Lead principal investigators (PIs) Research support from private donors
22
National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants and subcontracts
Clinical trials and studies
33
Faculty researchers
28 Adjunct faculty members
UNIQUE RESOURCES
Unique resources and a commitment to collaboration make the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah an ideal environment for discovery
Led by Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Distinguished Professor and Chair and Moran CEO Randall J Olson, MD, the institution has ranked as high as No 7 in the nation in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The Moran Eye Center’s 210,000-square-foot building supports translational research as bridges connect research floors to clinics. Investigators can also access the Utah Population Database one of the world’s richest sources of data supporting health and genetics research Moran houses four major research centers driving innovation:
INTERMOUNTAIN OCULAR RESEARCH CENTER
Established in 1982 and directed by Liliana Werner, MD, PhD, and Nick Mamalis, MD, this nonprofit, independent laboratory performs basic, in-depth research on intraocular lenses The center provides services and education to surgeons, clinical ophthalmologists, their patients, and manufacturers. More than 1,000 peer-reviewed publications from the center guide companies and physicians worldwide as the center vets new lens technology The center is also involved in the analysis of Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome (TASS) and other causes of postoperative inflammation following cataract surgery.
SHARON
ECCLES STEELE CENTER FOR TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE (SCTM)
Directed by Gregory S. Hageman, PhD, the SCTM works to translate basic science and clinical
research discoveries into therapies focusing on agerelated macular degeneration (AMD) and most recently glaucoma The SCTM is a model for how academia can more quickly advance and fund research by establishing synergistic partnerships between university departments, international academic collaborators, philanthropists, and private sectors. By conducting multiple phases of the drug discovery process simultaneously, the SCTM aims to move scientific discoveries more efficiently into clinical trials This research relies on more than 10,000 pairs of eyes the largest collection dedicated to the study of normal and diseased retinal tissue and a clinical study that has been ongoing since 2009. The SCTM collaborates extensively with the Utah Lions Eye Bank, a nonprofit organization and extension of the Moran Eye Center
In FY25, the SCTM had more than $5 million in research grants, corporate partnerships, and foundation and private donations The center has more than 20 collaborating faculty and team members and 11 adjunct faculty worldwide.
Established in 2020 by Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD, UREAD contributes to the characterization of manifestation and progression of ophthalmic diseases It focuses on evaluating treatment response to innovative therapeutic strategies using an array of multimodal imaging technology. UREAD offers high-quality ophthalmic image reading services to advance research in academia and industry Its multidisciplinary team collaborates with the SCTM to determine clinical trial endpoints for AMD therapies being developed.
UTAH RETINAL READING CENTER (UREAD)
ALAN S. CRANDALL CENTER FOR GLAUCOMA INNOVATION
A global leader in innovation and one of the most experienced complex eye surgeons in the world, Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, is creating new hope for people with glaucoma. Established in 2021, the Crandall Center leverages unique resources at the Moran Eye Center for its four key initiatives: Glaucoma Therapeutics, Translational Research, Neuroprotection-Based Therapies; and Global Care
Investigators collaborate with the SCTM, UREAD, the Intermountain Ocular Research Center, and key internal and external collaborators The center has more than 15 collaborating faculty members and an internationally renowned Scientific Advisory Board
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
Moran’s Global Outreach Division, a premier institute for ophthalmology outreach in the U S , has worldwide relationships providing research opportunities. The program builds sustainable access to high-quality eye care in Utah and underresourced nations and is a North American academic partner of India’s Aravind Eye Care System, the world’s largest health care provider.
Via the outreach division, Moran researchers have also studied a host of eye diseases worldwide, including studies on the prevalence of glaucoma, retinal diseases, and AMD in Tanzania and other parts of Africa
Closer to home, the outreach division recently used a collaborative, comprehensive, scientific approach to assess the eye health care needs of Utah’s underserved communities. A survey identified screening and care for diabetesrelated vision loss as the most urgent outreach need Vision screenings for children and access to eyeglasses closely followed. Initiatives to address the needs include a monthly retina clinic as a first step to provide ongoing monitoring and care, including laser treatments and injections.
The Moran Eye Center’s commitment to research innovation extends to its education program. Residents may receive up to one-half day of dedicated research time per week for projects during training. Each year, the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation awards at least one resident $15,000, and Moran matches these funds for the trainee’s second and third year.
KEY AREAS OF RESEARCH
AMD GENETICS, IMAGING, TARGETS, AND THERAPEUTICS
AMD research includes:
• SCTM researchers have explained the genetic underpinnings of AMD as at least two distinct biological diseases, one caused by mutations on chromosome 1 and another by mutations on chromosome 10 These two forms of the disease require separate therapeutic approaches that are currently being developed at the SCTM. An SCTM gene therapy for chromosome 1-driven AMD entered clinical trials in December 2022
• Internationally renowned researchers Monika Fleckenstein, MD, and Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD, are forging new ground in AMD research, characterizing how different subtypes of AMD manifest and progress in patients This understanding is crucial to creating new therapies tailored to each subtype and disease stage.
• Paul S Bernstein, MD, PhD, studies the biochemistry of nutritional factors that can slow the progression of AMD, including the macular pigment carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that were part of the AREDS2 study His lab is now focusing on verylong-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLCPUFAs), a new class of eye-specific nutrients that are being considered for inclusion in a future AREDS3 study.
ARTIFICIAL VISION
Collaborative work between Moran and the University Miguel Hernández has led to successful human testing of a penetrating cortical visual prosthesis (Richard A Normann’s, PhD, Utah Electrode Array) in Spain. The device successfully stimulated neurons in the visual cortex to generate a form of artificial sight in an implanted blind patient. Alessandra Angelucci, MD, PhD, is working to optimize the approach by using optogenetics to stimulate neurons
CONNECTOMICS
The Jones Connectomics Lab, led by Bryan W Jones, PhD, published the first retinal connectomes and the first pathoconnectome, showing retinal remodeling in diseases like retinitis pigmentosa The lab is now working on a series of pathoconnectomes in human retina and rabbit models of retinal disease. It also is examining the relationships between synaptic weight and structural components. The Angelucci Laboratory, in collaboration with the group of Valerio Pascucci, PhD, at the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute at the University of Utah, is developing technology towards a mesoscopic-scale connectomics of the non-human primate visual cortex The project was funded by the NIH BRAIN Initiative.
An image of trabecular meshwork cells, which play a critical role in regulating intraocular pressure, taken by the laboratory of David J Krizaj, PhD
The Bernstein Laboratory continues to test this new non-invasive advanced imaging to identify early markers for a range of retinal diseases. Bernstein’s lab was the first to describe specific signature patterns in FLIO images of eyes with AMD and MacTel.
GLAUCOMA
• Dr. Ahmed leads the field in designing and testing new micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) devices and materials, consulting for more than 50 companies and manufacturers. His research has advanced the surgical treatment of glaucoma and ophthalmic complications.
• David Krizaj, PhD, is investigating ocular mechanotransduction mechanisms and developing a therapy that lowers intraocular pressure and protects retinal neurons from glaucoma and ocular trauma The targets are mechanosensitive ion channels in ganglion cells, glia, trabecular meshwork, and the ciliary body
• Fiona McDonnell, PhD, is exploring nanoparticles called exosomes, released by all cells in the human body. Exosomes have several potential applications in new therapies or diagnostic tests.
