Dr. Ferda Canbaz co-leads team winning BRIDGE Discovery Grant
Dr. Ferda Canbaz is one of the main co-applicants of a multidisciplinary team that has been awarded a BRIDGE Discovery Grant for the project “Patient-specific hydrogel corneal augmentation for vision restoration.” This initiative, led by Philippe Büchler (University of Bern) and coordinated jointly with Dominique Pioletti (EPFL), will receive 2 million Swiss francs over four years to develop a new minimally invasive surgical treatment for corneal disorders.
The BRIDGE Discovery Grant, a joint initiative of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and Innosuisse, supports experienced researchers at Swiss institutions in developing innovative ideas with strong translational potential.
This autumn, Philippe Büchler (University of Bern), together with co-applicants Ferda Canbaz, head of the Center for Intelligent Optics (CIO) at the DBE, and Dominique Pioletti (EPFL), were awarded a BRIDGE Discovery Grant in the program’s 9th call. The team will receive CHF 2 million in funding over four years to pursue their shared vision of restoring sight through biomechanical innovation.
Their collaborative effort aims to establish a new surgical treatment based on hydrogel augmentation for patients whose corneas are too thin, weak, or irregular for conventional laser refractive surgery. Unlike existing laser-based procedures that remove tissue and further weaken the cornea, this minimally invasive approach restores vision by augmenting and reinforcing the cornea. Through the precise injection of patient-specific hydrogel, the method forms customized in situ corneal implants that restore optical quality and biomechanical stability. This innovation could make vision correction accessible to patients previously deemed ineligible for laser surgery—offering a safe, personalized, and durable solution for refractive vision loss.
The project team is supported by partners Georg Rauter (BIROMED-Lab, University of Basel) and Theo G. Seiler (Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern).
Source: School of Engineering | STI