Basic Research

Biochemistry, Pharmacology, and Molecular Biology

• Steven F. Abcouwer, Ph.D.
  Role of glucose-responsive thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) in neuroprotection and neurodegeneration during retinal diseases including diabetic retinopathy. Mechanisms of neuroprotection by alpha2A-adrenergic receptor agonists during retinal ischemia and reperfusion and diabetes.
• David A. Antonetti, Ph.D.
  Investigations into the formation and loss of the blood-brain and blood-retinal barrier in normal vascular biology, diabetes and cancer
• Monte A. Del Monte, M.D.
  Basic studies on the etiology and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, mechanisms of hereditary eye disease
• Raymond S. Douglas, M.D., Ph.D.
  Immunologic mechanisms of thyroid eye disease, with a focus on understanding fundamental molecular processes and applying these findings to clinical trials.
• Susan G. Elner, M.D.
  Inflammatory processes of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium
• Victor M. Elner, M.D., Ph.D.
  Molecular targets of retinal inflammation and degeneration
• Patrice E. Fort, Ph.D., M.S.
  Identifying and understanding mechanisms of retinal cell death that occur in neurodegenerative disorders such as diabetes.
• Thomas W. Gardner, M.D., M.S.
  Pathogenesis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy and alterations in growth factor signaling
  
• Alon Kahana, M.D., Ph.D.
  The biology and developmental genetics of extraocular muscles and neural crest-derived stem cells in the orbit and their importance in orbital cancer, craniofacial syndromes, congenital eye disorders and thyroid-related eye disease.
• Cheng-mao Lin, Ph.D.
  Mechanisms of ocular inflammation and angiogenesis in neurodegeneration and vascular pathophysiology of retina during diabetes
• Sayoko E. Moroi, M.D., Ph.D.
  Molecular pharmacology of glaucoma medications; aqueous humor dynamics; wound healing
• Arivalagan Muthusamy, Ph.D.
  Blood retinal barrier breakdown and vascular permeability in diabetic retinopathy
• Terry J. Smith, M.D.
  Molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, extracellular matrix, cell signaling and gene expression.
• Debra A. Thompson, Ph.D.
  Molecular studies of retinal pigment epithelium function and regulation
• Dongli Yang, M.D., Ph.D.
  Molecular mechanisms of retinal inflammation and degeneration
• David N. Zacks, M.D., Ph.D.
  Mechanisms of retinal cell death during retinal diseases such as retinal detachments, age-related macular degeneration and ocular inflammatory disease

Cell and Developmental Biology

• Steven F. Abcouwer, Ph.D.
  Functions and reactions of the retinal innate immune system (microglia) in health and disease.
• Monte A. Del Monte, M.D.
  Cell biology of ocular tissue, especially human retinal pigment epithelium , tissue culture models of ocular diseases
• Victor M. Elner, M.D., Ph.D.
  Cell-cell receptor and cytokine-mediated communication; inflammatory and scarring mechanisms; intracellular signaling pathways
• Patrice E. Fort, Ph.D., M.S.
  Identifying and understanding mechanisms of retinal cell death that occur in neurodegenerative disorders such as diabetes.
• Philip J. Gage, Ph.D.
  Genetics of eye development and disease; mouse models
• Peter F. Hitchcock, Ph.D.
  Neural stem cells, retinal growth and development, injury-induced neurogenesis and neuronal regeneration
• Alon Kahana, M.D., Ph.D.
  The biology and developmental genetics of extraocular muscles and neural crest-derived stem cells in the orbit and their importance in orbital cancer, craniofacial syndromes, congenital eye disorders and thyroid-related eye disease.

Genetics

• John R. Heckenlively, M.D.
  Molecular identification of hereditary disease processes; autoimmune retinopathies; mouse models of eye diseases; phenotype-genotype correlations
• Alon Kahana, M.D., Ph.D.
  The biology and developmental genetics of neural crest-derived tissues in the orbit and their importance in orbital tumors and thyroid-related eye disease
• Sayoko E. Moroi, M.D., Ph.D.
  Pharmacogenetics; genetics of glaucoma
• Hemant S. Pawar, Ph.D.
  Genetics of primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma.
  
• Julia E. Richards, Ph.D.
  Molecular genetic studies of glaucoma and other hereditary eye diseases; mapping of disease loci, positional candidate and candidate gene approaches to identification of disease genes, genotype-phenotype studies of glaucoma loci, expression profiling of ocular tissues; studies of primary open-angle glaucoma, secondary and developmental glaucomas, other traits such as nanophthalmos, corneal dystrophies, or syndromes associated with glaucoma
• Frank W. Rozsa, Ph.D.
  Expression profile studies of trabecular meshwork and other cell types relevant to understanding loss of intraocular pressure homeostasis in glaucoma; studies of the role of differential gene expression events in glaucoma risk factors including aging
• Debra A. Thompson, Ph.D.
  Molecular genetic studies of the role of defects in vitamin A metabolism as they relate to causes and treatment of retinal degeneration

Neuroscience

• Steven F. Abcouwer, Ph.D.
  Role of retinal glial cells in the neuroinflammatory response to retinal diseases including diabetic retinopathy. Role of glucose-responsive thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) in neuroprotection and neurodegeneration during retinal diseases including diabetic retinopathy. Mechanisms of neuroprotection by alpha2A-adrenergic receptor agonists during retinal ischemia and reperfusion and diabetes.
• Patrice E. Fort, Ph.D., M.S.
  Identifying and understanding mechanisms of retinal cell death that occur in neurodegenerative disorders such as diabetes.
• Daniel G. Green, Ph.D.
  Electrophysiology of normal and abnormal rodent retinas
• Cheng-mao Lin, Ph.D.
  Mechanisms of ocular inflammation and angiogenesis in neurodegeneration and vascular pathophysiology of retina during diabetes
• Donald G. Puro, M.D., Ph.D.
  Patch-clamp studies of retinal cells
• Kwoon Y. Wong, Ph.D.
  Retinal cells and circuits that regulate non-image-forming visual responses, such as the pupil reflex and the synchronization of the sleep-wake cycle with environmental light-dark cycles

Physiology and Biophysics

• Victor M. Elner, M.D., Ph.D.
  Inflammatory and apoptotic processes of the eye; imaging of metabolism and cellular dysfunction of cells, animal models, and humans
• Bret A. Hughes, Ph.D.
  Function and regulation of ion channels and transporters in the retinal pigment epithelium
• Howard R. Petty, Ph.D.
  Inflammatory processes within the eye; microscopic and other imaging techniques
• Donald G. Puro, M.D., Ph.D.
  Role of ion channels in retinal glial cell function

Vascular Biology

• David A. Antonetti, Ph.D.
  Investigations into the formation and loss of the blood-brain and blood-retinal barrier in normal vascular biology, diabetes and cancer
• Thomas W. Gardner, M.D., M.S.
  Pathogenesis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy and alterations in growth factor signaling
• Cheng-mao Lin, Ph.D.
  Mechanisms of ocular inflammation and angiogenesis in neurodegeneration and vascular pathophysiology of retina during diabetes
• Arivalagan Muthusamy, Ph.D.
  Blood retinal barrier breakdown and vascular permeability in diabetic retinopathy
• Donald G. Puro, M.D., Ph.D.
  Physiology and pathobiology of retinal microvessels; implications for diabetic retinopathy