Aya Barzelay-Wollman Laboratory
Robotic Microsurgery and Retinal Regeneration
Aya Barzelay-Wollman, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
- Department of Ophthalmology
- Jules Stein Eye Institute
Dr. Aya Barzelay-Wollman leads a translational research program focused on advancing robotic-assisted microsurgery for retinal disease. Her lab develops AI-guided robotic systems capable of performing delicate intraocular surgeries with sub-millimeter precision—enabling tasks such as retinal vein cannulation, targeted subretinal delivery of gene and drug therapies, and automated intravitreal injections that exceed human manual capabilities.
Her research also explores regenerative strategies using stem cell–derived retinal grafts to replace damaged retinal tissue in degenerative diseases like age-related macular degeneration. By combining microsurgical robotics with cell-based therapies, her team aims to improve the precision, consistency, and long-term integration of these treatments, accelerating their translation into clinical care.
Dr. Barzelay-Wollman is the UCLA principal investigator for a national ARPA-H–funded initiative on whole eye transplantation. Her contributions focus on robotic microsurgery and intraocular tissue preservation, developing enabling technologies to support the viability and functional integration of transplanted eyes.
Lab Members
Graduate Students
Ting-Hao Liu(he/him)
PhD Candidate
Ting-Hao’s research focuses on sensing and control for medical robotics, image-processing algorithms, and fluidic pump control systems. His current work involves developing multimodal sensing technologies to assist surgeons in performing procedures within the confined orbital region.
Matthew Nepo
PhD Candidate
Matthew studies electromechanical properties of the eye, in the context of their use as diagnostic and surgical planning tools. His research focuses on bioimpedance for tissue diagnostics and simulation of scleral elasticity for intravitreal injection optimization.
Selected Publications
Revolutionizing Vitreo-Retinal Surgery: Unveiling Advanced Robotic Surgery and Intraocular Imaging Innovations
Barzelay-Wollman, A.
EURETINA Annual Meeting, Barcelona, Spain (2024)
Add-On Fluidic Control System for Enhancing Intraocular Pressure Stabilization and Reducing Tissue Deformation
Barzelay-Wollman, A., Lai, Y.T.
IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM) (2024)
Sequential Fabrication of a Three-Layer Retina-like Structure
Shechter, Y., Cohen, R., Namestnikov, M., Shapira, A., Barak, A., Barzelay-Wollman, A., Dvir, T.
Gels (2024)
View PublicationRegenerative Effect of Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Ganglion Cells in the Hypoxic Organotypic Retina Culture
Dov, M.B., Krief, B., Benhamou, M., Klein, A., Schwartz, S., Loewenstein, A., Barak, A., Barzelay-Wollman, A.
International Journal of Stem Cells (2023)
View PublicationRetinal Lineage Therapeutic Specific Effect of Human Orbital and Abdominal Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Krief, B., Algor, S.W., Nakdimon, I., Elhikis, A., Benhamou, M., Kadmon, A.S., Keren, S., Ohana, O., Feldman, I., Cnaan, R., Leibovitch, I., Loewenstein, A., Barak, A., Barzelay-Wollman, A.
Stem Cells International (2021)
View Publication