Scientists

Professor

Photoreceptor Physiology

Dr. Fain's research focuses on the biophysical mechanisms of photoreceptor function and adaptation. His work has provided fundamental insights into how photoreceptors respond to light and adapt to different lighting conditions, contributing to our understanding of both normal vision and retinal disease.

Associate Professor In-Residence

Retinal Circuits and Vision

Dr. Field's laboratory focuses on understanding how neural circuits in the retina process visual information. His work combines electrophysiology, imaging, and computational approaches to decode the neural basis of vision at the cellular level.

Assistant Professor in Residence

Optic Neuropathies and Circadian Biology

Dr. Gilhooley's laboratory focuses on intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) in the context of mitochondrial optic neuropathies such as Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) and Dominant Optic Atrophy (DOA / OPA1). He aims to uncover why ipRGCs are selectively spared in these diseases with the goal of harnessing this resilience to develop neuroprotective therapies.

Assistant Professor In-Residence

Visual System Development and Degeneration

Dr. Peng investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underly the formation and degeneration of the visual system. Her research uses multi-omics and bioinformatics tools to uncover the genetic basis of neural circuit development and degeneration.

Associate Professor In-Residence

Retina Biochemistry and Disease Modeling

Dr. Radu's research investigates retinal degenerative diseases by exploring the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a crucial cell layer supporting photoreceptors. Using advanced genetic, biochemical, and cell biological approaches, including induced pluripotent stem cells and mouse models, the laboratory examines molecular mechanisms driving RPE-photoreceptor dysfunction, with the goal of developing potential therapeutic interventions.

Professor

Phototransduction and Synaptic Transmission

Dr. Sampath’s focuses on understanding how rod and cone photoreceptors, and their retinal circuits, encode visual information. His lab uses advanced electrophysiological techniques to study mechanisms of signal detection and light adaptation. A more recent focus is in how physiological mechanisms compensate for photoreceptor loss during retinal degenerations.

Professor

Chemical Biology of Novel Membrane Receptors

Membrane receptors belong to the most successful therapeutic targets in disease treatment. The Sun lab has developed new techniques to discover novel membrane receptors and to identify their chemical modulators that can be potential drugs in treating major diseases that affect the eye and other organs.

Professor

Photoreceptor Biochemistry

Dr. Gabriel Travis studies the regeneration of opsin visual pigments in rod and cone photoreceptor cells. This enzymatic pathway involves multiple proteins. The genes for several of these proteins are affected in inherited photoreceptor degenerations that cause progressive blindness in humans.

Professor In-Residence

Retinal Cell Biology

The Williams laboratory studies dynamic cellular events in photoreceptor and RPE cells, with the aim of understanding basic cellular functions within these highly specialized cells, as well as the underlying processes in retinal degenerations.

Professor In-Residence

Retinal Development and Gene Therapy

Dr. Yang studies retinal development and repair using molecular genetic approaches. Her research provides insight on cellular signaling mechanism involved in neuroprotection in retinal degenerative diseases. She also uses human stem cell-derived retinal organoids and neurons to model optic neuropathies and develop therapy.

Professor In-Residence

Therapeutic Development and AI-Powered Analysis in Vision Research

Dr. Zheng’s research combines chemical biology, cell biology, computational biology, systems pharmacology, and drug discovery to develop innovative therapies for ophthalmic diseases. Leveraging their multidisciplinary expertise, his laboratory focuses on translating research into novel treatments for glaucoma, retinal diseases, and corneal disorders. Additionally, they employ AI-driven protein-protein interaction analysis to investigate the mechanisms underlying different inherited retinal diseases.

Associate Professor In-Residence

Computational Neuroscience and Vision

Dr. Zylberberg's research combines theoretical and computational approaches to understand how neural circuits process visual information. His work focuses on developing mathematical models of visual processing and applying machine learning to analyze neural data.