• Ian F. Pitha, MD, PhD, evaluates new surgical therapeutics for industry partners and has published extensively on ophthalmic drug delivery and implant design His lab also studies remodeling of the sclera to develop new therapies that create a protective barrier that shields the eye from high pressures in glaucoma
• Brian Stagg, MD, is using informatics to simplify and streamline how specialists determine which glaucoma treatments will be the most effective for their patients
CORTICAL VISION
Alessandra Angelucci, MD, PhD, Andrew Clark, PhD, and Zachary Davis, PhD, are identifying how networks of neurons in the visual cortex are wired together to carry out specific visual functions. Behrad Noudoost, PhD, is focused on precisely understanding the neural circuits and biological mechanisms that are necessary and sufficient to drive fundamental cognitive functions. Neda Nategh, PhD, leads a vision computation lab, which investigates the brain computations underlying dynamic vision and their implications for advancing artificial vision.
INTRAOCULAR LENSES
Nick Mamalis, MD, and Liliana Werner, MD, PhD, co-directors of the Intermountain Ocular Research Center, are conducting extensive pre-clinical studies on accommodating intraocular lenses, which mimic the eye’s natural ability to focus at different differences
RETINAL SIGNALING AND EYE TRANSPLANTATION
Frans Vinberg, PhD, is studying how light signaling in the retina is affected in eye disease He has developed a groundbreaking method for reviving post-mortem retinal tissue. The approach could speed up the time frame and reduce the cost of drug testing Working with the Utah Lions Eye Bank, he has established an ultra-fresh tissue program. Dr. Vinberg is also part of a federally funded collaboration working toward whole-eye transplantation
WEBVISION
webvision med utah edu Funded and supported by the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Webvision was one of the first online textbooks It details the organization of the retina and visual system
CLINICAL OPHTHALMOLOGY RESOURCE (CORE)
morancore utah edu The Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences created and maintains CORE to provide free, worldwide access to high-quality ophthalmic learning. The peerreviewed site is the first multimedia education resource of its kind.
novel utah edu NOVEL is a discipline-specific, open-access repository of digital materials used for educational and research purposes by health care professionals, educators, patients, and students. It is a collaborative project between the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, the University of Utah, and the North American NeuroOphthalmology Society
FACULTY, LABS, AND RESEARCH CENTERS
Randall J Olson, MD
CEO of the John A. Moran Eye Center
Distinguished Professor and Chair, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Cumming Presidential Endowed Chair
Director, University of Utah Vision Institute
Co-Director, Olson Pettey Cataract
Research Lab
Research Overview:
Dr Olson is a world-renowned expert in cataract and intraocular lens surgery who has received top recognition in his field and at the University of Utah:
• American Academy of Ophthalmology Kelman Award & Lifetime Achievement Award
• American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Binkhorst Medal
• International Intra-Ocular Implant Club Jan Worst Medal
• University of Utah Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence
• University of Utah Rank of Distinguished Professor
• Governor’s Medal for Science & Technology Academic/Research
• The Ophthalmologist Power List
Dr Olson is the author of more than 300 professional publications that have advanced cataract surgery techniques and improved intraocular lenses placed into the eye during cataract and other surgeries He has given many named lectures all over the U S and worldwide
Select Publication Highlights:
Subgroup Analysis from a Phase 1/2 Randomized Clinical Trial of 2 6% EDTA Ophthalmic Solution in Patients with Age-Related Cataract. Kuboi T, Chuck RS, Pineda R 2nd, Bhushan R, Goswamy A, Olson RJ. Am J Ophthalmol. 2024 Aug 2;268:155-164.
Efficiency of Plymer-coated Phacoemulsification Tip in Cataract Surgery Cardenas IA, Ungricht EL, Zaugg B, Olson RJ, Pettey JH. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2023 Apr 13.
Effect of Low and Passive Flow on OVD Thermal Properties During Phacoemulsification. Ungricht EL, Harris JT, Jensen NR, Barlow WR, Murri MS, Olson RJ, Pettey JH Can J Ophthalmol 2022 Jul 19:S0008-4182(22)00193-4
Phacoemulsification in Review: Optimization of Cataract Removal in an In Vitro Setting. Boulter T, Bernhisel A, Mamalis C, Zaugg B, Barlow WR, Olson RJ, Pettey JH. Surv Ophthalmol. 2019 NovDec;64(6):868-875
ALAN S. CRANDALL CENTER FOR GLAUCOMA INNOVATION
Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC
Director, Alan S Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Jack R and Hazel M Robertson Presidential Endowed Chair
Research Interests: Glaucoma, cataract, and lens implant surgical therapeutics; novel device and surgical technique development
Center Overview:
Dr Ahmed is recognized as one of the world’s top surgeons for complex eye conditions and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in the surgical treatment of diseases, including glaucoma and surgical complications. He coined the term micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) as a new genre of surgical devices and his research has shaped the field He also has designed microsurgical instrumentation and other devices, implants, and techniques to manage dislocated cataracts, iris reconstruction, and glaucoma.
Dr. Ahmed has been the principal investigator for
numerous research studies and served as a medical monitor for many pivotal clinical trials including the first long-term outcomes study of a MIGS device
He has published more than 170 peer-reviewed papers and several books and made over 1,000 scientific presentations, including 40 visiting professor's lectures around the world. He sits on the editorial boards and is a reviewer for numerous journals. The Ophthalmologist magazine has repeatedly named him on its annual list of the most influential figures in ophthalmology.
In addition to a clinical practice at Moran, Dr. Ahmed directs the Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation, which conducts research to develop better diagnostics and therapies, a deeper understanding of glaucoma and its genetics, and to expand access to care
Select Publication Highlights:
Biotissue Stent for Supraciliary Outflow in Open-angle Glaucoma Patients: Surgical Procedure and First Clinical Results of an Aqueous Drainage Biostent. Ianchulev T, Weinreb RN, Kamthan G, Calvo E, Pamnani R, Ahmed IK Br J Ophthalmol 2023 Jan 2:bjo-2022-322536
Two-year Outcomes of the MINIject Drainage System for Uncontrolled Glaucoma from the STAR-I First In-human Trial Denis P, Hirneiß C, Durr GM, Reddy KP, Kamarthy A, Calvo E, Hussain Z, Ahmed IK Br J Ophthalmol 2022 Jan;106(1):65-70
Predicting Changes in Cataract Surgery Health Outcomes Using a Cataract Surgery Appropriateness and Prioritization Instrument. Lim ME, Minotti SC, D'Silva C, Reid RJ, Schlenker MB, Ahmed IK. PLoS One. 2021 Jan 28;16(1):e0246104.
ANGELUCCI LAB
Alessandra Angelucci, MD, PhD
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Mary H Boesche Endowed Chair
Research Interests:
Structure and function of the visual cerebral cortex; development of novel technologies
Lab Overview:
Dr Angelucci’s lab studies the anatomical organization and function of neural circuits in the visual cortex to understand how these circuits compute the cortical computations that generate perception. The lab uses a multidisciplinary approach encompassing viral-based neuroanatomical methods, array electrophysiology, brain imaging, optogenetics, and computational modeling to understand how specific circuit wiring leads to cortical neuron responses and visual perception.
