Children with eye movement disorders sometimes can’t describe what they see, making it difficult for doctors to understand how the conditions affect them.
For example, nystagmus is a condition that causes repetitive, uncontrolled eye movements from side to side, up and down or in a circular pattern.
“It can significantly impact vision, learning and quality of life,” Dr. Faruk H. Örge, a pediatric ophthalmologist, said in a press release. His research at Akron Children’s focuses in part on nystagmus.
With his research, and support from others, Akron Children’s is expanding its research into childhood eye disorders. The hospital recently secured a significant investment: The Knights Templar Eye Foundation is providing a $2 million research endowment, which the hospital will match to help researchers study eye movements, pupil reactions and connections to brain activity.
In 2025, the American Academy of Ophthalmology presented Örge a Distinguished Service Award for his work with Dr. David Epley of Children’s Eye Care in Kirkland, Wash., and the Knights Templar Eye Foundation’s Pediatric Ophthalmology Education Center. Together, they created the “Retinopathy of Prematurity Virtual Reality Project.” Its interactive simulators shortened the learning time it takes to diagnose “crossed eyes” from weeks to days.
Diagnosing the condition sooner helps kids receive vision care faster and improves their chances of experiencing normal vision.
Örge’s current project builds on Akron Children’s longstanding work in pediatric eye-movement disorders. Dr. Richard Hertle, who joined the hospital in 2010, helped expand its pediatric ophthalmology services. He also became known for treating and researching nystagmus before retiring in 2024.
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What the funding will support
Akron Children’s eye-movement recording lab holds more than 18,000 recordings — the largest collection of its kind, according to the hospital.
By studying these patterns — eye movements and pupil reactions offer clues about how the nervous system processes visual information — researchers hope to better distinguish types of nystagmus, understand what causes symptoms to improve or worsen and assess how patients respond to treatments such as surgery, medication and contact lenses.
The research could reveal more about how the brain functions, including its partnership with the eyes. Researchers hope to expand understanding of neurological and behavioral conditions affecting children.
“By recording and studying the eye movements and pupil reactions of patients and matching them with brain wave algorithms, we hope to unlock new truths about the brain that could lead to better understanding of a number of vision and neurological conditions affecting children,” said Örge, who joined Akron Children’s in 2025.
“Being able to unlock this mystery opens a whole new door for us. The eyes really are a window to the brain and the entire body.”
The endowment will allow Akron Children’s to hire a full-time expert in functional near-infrared spectroscopy, or fNIRS, a portable, noninvasive technique that measures brain activity by tracking changes in blood oxygen levels near the brain’s surface. The hospital will also expand its research through partnerships with the Cleveland Clinic’s Neurosciences Lab and Cleveland State University. Two doctoral candidates specializing in artificial intelligence and deep-learning algorithms will join the research team.
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The foundation’s investment in research
Akron Children’s was selected for the endowment because of its qualifications and expertise in pediatric research, said Robert Bigley, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation’s assistant secretary and office administrator.
Established in 1956, the foundation supports efforts to improve vision and prevent or correct childhood blindness. In 2010, it shifted its mission to focus on improving vision through research, education and access to care.
“Every year, we work with each of the institutions and work on what the goals are, and then we measure the goals,” Bigley said.
The foundation has invested more than $190 million on research, patient care and education, including more than $45 million in research grants for pediatric ophthalmology and ophthalmic genetics, according to its website.