Professor

Corneal Dystrophies and Gene Therapy

Dr. Aldave's research focuses on the development of novel gene- and cell-based therapies for corneal dystrophies, a group of inherited disorders of the cornea. His laboratory combines clinical genetics with advanced molecular techniques to elucidate the genetic basis of the corneal dystrophies, and to identify target for therapeutic intervention.

Assistant Professor

Imaging, AI, and Retinal Genomics

Dr. Au’s research leverages advanced ophthalmic imaging, retinal genomics, and artificial intelligence to improve disease prognostication and identify novel therapeutic targets. His laboratory integrates large-scale imaging and genomic data using AI-driven approaches to advance precision care in retinal disease.

Assistant Professor

Robotic Microsurgery and Retinal Regeneration

Dr. Barzelay-Wollman develops advanced robotic systems for high-precision ophthalmic surgery, with a focus on retinal disease. Her research integrates microsurgical robotics, real-time imaging, and regenerative therapies to enable novel treatments—such as robotic delivery of stem cells, gene therapy, and intraocular drugs—for retinal degeneration and vascular disease.

Professor

Low Vision Rehabilitation

Dr. Bittner's research focuses on improving quality of life and visual ability for individuals with low vision through innovative rehabilitation strategies with visual aids and devices. She designs and leads the conduct of clinical trials involving assistive technologies and patient-centered approaches to advance low vision care.

Professor and Director

Public Health and Clinical Research in Ophthalmology

Dr. Coleman leads clinical research initiatives focused on population health, health policy, and clinical outcomes in ophthalmology. Her work combines epidemiological approaches with clinical research to improve eye care delivery and outcomes, particularly in underserved populations.

Professor

Ocular Motility

The Demer lab studies the neural and structural basis of eye movements, with application to the diagnosis and treatment of strabismus, and the role of eye movements in glaucoma and myopia. His work involves magnetic resonance and optical imaging, tissue biomechanics, and computational simulation.

Professor

Cornea

Dr. Deng's research focuses on corneal stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Her work aims to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for corneal diseases and injuries through stem cell-based approaches.

Assistant Professor in Residence

Optic Neuropathies and Circadian Biology

Dr. Gilhooley's laboratory focuses on intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) in the context of mitochondrial optic neuropathies such as Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) and Dominant Optic Atrophy (DOA / OPA1). He aims to uncover why ipRGCs are selectively spared in these diseases with the goal of harnessing this resilience to develop neuroprotective therapies.

Professor

Ophthalmic Pathology

Dr. Glasgow’s research focuses on the role of lipid and protein components in the molecular mechanisms of tear film formation. His laboratory combines biochemical and biophysical techniques to study dynamic interactions of these constituents in relation to dry eye diseases.

Professor

Glaucoma diagnostics and AI

Dr. Nouri-Mahdavi's research focuses on improving the assessment and management of glaucoma, particularly in understanding disease progression and optimizing diagnostic methodologies including AI approaches. He specializes in detection of disease progression in patients with advanced glaucoma and methods for detecting change over time. His work emphasizes the use of advanced statistical techniques and imaging technologies to enhance glaucoma care.

Assistant Professor

Epidemiology and Public Health

Dr. Tseng's research examines risk factors and outcomes for eye diseases from a population-based perspective. Areas of interest include individual and structural level factors that influence glaucoma risk, and clinical and surgical quality of glaucoma care.

Associate Professor

Uveitis and Ocular Inflammation

Dr. Tsui specializes in the study and treatment of ocular inflammatory diseases. His research focuses on advanced imaging analysis and biomarker discovery in uveitis. He also leads multiple clinical trials aimed at developing innovative therapies for uveitis and other inflammatory eye conditions.

Associate Professor

Clinical Research in Retinal Disease

Dr. Tsui specializes in clinical research focused on retinal disease and oculomics. Her work combines clinical insights with optical coherence tomography angiography to evaluate systemic conditions, particularly in premature infants and pregnant women.

Assistant Researcher

Sampath Lab

Rikard studies adaptation mechanisms in photoreceptors and bipolar cells.