Main research interests include feedforward and feedback processing between visual cortical areas; connectivity and function of inhibitory neurons in visual cortex; the role of visual context in visual
perception; development of computational approaches for large-scale connectomics; development of tools for large scale simultaneous optogenetics and recordings; and restoring vision (visual cortical prosthesis)
NIH Funding FY25:
Connectivity & Function of Inhibitory Neurons in the Primate Visual Cortex ($535,471); Anatomical and Functional Organization of Inter-Areal Feedback Circuits in the Visual Cortex, and Their Impact on Neuronal Responses ($437,178); Medical Student Research Program in Eye Health and Disease ($34,595)
Select Publication Highlights:
Laminar Specificity and Coverage of Viral-mediated Gene Expression Restricted to GABAergic Interneurons and their Parvalbumin Subclass in Marmoset Primary Visual Cortex Federer F , Balsor J , Ingold A , Babcock, D P , Dimidschstein J , and Angelucci A (2024) eLife 13:RP97673
An Optrode Array for Spatiotemporally Precise Large-Scale Optogenetic Stimulation of Deep Cortical Layers in Non-human Primates Clark A M , Ingold A , Reiche C F , Cundy D , Balsor J L , Federer F , McAlinden N , Cheng Y , Rolston J D , Rieth L , Dawson M D , Mathieson K , Blair S and Angelucci A (2024) Communication Biology 7:329
Primate V2 Receptive Fields Derived from Anatomically Identified Large-Scale V1 Inputs. Hassanpour M., Merlin S., Federer F., Zaidi Q., and Angelucci A. (2024) Preprint: BioRxivi Undergoing revision in Nature Communication.
Afua Oteng Asare, OD, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Interests:
Pediatric vision health; health services and systems research; health equity and disparities; cost effectiveness analysis; implementation science
Lab Overview:
Dr Asare's research focuses on pediatric vision health; health services and systems research; health equity and disparities; cost-effectiveness analysis; and implementation science.
Select Publication Highlights:
Access to Vision Care for Children from Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Households: Evidence from the National Survey of Children's Health 2018-2019 Asare AO, Stagg BC, Stipelman C, Keenan HT, Watt M, Del Fiol G, Young MP, Smith JD J AAPOS 2024 Dec;28(6):104044
Vision Screening for Preschoolers with Commercial Insurance: Impact of Geography. Asare AO, Horns JJ, Stagg BC, Richards-Steed R, Young M, Watt MH, Stipelman C, Del Fiol G, Hartmann EE, Keenan HT, Asare EA, Smith JD J AAPOS 2024 Dec;28(6):104054
Committee on Focus on Myopia: Pathogenesis and Rising Incidence Frick K D, Young T L, Asare A O , Berson D , Born R T , Chen J , Guggenheim J A , Kuo A N , Maurer D , Movshon J A, Mutti D O , Pardue M.T, Sabesan R., Summers J.A., Weise K.K. (2024). National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Myopia: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment of an Increasingly Common Disease. Washington, DC: National Academies Press Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Silke Becker, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Dr. Becker investigates the consequences of shortand long-term hypoxia on the function of retinal neurons Her goal is to understand how oxygen deficits and fluctuations impair the light-sensing abilities of photoreceptors and inner retinal neurons and to identify potential therapeutic strategies to reverse this damage
Dr Becker has previously shown reduced photoreceptor and ON-bipolar cell function in the diabetic retina is reversible and not solely driven by cell-intrinsic defects, suggesting interventions may
Select Publication Highlights:
be possible even after the onset of damage.
Her recent studies focus on how acute hypoxia disrupts light responses in retinal neurons and how varying oxygen levels both low and elevated cause photoreceptor damage in a model of retinopathy of prematurity. Her particular emphasis is on identifying the underlying mechanisms and finding ways to repair the damage
Dr Becker’s long-term goal is to translate her findings into effective therapeutic strategies that address both the vascular and neuronal aspects of retinal neovascular diseases, ultimately leading to new treatments that can preserve vision and improve quality of life for patients with conditions like diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity. She hopes to bridge the gap between understanding disease mechanisms and developing practical, life-changing solutions for retinal health.
Optimizing the Setup and Conditions for Ex Vivo Electroretinogram to Study Retina Function in Small and Large Eyes Abbas F, Vinberg F, Becker S J Vis Exp 2022 Jun 27;(184):10 3791/62763
Revival of Light Signalling in the Postmortem Mouse and Human Retina Abbas F, Becker S, Jones BW, Mure LS, Panda S, Hanneken A, Vinberg F Nature 2022 Jun;606(7913):351-357
Diabetic Photoreceptors: Mechanisms Underlying Changes in Structure and Function Becker S, Carroll LS, Vinberg F Vis Neurosci 2020 Oct 6;37:E008
BERNSTEIN LAB
Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD
Vice-Chair for Clinical and Basic Science Research
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Val A and Edith D Green Presidential Endowed Chair
Research Interests:
Nutritional biochemistry; ocular nutrition in pregnancy and early life; genetics of macular degeneration and inherited retinal degenerations; fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO); Macular telangiectasia Type 2 (MacTel)
Lab Overview:
The Bernstein Laboratory explores the biochemistry and biophysics of nutritional interventions against inherited and acquired ocular disorders. The lab is a leader in studying the proteins involved in the uptake and stabilization of lutein and zeaxanthin in the human macula. These dietary xanthophyll carotenoids play an important role in protecting the macula from light-induced oxidative damage, and high ocular levels are associated with decreased risk of AMD. In collaboration with Werner Gellermann, PhD, of the University of Utah Physics Department, he has developed instrumentation to non-invasively measure carotenoid levels in the eye, skin, and other human tissues using resonance Raman spectroscopy He was among the first researchers to test the early diagnostic capabilities of FLIO
Select Publication Highlights:
Dr Bernstein was credited with the discovery of the first genetic cause for MacTel His lab is now focusing on very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs), eye-specific nutrients that are being considered for inclusion in a future AREDS3 study. In collaboration with the University of Utah’s Chemistry Department, Dr. Bernstein was the first to develop a way to effectively synthesize VLC-PUFAs large enough quantities of VLC-PUFAs to conduct lipid metabolism trials in mice to evaluate its retinoprotective properties
NIH Funding FY25:
Biochemistry & Pharmacology of the Macular Carotenoids ($384,792); Elucidating the Role of Very-Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Retinal Health and Disease ($404,375); PreSymptomatic Genetic Risk Assessment for AgeRelated Macular Degeneration (Total: $192,396); Core Vision Research Grant ($156,921)
Other Federal Funding FY25: NIH Subcontract: Adaptive Optics Fluorescence Lifetime Ophthalmoscopy In Healthy People With Disease ($35,570)
Understanding the Roles of Very-Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (VLC-PUFAs) in Eye Health
Nwagbo U, Bernstein PS Nutrients 2023 Jul 10;15(14):3096
Systemic Effects of Prenatal Carotenoid Supplementation in the Mother and Her Child: The Lutein and Zeaxanthin in Pregnancy (L-ZIP) Randomized Trial -Report Number 1. Addo EK, Allman SJ, Arunkumar R, Gorka JE, Harrison DY, Varner MW, Bernstein PS. J Nutr. 2023 Aug;153(8):2205-2215.
Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) in Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 (MacTel) Patients with and without Diabetes. Sauer L, Vitale AS, Jacoby RS, Hart B, Bernstein PS. Retina. 2023.
Andrew Clark, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Angelucci Lab
Research Interests:
Visual cerebral cortex structure and function
Research Overview:
Dr Clark’s work is focused on understanding distributed activity patterns in cortical circuits and the relationship between this activity and visual perception
Select Publication Highlights:
In Vivooptogenetics Using a Utah Optrode Array with Enhanced Light Output and Spatial Selectivity McAlinden N, Reiche CF, Clark AM, Scharf R, Cheng Y, Sharma R, Rieth L, Dawson MD, Angelucci A, Mathieson K, Blair S J Neural Eng 2024 Aug 14;21(4)
An Optrode Array for Spatiotemporally-precise Large-Scale Optogenetic Stimulation of Deep Cortical Layers in Non-human Primates Clark AM, Ingold A, Reiche CF, Cundy D 3rd, Balsor JL, Federer F, McAlinden N, Cheng Y, Rolston JD, Rieth L, Dawson MD, Mathieson K, Blair S, Angelucci A Commun Biol 2024 Mar 14;7(1):329
A Neural Correlate of Perceptual Segmentation in Macaque Middle Temporal Cortical Area. Clark AM, Bradley DC. Nat Commun. 2022 Aug 24;13(1):4967.
DAVIS LAB
Zachary W. Davis, PhD
Assistant
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Scientist, Alan S Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation
Research Interests:
Cortical mechanisms of visual perception
Lab Overview:
Dr. Davis is primarily interested in cortical mechanisms of visual perception and how these mechanisms are altered by damage or disease in the visual system.
Light sensing is a process that occurs in the eye, but our experience of vision is a product of a complex interaction of many circuits and systems in the brain While the light that falls on the retina might contain all sorts of information about the external world, our perception of that information is filtered by inferences based on the specific goals and expectations we may have at any given moment and our learned understanding of how the world works
The Davis Lab aims to understand the cellular, circuit, and system interactions in the brain that give rise to our conscious perception of visual information and the mechanisms by which light sensed by the eye is transformed into visual information that guides our decisions and actions.
Current research projects:
How does the biophysical constraints of neural activity moving through cortical circuits impact sensory processing and visual perception?
How does the loss of visual input through peripheral retinal degeneration, as occurs in glaucoma patients, change the way the brain represents sensory information in the visual periphery?
How do cortical areas balance discrepancies between ambiguous or uncertain visual information captured by the retina and internal representations based on learned statistical expectations during decision-making?
Spontaneous Traveling Waves Naturally Emerge from Horizontal Fiber Time Delays and Travel through Locally Asynchronous-irregular States. Davis ZW, Benigno GB, Fletterman C, Desbordes T, Steward C, Sejnowski TJ, H Reynolds J, Muller L. Nat Commun. 2021 Oct 18;12(1):6057.
Horizontal Cortical Connections Shape Intrinsic Traveling Waves into Feature-selective Motifs that Regulate Perceptual Sensitivity Davis ZW, Busch A, Stewerd C, Muller L, Reynolds J Cell Reports, Volume 43, Issue 9, 114707 2024
Full bibl ography
DUBIS LAB
Adam Dubis, PhD
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Scientist, Alan S Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation
Research Interests:
Ophthalmic imaging and therapeutic development; using data science and population health methods of large dataset acquisition, curation, and modeling to explain biological processes.
Lab Overview:
Dr Dubis is an enterprise-minded educator whose research works to explain biological processes using data science and population health methods of large dataset acquisition, curation, and modeling
He oversees a research group that has three primary aims:
• Studying the structure/function relationships underlying normal vision and retinas with several inherited diseases. This work has expanded to help develop trials to test several potential therapies to reverse or stop retinal degeneration.
• Using the eye as a model of the brain and investigating retinal vascular function in systemic and neurological diseases. This section of the lab aims to develop more sensitive vascular function and neurovascular coupling tests that may someday be used in treatment trials for vascular disease
• Applying deep learning techniques to retinal image analysis The goal is to develop classification tools that may be used to expand ophthalmic expertise to under-resourced countries and increase research efficiency through improved image analysis
Dr Dubis has commercialized health analytics through patent filings and spin-out companies, including deepeye Medical GMBH, a digital health company focused on developing SaMD solutions for ophthalmology.
Select Publication Highlights:
Deep Learning for Prediction of AMD Progression: A Pilot Study Russakoff DB, Lamin A, Oakley JD, Dubis AM, Sivaprasad S Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 60(2):712-722 (2019)
Clinically Applicable Deep Learning-based Decision Aids for Treatment of Neovascular AMD Gutfleisch M, Ester 0, Aydin S, Quassowski M, Spital G, Lommatzsch A, Rothaus K, Dubis AM, Pauleikhoff D Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (epub ahead of print 22 Jan 2022)
OCT5k: A dataset of Multi-disease and Multi-graded Annotations for Retinal Layers. Arikan M, Willoughby J, Ongun S, Sallo F, Montesel A, Ahmed H, Hagag A, Book M, Faatz H, Cicinelli MV, Fawzi AA, Podkowinski D, Cilkova M, De Almeida DM, Zouache M, Ramsamy G, Lilaonitkul W, Dubis AM. Sci Data. 2025 Feb 14;12(1):267.
Monika Fleckenstein, MD
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Select Publication Highlights: FLECKENSTEIN
Research Interests:
Degenerative retinal diseases; high-resolution imaging; identification of prognostic biomarkers for disease progression; validation of clinical endpoints for interventional trials.
Lab Overview:
Dr Fleckenstein’s primary scientific interest is in the field of degenerative retinal diseases with a focus on AMD.
Through innovative high-resolution imaging technology, her efforts center on the identification of prognostic biomarkers for disease progression and the validation of clinical outcome measures for interventional trials. Dr. Fleckenstein is currently conducting a prospective clinical study to assess the impact of non-exudative type 1 macular neovascularization on AMD progression, a study to validate fundus-controlled perimetry as an
outcome measure in non-exudative AMD, and a prospective clinical study to precisely characterize “early atrophic lesions,” a largely unexplored “time window” in AMD progression that appears to be most appropriate for future therapeutic interventions.
Her lab team also collaborates with the SCTM to determine clinical trial endpoints for AMD therapies being developed
NIH Funding FY25:
The Impact of Non-Exudative Type 1 Macular Neovascularization (MNV) on Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Progression ($385,000); Progression of Early Atrophic Lesions in AgeRelated Macular Degeneration ($385,000); Early Atrophic Lesions in Age-Related Macular Degeneration ($385,000, Co-PI with Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD)
Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Review Fleckenstein M, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Chakravarthy
U JAMA 2024 Jan 9;331(2):147-157
Association of Lesion Location and Functional Parameters with Vision-Related Quality of Life in Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-related Macular Degeneration Künzel SH, Broadbent E, Möller PT, Lindner M, Goerdt L, Czauderna J, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Holz FG, Pfau M, Fleckenstein M Ophthalmol Retina 2024 Aug;8(8):794-803
Age-related macular degeneration. Fleckenstein M, Keenan TDL, Guymer RH, Chakravarthy U, SchmitzValckenberg S, Klaver CC, Wong WT, Chew EY.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021 May 6;7(1):31.
