Karen Torrejon

"More than 70 million people throughout the world suffer from glaucoma, one of the principal causes of irreversible blindness. To date, there are very few drugs that are able to reduce the only risk factor for glaucoma: intraocular pressure. In addition to that, no researcher has been able to recreate a long-lasting human ocular tissue which is suitable for testing out new drugs which can combat glaucoma.

Through a grant from the National Science Foundation, Karen founded Glauconix which is a company dedicated to the development of artificial tissues. These tissues are similar to the actual tissue of the human eye and are able to simulate the eye's physiological processes so that the treatment of new drugs can be tested in the fight against glaucoma. These new tissues serve as a platform to research and detect quick and effective alternatives to combat and prevent glaucoma.

Karen, a graduate in Physics and Chemistry from the University of Albany, is a member of a number of scientific societies. Her project Glauconix has been recognized by the 2014 New York Business Plan Competition."