Calvin Senior Lands Eye Journal Cover

May 19, 2006 == MEDIA ADVISORY

In the weeks leading up to graduation, a Calvin senior landed the cover of a
prestigious eye research journal, a byline on an article within that
publication and a presenter spot at a national conference.

An image of the lacrimal gland captured by Holly Hoffman, 22, a biochemistry
major from Alma, Michigan, is featured on the cover of the May 2006 issue of
Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

"At first I just thought it was cool, but then I kept hearing about how
important this magazine is for eye research," Hoffman says. "As an undergrad,
getting on the cover is incredible."

"This publication is the world's leading and most competitive eye research
journal," says Calvin professor of biology, John Ubels who mentored Hoffman's
research. "It's kind of neat to get the cover because in the 15 years
Investigative Ophthalmology has been putting pictures on the cover, this is the
first time that the lacrimal gland has been featured. It seems like the retina
is on the cover almost every month."

Hoffman also shared authorship of the article "Gene Expression in Rat Lacrimal
Gland Duct Cells Collected Using Laser Capture Microdissection: Evidence for K+
Secretion by Duct Cells" published in that issue.

Her coauthors on the paper were Ubels and three researchers from the Van Andel
Research Institute in Grand Rapids: Sujata Srikanth, James H. Resau, and Craig
P. Webb.

The article and the fluorescence micrographs that accompanied it, all prepared
by Hoffman using fluorescence microscopes at the Van Andel Institute and
Calvin, are the product of Ubels' and Hoffman's research on dry eye disease.

Simultaneous with the publication of the article, Hoffman accompanied Ubels to
the meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO),
held in early May in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Hoffman presented a first-author poster at the meeting based on her evaluation
and testing of Systane-free a new artificial tear solution from Alcon
Laboratories.

Hoffman, who will attend Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State
University next year, is gratified with the opportunities she's had at Calvin.

"Being an undergrad and getting to do this much is wonderful," she says.
"That our college has the facilities and the technology to provide this is
incredible."

Hoffman is one of almost 900 students who will graduate from Calvin tomorrow
at 2 pm in the college's annual Commencement ceremony.

For the full story, including a gif of Hoffman's cover shot, see
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2005_06/hoffman2.htm

For more on Commencement see
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2005_06/commencement.htm

-end-
Received on Fri May 19 12:32:17 2006