Carolilne Garrett, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Interests:
Laboratory animal medicine; nonhuman primate behavior, reproduction, anesthesia and surgery; ophthalmic and neuro-imaging; translational animal modeling in ophthalmology and neuroscience
Research Overview:
Dr Garrett has over a decade of experience supporting translational preclinical research investigations She collaborates with several researchers at Moran to support studies focused on understanding the anatomical organization and function of neural circuits in the visual cortex Her expertise includes advanced imaging, neuroanatomical mapping, neurophysiology, and models of ocular disease, including glaucoma. At the University of Utah, Dr. Garrett also serves as Senior Clinical Veterinarian in the Office of Comparative Medicine.
Select Publication Highlights:
Characterization of Heterogeneous Skin Constructs for Full Thickness Skin Regeneration in Murine Wound Models Ifediba M, Baetz N, Lambert L, Benzon H, Page V, Anderson N, Roth S, Miess J, Nicolosi I, Beck S, Sopko N, Garrett C (2024) Tissue Cell, 88, 102403
A Ropivacaine-eluting Poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) Wound Dressing Provided Enhanced Analgesia in Partial-thickness Porcine Injuries Niederauer S, Beeman M, Cleveland A, Wojtalewicz S, Erickson S, Reilly CA, Rower JE, Garrett C, Floyd C, Shea J, Agarwal J, Lade C, Davis B (2024) Plast Reconstr Surg
Evaluation in a Porcine Wound Model and Long-term Clinical Assessment of an Autologous Heterogeneous Skin Construct Used to Close Full-thickness Wounds. Baetz N, Labroo P, Ifediba M, Miller D, Stauffer K, Sieverts M, Nicodemus-Johnson J, Chan E, Robinson I, Miess J, Roth S, Irvin J, Laun J, Mundinger G, Granick MS, Milner S, Garrett C, Li WW, Swanson EW, Smith DJ Jr, Sopko NA (2023). Tissue Cell, 83, 102126.
SHARON ECCLES STEELE CENTER FOR TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
Gregory S. Hageman, PhD
Director, Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine
Distinguished Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Director, Translational Research Initiative, Alan S Crandall Center for Glaucoma Research
John A Moran Presidential Endowed Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Interests:
Diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for the treatment of AMD
Center Overview:
Dr Hageman’s primary research interest for more than 30 years has been directed toward the genetics and biology of AMD, a leading cause of irreversible worldwide blindness Dr Hageman and his colleagues discovered that a specific common haplotype of the complement regulator, Complement Factor H (CFH), in combination with variations in another complement regulator, Complement Factor B (CFB), account for greater than 50% of risk for AMD in Caucasian populations. He has generated strong ocular and systemic evidence that AMD is at least two biologically distinct diseases.
Select Publication Highlights:
A cluster of genes on chromosome 1 causes one form of AMD A pair of genes on chromosome 10 causes a second form of AMD
Because distinct biological mechanisms drive these two forms of the disease, they require different therapeutic approaches. Dr. Hageman and his team have developed therapies adapted specifically to chromosome 1- or chromosome 10directed AMD, with one being tested in a clinical trial and others in pre-clinical stages
Levels of the HtrA1 Protein in Serum and Vitreous Humor Are Independent of Genetic Risk for AgeRelated Macular Degeneration at the 10q26 Locus. Williams BL, Zouache MA, Seager NA, Pappas CM, Liu J, Andstadt RA, Hubbard WC, Thomas J, Hageman JL, Mohler J, Richards BT, Hageman, GS (2024) Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 65(4): 34
Levels of Complement Factor H-related 4 Protein Do Not Influence Susceptibility to Age-related Macular Degeneration or its Course of Progression Zouache MA, Richards BT, Pappas C, Anstadt RA, Liu J, Corsetti T, Matthews S, Seager NA, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Fleckenstein M, Hubbard WC, Thomas J, Hageman JL, Williams BL, Hageman GS (2024) Nature Commun 15(1):443
Transcriptomic Analysis of the Ocular Posterior Segment Completes a Cell Atlas of the Human Eye
Monavarfeshani A, Yan W, Pappas C, Odenigbo KA, He Z, Segre A, van Zyl T, Hageman GS, Sanes JR (2023). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 120(34): e2306153120.
Chromosome 10q26-driven Age-related Macular Degeneration is Associated with Reduced Levels of HTRA1 in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Williams BL, Seager NA, Gardiner JD, Pappas CM, Cronin MC, Amat di San Filippo C, Anstadt RA, Liu J, Toso MA, Nichols L, Parnell TJ, Eve JR, Heinz S, Hayes MGB, Bartel PL, Zouache MA, Richards BT, Hageman GS (2021). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 118(30):30 e2103617118.
HWANG LAB
Eileen Hwang, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Interests:
Biochemistry and extracellular matrix structure changes of the vitreous from childhood through old age
Lab Overview:
Dr Hwang is developing confocal reflectance as a method for quantifying collagen fiber network characteristics across the entire vitreous body on a micron scale. The lab anticipates that establishing this novel method will enable a significant leap forward in connecting predisposing conditions such as age, Mendelian disorders, and myopia to retinal detachment and inspire research into new ways to prevent vitreoretinal traction, retinal detachment, and blindness in predisposed individuals.
The lab hypothesizes that pediatric vitreoretinal diseases can be prevented or treated by altering the biochemistry and extracellular matrix structure of the vitreous
The lab is particularly interested in abnormalities of the vitreous in high myopia and Stickler syndrome
The goal of the laboratory is to understand the specific ways in which vitreous collagen fiber structure differs in diseased eyes compared to normal individuals and to identify the factors that regulate this abnormal structure. With this information, the lab hopes to develop new strategies to prevent retinal detachment in high-risk individuals. Current methods of creating posterior vitreous detachment are either too risky or not effective enough to be routinely employed.
By investigating the underlying mechanisms of vitreous liquefaction, Dr Hwang and her team hope to develop a safe drug that could be used to create posterior vitreous development
NIH Funding FY25:
Cellular, Molecular, and Physical Mechanisms of Vitreous Structural Heterogeneity Underlying Posterior Vitreous Detachment ($190,244)
Select Publication Highlights:
Self-reporting of Conflicts of Interest by Ophthalmology Researchers Compared with the Open Payments Database Industry Reports. Hwang ES, Liu L, Ong MY, Rodriguez CM, Schwehr DE, Sanchez DE, Stoddard GJ, Weinberg DV. Ophthalmology. 2023 Apr;130(4):387-393.
