Eyes are amazing structures. They’ve adapted in different ways to suit individual species. For example, because horses are a prey species, their eyes are on the sides of their head, which enables them to achieve a 350-degree visual field—almost all the way around their bodies. On the other hand owls, nocturnal predators, can see great distances to find their prey with minimal light due to their large eyes, which have comparatively more photoreceptor cells on their retinas. It would take just one birthday candle’s light for an owl to be able to see across a football field.

For all species vision loss poses significant problems, making normal life difficult. That is why Bianca da Costa Martins, DVM, MS, PhD, a clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital, in Urbana, is seeking new approaches to treating corneal ulcers, a condition that frequently leads to eyesight loss in all species.

Before joining the faculty at the University of Illinois, da Costa Martins earned master’s degree and a PhD in veterinary surgery with concentration in veterinary ophthalmology at , São Paulo State University’s College of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, in her native Brazil. She also completed postdoctoral studies and a residency in comparative veterinary ophthalmology at University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, in Gainesville.

Corneal Ulcers Cause Concerns

“The cornea is the outer windshield of the eye,” Martins said. “It’s a clear, transparent structure that is responsible for transmission and refraction of light. The cornea and the sclera, which is the white part of the eye, protect the inner eye structures from injury and disease