge grant
(PI: Sayoko E. Moroi, MD, PhD)
01/01/2023 - 12/31/2026
The goal of the RPB Challenge Grant is to encourage growth for a newly emerging eye research program and recently appointed department chair at non-grantee ophthalmology departments at university-connected medical schools.
Metabolic imaging to assess mitochondrial stress in the optic nerve and retina
Columbus Foundation, Ann Ellis Fund, CFB24-0561 (PI: Sayoko E. Moroi, MD, PhD)
01/01/2024 - 12/31/2025
The goal of the Ann Ellis Fund grant from the Columbus Foundation is to characterize oxidative stress in the optic nerve and retina and perform a pilot project in “case-control” design to determine if a signal change in oxidative stress can be detected.
Honors and Awards
- Top 100 Women in Ophthalmology Power List, The Ophthalmologist, 2021
- 43rd Annual Midwest Glaucoma Symposium: Delivered four lectures (2020)
- Roger P. Mason, MD Glaucoma Lecture, Howard University, 2020
- Invited talk, “Illuminating our Blindspots and Preventing Blindness," American Glaucoma Society, 2020
- Invited talk, “How to Play in the Sandbox with Optometry," AAO, 2018
- 39th Annual Robert N. Shaffer Glaucoma Lecture, AAO Annual Meeting, 2018
- Top 25 Most Read Article, Ophthalmology, 2015
- Cohort of the Rudi Ansbacher Women Leadership Scholars Program, 2015
- Marquis’ Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare, 2014
- International Association of Healthcare Professionals, 2014
- Best Papers from ASCRS/ASOA Symposium, 2013
- ASCRS Best Paper of Session, 2013
- Certificate of Appreciation for Service as Mentor, ARVO Foundation, 2013
Professional Memberships
- American Academy of Ophthalmology
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Glaucoma Society
- American Medical Association
- Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
- Women in Ophthalmology
Editorial Activities
Journal Reviewer for:
- American Journal of Ophthalmology
- Archives of Ophthalmology
- British Journal of Ophthalmology
- Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
- Journal of Glaucoma
- PLOS One