Confocal Reflectance Microscopy for Mapping Collagen Fiber Organization in the Vitreous Gel of the Eye. Hwang ES, Morgan DJ, Sun J, Hartnett ME, Toussaint KC Jr, Coats B Biomed Opt Express 2023 Jan 30;14(2):932-944
Association Between Myopia Progression and Quantity of Laser Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity Hwang ES, Kassem IS, Allozi R, Kravets S, Al-Kirwi KY, Hallak JA, Costakos DM PLoS One 2022 Dec 30;17(12):e0279898
JONES LAB FOR CONNECTOMICS
Bryan W. Jones, PhD
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Senior Research Scientist, Alan S Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation
Research Interests:
Retinal connectomics and pathoconnectomics, retinal remodeling, and metabolic analyses of degenerate retina
Lab Overview:
Dr Jones’ research provided the first understanding of retinal plasticity in diseases like retinitis lpigmentosa and AMD. This work is responsible for discovering the substantial clinical significance of negative neuronal remodeling in retinal degenerative disease Most recently, the lab has focused on the new fields of connectomics and pathoconnectomics, applying these novel, computationally intensive approaches to the study of normal retinal wiring He is also focusing on retinal wiring in retinal degenerative disease These approaches result in complete network diagrams of
the retina with rich data, including classes, cell patterning, and complete connectivities of both electrical and chemical synapses This work is fundamental for comparison and understanding of aberrant or corrupt circuitry observed in blinding diseases.
Additional collaborative work is developing physicsbased models of the retina that can reveal how current flows in both normal and diseased retina, which is crucial for understanding how vision rescues will interface with the retina
Funding FY25:
The lab has more than $8 8 million in total funding and is supported by the National Eye Institute, National Science Foundation, and Research to Prevent Blindness
Select Publication Highlights:
Retinal Pathoconnectomics: A Window into Neurodegeneration. Pfeiffer RL, Jones BW. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2023;1415:297-301.
Current Perspective on Retinal Remodeling: Implications for Therapeutics. Ning K, Sendayen BE, Kowal TJ, Wang B, Jones BW, Hu Y, Sun Y Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021 Jul 1;62(9):15
A Pathoconnectome of Early Neurodegeneration: Network Changes in Retinal Degeneration. Pfeiffer RL, Anderson JR, Dahal J, Garcia JC, Yang JH, Sigulinsky CL, Rapp K, Emrich DP, Watt CB, Johnstun HA, Houser AR, Marc RE, Jones BW. Exp Eye Res. 2020 Oct;199:108196.
Bradley J. Katz, MD, PhD
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Interests: Photophobia (abnormal light sensitivity); migraine: its effects on visual quality of life; ischemic optic neuropathy
Research Overview:
Dr Katz’s research interests center around neuroophthalmology and light sensitivity (“photophobia”), as well as neurologic conditions associated with light sensitivity, such as migraine and blepharospasm.
Select Publication Highlights:
Ophthalmic Complications Associated With the Antidiabetic Drugs Semaglutide and Tirzepatide Katz BJ, Lee MS, Lincoff NS, Abel AS, Chowdhary S, Ellis BD, Najafi A, Nguyen J, Seay MD, Warner JEA JAMA Ophthalmol 2025 Mar 1;143(3):215-220
Targeting the Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cell to Reduce Headache Pain and Light Sensitivity in Migraine: A Randomized Double-blind Trial Posternack C, Kupchak P, Capriolo AI, Katz BJ J Clin Neurosci 2023 Jul;113:22-31
Sharp Edge Eye Syndrome: A Case Report and Survey of Self-Identified Individuals. Reynolds MS, Katz BJ, Digre KB, Brintz BJ, Olson LM, Warner JEA. J Neuroophthalmol. 2022 Dec 1;42(4):524-529.
The Unmet Challenge of Diagnosing and Treating Photophobia. Buchanan TM, Digre KB, Warner JEA, Katz BJ. J Neuroophthalmol. 2022 Sep 1;42(3):372-377.
KRIZAJ LAB
David Krizaj, PhD
Deputy Director of Research
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Associate Director, Alan S Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation
Ralph and Mary Tuck Presidential Endowed Chair
Research Interests:
Glaucoma and intraocular pressure regulation; photoreceptor signaling; calcium regulation in neuropathological disorders
Lab Overview:
Dr Krizaj is focused on studies of ocular mechanotransduction, with emphasis on how intraocular pressure is generated and regulated, and why sensitivity to mechanical stress kills neurons in the retina. The lab seeks to understand the molecular pathways that cause vision loss in eye diseases associated with mechanical stress, such as glaucoma, retinal detachment, or pathological swelling. The team developed new mouse models, which lack pressure sensors in specific cells that are important in glaucoma, and are testing them as the first proof-ofprinciple step toward glaucoma treatment
The lab also collaborates with a team of University of Utah chemists to design and develop new drugs
Select Publication Highlights:
to lower intraocular pressure, which are now being prepared for clinical trial testing Moreover, the lab branched into the study of mechanosensors in the cornea to treat corneal pain, a debilitating condition for which there is no effective cure; and mechanosensors in diabetic retinopathy, in collaboration with Bryan Jones’ team at Moran.
NIH Funding FY25:
Molecular Mechanisms of Mechanotransduction in the Aqueous Outflow Pathway ($385,000); Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Nonaxonal Mechanotransduction in Retinal Ganglion Cells ($385,000); Vision Research Training Grant ($161,827); Core Vision Research Grant ($161,827)
Other Federal Funding FY25: NIH Subcontract: Targeting Mechanical Stress Signaling and Inflammasome in Traumatic Ocular Injury ($38,125)
TRPV4-Rho Signaling Drives Cytoskeletal and Focal Adhesion Remodeling in Trabecular Meshwork Cells
Lakk M, Križaj D Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2021 Jun 1;320(6):C1013-C1030
TRPV4 and TRPC1 Channels Mediate the Response to Tensile Strain in Mouse Müller Cells Jo AO, Lakk M,
Rudzitis CN, Križaj D Cell Calcium 2022 Jun;104:102588
Retinal TRP Channels: Cell-type-specific Regulators of Retinal Homeostasis and Multimodal Integration
Križaj D, Cordeiro S, Strauß O Prog Retin Eye Res 2023 Jan;92:101114
Emergent Temporal Signaling in Human Trabecular Meshwork Cells: Role of TRPV4-TRPM4 Interactions. Front Immunol. Yarishkin O, Phuong TTT, Vazquez-Chona F, Bertrand J, van Battenburg-Sherwood J, Redmon SN, Rudzitis CN, Lakk M, Baumann JM, Freichel M, Hwang EM, Overby D, Križaj D. 2022 Mar 31;13:805076.
Binxing Li, PhD
Research Associate Professor,
Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Bernstein Lab
Research Interests:
Biochemistry and biophysics of macular carotenoids; mouse models of retinal disease; Raman imaging of nutrients in the retina
Research Overview:
Dr Li’s work in the Bernstein Laboratory explores light-induced oxidative damage associated with AMD and autosomal recessive Stargardt disease (STGD1)
Select Publication Highlights:
Imaging Macular Carotenoids and their Related Proteins in the Human Retina with Confocal Resonance Raman and Fluorescence Microscopy. Li B, Chang FY, Wan Z, Giauque NA, Addo EK, Bernstein PS. Exp Eye Res. 2024 Aug; 247: 110043.
Mechanism for the Selective Uptake of Macular Carotenoids Mediated by the HDL Cholesterol Receptor
SR-BI Li B, George EW, Vachali P, Chang FY, Gorusupudi A, Arunkumar R, Giauque NA, Wan Z, Frederick JM, Bernstein PS Exp Eye Res 2023 Apr;229:109429
HDL is the Primary Transporter for Carotenoids from Liver to Retinal Pigment Epithelium in Transgenic ApoA-I-/-/Bco2-/- Mice. Li B, Vachali P, Chang FY, Gorusupudi A, Arunkumar R, Shi L, Rognon GT, Frederick JM, Bernstein PS. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2022 Feb 15;716:109111.