Project Scientist

Williams Lab

Roni is a retinal cell biologist whose research focuses on understanding how intracellular transport, organelle organization, and mitochondrial metabolism regulate the specialized architecture and function of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a layer of cells essential for supporting the light-sensitive photoreceptors. The aim of his research is to provide insights into the cellular mechanisms that maintain RPE health and to understand how their disruption may contribute to RPE pathologies and retinal degeneration.

Associate Specialist

Yang Lab

Duc studies inherited retinal diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and dominant optic atrophy (DOA), and develops innovative therapies. His research spans gene therapy, AAV and lentiviral vector engineering, CRISPR-based genome editing, and quantitative microscopy. He also oversees the JSEI Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Instrumentation (BMBI) Core and Microscopy and Imaging Analysis (M&I) Core, including equipment training and management to ensure reliable, effective operation.

Assistant Project Scientist

Williams Lab

Nan studies how intracellular organelle dynamics and metabolic organization enable the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) to support photoreceptor function and maintain retinal homeostasis. Her current work focuses on how mitochondrial positioning and inter-organelle interactions coordinate lipid processing during the daily phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments. Using advanced live-cell imaging, metabolic profiling, and disease-relevant RPE models, she studies how mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, and lipid droplets dynamically interact to manage the substantial lipid load associated with photoreceptor renewal. Her work further examines how disruption of these processes contributes to lipid dysregulation and retinal degeneration.

Specialist

Williams Lab

Dr. Jiao focuses on biological electron microscopy, super-resolution light microscopy and image analysis. His responsibilities include running, supporting and training with the microscopes; supporting with ImageJ and Imaris; and developing ImageJ plugins. Dr. Jiao also conducts eye research through collaborating with research labs.

Assistant Project Scientist

Williams Lab

Antonio studies how photoreceptors build and renew their outer segments. His work focuses on how new disk membranes are formed at the base of the outer segment and how the retinal pigment epithelium ingests and degrades outer segment tips. His expertise includes 3D electron tomography, STED and SIM super-resolution microscopy, live-cell imaging, subretinal AAV delivery, and neonatal retinal electroporation. He held an independent BrightFocus Foundation postdoctoral fellowship (Elizabeth Anderson Award for Macular Degeneration Research, 2021-2023) and currently participates as Co-Investigator in two NIH-NEI R01 grants.

Professor Emeritus

Gene activity, lens development and vision

Description of research: Dr. Bhat’s research focuses on understanding the molecular basis of the biological transparency and refractive ability of the lens that allows a pinpoint focus of the incoming light without spherical aberration and scatter. His work entails characterization of gene activities by single cell transcriptomics in mouse paradigms and human lens epithelial samples from cataract surgeries.

Professor Emeritus

Retinal Pigment Epithelium Biology

Dr. Bok's research focused on the structure and function of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and its critical role in supporting photoreceptor cells. His work illuminated fundamental mechanisms of visual cycle biochemistry, RPE phagocytosis, and the pathogenesis of retinal degenerative diseases including age-related macular degeneration.

Professor Emeritus

Molecular Biology of Retinal Degenerations

Dr. Farber's research identified the genetic and biochemical basis of inherited retinal degenerations. Her landmark work characterized mutations in the β-subunit of rod cGMP-phosphodiesterase (PDE6B) that cause retinitis pigmentosa and elucidated mechanisms of photoreceptor cell death, laying the foundation for gene therapy approaches to treating inherited blindness.

Professor Emeritus

Molecular Biophysics

Dr. Hubbell's research focuses on the development and application of site-directed spin labeling to investigate protein structure and dynamics. His pioneering work has provided crucial insights into the molecular mechanisms of vision and membrane protein function.

Associate Professor Emeritus

Visual Electrophysiology and Retinal Function

Dr. Nusinowitz's research focused on the assessment of retinal and visual pathway function using electrophysiological methods, including electroretinography (ERG). His work applied these techniques to characterize mouse models of retinal disease and evaluate the efficacy of experimental therapeutics aimed at preserving or restoring visual function.