INTERMOUNTAIN OCULAR RESEARCH CENTER
Nick Mamalis, MD
Co-Director, Intermountain Ocular Research Center
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Director, Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory
Calvin S and JeNeal N Hatch Presidential Endowed Chair
Research Interests:
Intra-ocular lenses; postoperative inflammation
Center Overview:
As co-director of the Intermountain Ocular Research Center, Dr Mamalis performs research in the area of intraocular lenses and postoperative inflammation Dr Mamalis is past president of the 8,000-member American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS). He is the editor emeritus of the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery and has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications, one textbook, and 45 book chapters. He lectures throughout the world and was selected by Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today as one of 50 international opinion leaders.
Specifically, his research interests include ocular pathology; pathology and complications of intraocular lenses; surface-modified intraocular lenses; intraocular melanomas; analysis of ocular fluids used in surgery; ocular inflammation following cataract surgery; malignant lesions of the eyelids; antioxidants and AMD; dry eyes (hormonal influences and management); posterior capsule opacification; endophthalmitis and antibiotic treatment; and toxic anterior segment syndrome.
Select Publication Highlights:
Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome: A 2012-2022 Update on the Most Common Causes Yao M, Mudalegundi S, Eid K, Bundogji N, Kelkar N, Werner L, Mamalis N J Cataract Refract Surg 2025 Jan 21
Immunohistochemical Findings of Lens Capsules Obtained from Patients with Dead Bag Syndrome. Sumioka T, Werner L, Yasuda S, Okada Y, Mamalis N, Ishikawa N, Saika S (2024). J Cataract Refract Surg. 2024 Aug 1; 50(8):862-867.
Complications of Foldable Intraocular Lenses Requiring Explantation or Secondary Intervention: 2022
Survey with Update of Long-term Trends. Renschler A, Kelkar N, Eid K, Hawn V, Bundogji N, Werner L, Mamalis N. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2024 Apr 1; 50(4):394-400.
MCDONNELL LAB
Fiona McDonnell, PhD
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Scientist, Alan S Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation
Research Interests:
The study of glaucoma, with a special focus in conventional outflow physiology.
Lab Overview:
Dr. McDonnell's research aims to improve treatments for lowering intraocular pressure by understanding the mechanisms behind what causes glaucoma.
She has focused her work on the conventional outflow pathway and the cells and tissues responsible for aqueous humor drainage Dr McDonnell specializes in one of the most exciting new areas of glaucoma research nanoparticles released by all cells in the human body called exosomes They have several potential applications in new therapies or diagnostic tests
Select Publication Highlights:
Studying exosomes, which are 20-150 nanometers in size, requires specialized expertise and equipment. Funded by the National Eye Institute, Dr. McDonnell is trying to find exosomes specific to the trabecular meshwork something that could one day help develop a test for glaucoma She will also study whether introducing healthy exosomes to damaged cells can repair them
NIH Funding FY25:
Exosomes and Conventional Outflow Homeostasis ($250,057)
Extracellular Vesicles as Emerging Players in Glaucoma: Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Targets. Namdari M, McDonnell FS. Vision Res. 2025 Jan;226:108522.
Comparison of the Extracellular Vesicle Proteome Between Glaucoma and Non-glaucoma Trabecular Meshwork Cells. McDonnell FS, Riddick BJ, Roberts H, Skiba N, Stamer WD (2023). Front Ophthalmol (Lausanne), 3.
Consensus Recommendations for Studies of Outflow Facility and Intraocular Pressure Regulation Using Ex Vivo Perfusion Approaches Acott TS, Fautsch MP, Mao W, Ethier CR, Huang AS, Kelley MJ, Aga M, Bhattacharya SK, Borras T, Bovenkamp D, Chowdhury UR, Clark AF, Dibas MI, Du Y, Elliott MH, Faralli JA, Gong H, Herberg S, Johnstone MA, Kaufman PL, Keller KE, Kelly RA, Krizaj D, Kuehn MH, Li HL, Lieberman R, Lin SC, Liu Y, McDonnell FS, McDowell CM, McLellan GJ, Mzyk P, Nair KS, Overby DR, Peters DM, Raghunathan V, Rao PV, Roddy GW, Sharif NA, Shim MS, Sun Y, Thomson BR, Toris CB, Willoughby CE, Zhang HF, Freddo TF, Fuchshofer R, Hill KR, Karimi A, Kizhatil K, Kopcyznski CC, Liton P, Patel G, Peng M, Pattabiraman PP, Prasanna G, Reina-Torres E, Samples EG, Samples JR, Steel CL, Strohmaier CA, Subramanian P, Sugali CK, van Batenburg-Sherwood J, Wong C, Youngblood H, Zode GS, White E, Stamer WD Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2024 Dec 2;65(14):32
VISION COMPUTATION LAB
Neda Nategh, PhD
Research Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Research Interests:
Computational neuroscience; neural mechanisms of visuospatial perception
Research Overview:
Employing a computational approach combined with physiological experiments, Dr Nategh and her group are developing mathematical models to predict and explain the responses of neurons in visual areas during eye movements. The team collaborates closely with experimental neuroscience labs at the University of Utah and Stanford University to collect electrophysiological data from the brain and the retina.
Dr. Nategh and her team work at the intersection of neuroscience, computational science, and applications Their basic science research adopts an integrative approach for studying the neural circuitry of visual perception It tailors specific neurophysiological paradigms for data collection; uses those data in a computational model to
Select Publication Highlights:
predict the neural basis of specific behavioral outcomes; and tests those predictions via psychophysical experiments and causal manipulations of brain activity The team's computational research focuses on developing statistical methodologies capable of capturing timedependent, high-dimensional neural computations at the interaction of sensory and behavioral signals. On the application side, their goal is to develop algorithmic and modeling solutions that can facilitate a huge leap forward in the design of robust visuomotor, cognitive prosthetic, and brain machine interface systems, which aim to restore our natural behavior Other contributions envisioned for their approach include advancing machine vision and AI algorithms to rival humans’ perceptual capabilities The projects have been funded by the NIH NEI, NSF, and NASA
NIH Funding FY25:
Extrastriate Mechanisms of Visuospatial Perception during Eye Movements ($381,250)
A Sensory Memory to Preserve Visual Representations Across Eye Movements. Akbarian A, Niknam K, Clark K, Noudoost B, Nategh N. bioRxiv 2020.02.28.970277.
Characterizing and Dissociating Multiple Time-Varying Modulatory Computations Influencing Neuronal Activity. Niknam K, Akbarian A, Clark K, Zamani Y, Noudoost B, Nategh N. PLoS Comput Biol. 2019 Sep 12;15(9):e1007275
Developing a Nonstationary Computational Framework with Application to Modeling Dynamic Modulations in Neural Spiking Responses Akbarian A, Niknam K, Parsa M, Clark K, Noudoost B, Nategh N IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2018 Feb;65(2):241-253
NOUDOOST LAB
Behrad Noudoost, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Interests:
Cognitive neuroscience; prefrontal modulation of the visual cortex
Lab Overview:
Dr Noudoost’s research is focused precisely on understanding the neural circuits and biological mechanisms that are necessary and sufficient to drive fundamental cognitive functions. Selective attention and working memory play a profound role in many of the tasks of everyday life; like driving a car, reading, and holding a conversation in a crowded room. These cognitive abilities are an integral part of all our goal-oriented interactions with the world around us. The ultimate goal of the lab’s research is an understanding of the neural basis of selective attention and working memory
In particular, the lab is studying the role of prefrontal control of visual cortical signals in these cognitive processes This work involves electrophysiological recording, electrical stimulation, and pharmacological manipulation of neural activity in animals trained to perform tasks involving covert attention, spatial, and object working memory.
NIH Funding FY25:
Sensory Recruitment by Working Memory: Neuronal Basis and Neural Circuitry ($350,750); Prefrontal Contributions to Phase-Dependent Representation of Visual Information ($384,896)
Select Publication Highlights:
A Recruitment Through Coherence Theory of Working Memory Comeaux P, Clark K, Noudoost B Prog Neurobiol 2023 Sep;228:102491
Dependence of Working Memory on Coordinated Activity Across Brain Areas. Rezayat E, Clark K, Dehaqani MA, Noudoost B. Front Syst Neurosci. 2022 Jan 13;15:787316
A Sensory Memory to Preserve Visual Representations Across Eye Movements. Akbarian A, Clark K, Noudoost B, Nategh N. Nat Commun. 2021 Nov 8;12(1):6449.
OLSON PETTEY CATARACT RESEARCH LAB
Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA
Co-Director, Olson Pettey Cataract Research Lab
Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Dr Ezekiel R and Edna Wattis Dumke Endowed Chair
Research Interests:
Cataract surgery efficiency and safety, phacoemulsification technology, phacodynamics, ophthalmic education, and global eye health systems
Lab Overview:
Dr Pettey’s research focuses on enhancing the safety and efficiency of cataract surgery by studying phacodynamics, surgical systems, and improving care delivery. As co-director of the Olson Pettey Cataract Research Lab at the Moran Eye Center, he leads investigations into the effects of fluidics, energy modulation, and vacuum dynamics on cataract removal performance and anterior chamber stability.
His work aims to translate detailed insights into
phacodynamics into evidence-based surgical practices that enhance outcomes across various global settings
Dr Pettey has published extensively on the efficiency of phacoemulsification, investigating the effects of vacuum rise time, aspiration flow rate, and ultrasound modality on effective phaco time and intraoperative energy delivery. His team’s comparative platform studies have significantly influenced the advancement and refinement of phacoemulsification technologies used by cataract surgeons worldwide. His unique combination of surgical innovation, academic education, and public health models positions his work at the intersection of clinical excellence and equal access to health care for everyone
Select Publication Highlights:
Efficiency of a Polymer-coated Phacoemulsification Tip in Cataract Surgery. Cardenas IA, Ungricht EL, Zaugg B, Olson RJ, Pettey JH. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2023 Apr 13.
Comparison of Phacoemulsification Grooving Efficiency in Longitudinal vs Transversal Handpieces. Wilkinson SW, Ungricht EL, West WB, Harris JT, Zaugg B,Olson RJ, Pettey JH. Clin Ophthalmol. 2023 Jan 11;17:191-195
Patterns of Blindness in the Navajo Nation: A 9-Year Study Wallace RT, Murri M, McCoy L, Peralta E, Pettey JH, Chaya CJ Vision (Basel) 2022 Jul 11;6(3):43
Rebecca Pfeiffer, PhD
Research
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Joneslab for Connectomics
Research Interests: Retinal degeneration; connectomics/pathoconnectomics; metabolomics; retinal remodeling; glia
Research Overview:
Dr Pfeiffer’s primary research focus is in understanding the mechanisms of retinal remodeling that coincide with photoreceptor degenerative disease. Her work primarily focuses on the rewiring and metabolic changes occurring in the inner retina over the course of retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited retinal disease. As a graduate student, she demonstrated that following prolonged photoreceptor loss the retina undergoes degenerative processes similar to those found in neurodegenerative diseases in the brain As a postdoctoral fellow, she led the construction of the first ultrastructural pathoconnectomes constructed from neural tissue
Dr Pfeiffer’s primary areas of expertise are in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and TEMbased volume electron microscopy, specifically in the context of connectomics Additionally, she is one of a small number of researchers with expertise in computational molecular phenotyping, which is a TEM-compatible spatial metabolomics technique.
In October of 2023, she was promoted to Research Assistant Professor at the Moran Eye Center where she continues to focus on mechanisms of inner retinal remodeling and their consequences for potential therapeutic interventions. In addition to neuronal connectivity alterations, she utilizes connectomics and pathoconnectomics to evaluate glial connectivity in the healthy and degenerating retina Her ultimate goal is to better target therapeutic interventions for blinding diseases and support their long-term function in the retina
Select Publication Highlights:
Current Perspective on Retinal Remodeling: Implications for Therapeutics. Pfeiffer RL and Jones BW (2022) Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, Dec 22; 16:1099348.
A Pathoconnectome of Early Neurodegeneration: Network Changes in Retinal Degeneration. Pfeiffer RL, Anderson J.A., Dahal J., Garcia J.C., Yang J.H., Sigulinsky C., Rapp K., Emrich D.P., Watt C.B., Morrison H., Houser A.R., Marc R.E., & Jones B.W. (2020)Experimental Eye Research, Oct; 199:108196.
Persistent Remodeling and Neurodegeneration in Late-stage Retinal Degeneration Pfeiffer RL, Marc RE, & Jones BW (2020) Prog Retinal Eye Res Jan; 74
PITHA LAB
Ian F. Pitha, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Associate Director, Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation
Research Interests:
Glaucoma medical therapeutics, drug delivery, device design, scleral remodeling
Lab Overview:
Dr Pitha’s research focuses on improving care for glaucoma patients by developing effective and safe therapeutics that eliminate the need for using multiple prescription eye drops several times a day He is an associate director of the Alan S Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation at Moran
Dr Pitha has helped industry partners design and conduct foundational studies on novel approaches to glaucoma therapeutics and surgical implants. He has published extensively on ophthalmic drug delivery and glaucoma surgical implant design, and he has served as a reviewer for numerous journals and institutes.
His lab studies the fundamental processes that underlie remodeling of the sclera in glaucoma Progress in this field could lead to therapies that create a protective barrier that shields the eye from high pressures in glaucoma This novel therapeutic approach, called scleral neuroprotection, would be a paradigm shift in treatment because it could stop vision loss from glaucoma at its earliest stages
He is the co-principal investigator for a National Institutes of Health grant on improving glaucoma surgery: “Understanding and optimizing the influence of glaucoma drainage implant surface architecture and design to prevent post-operative fibrosis.” (R01EY035669)
Select Publication Highlights:
Targeted Microglial Attenuation through Dendrimer-Drug Conjugates Improves Glaucoma
Neuroprotection Pitha I, Kambhampati S, Sharma A, Sharma R, McCrea L, Mozzer A, Kannan RM Biomacromolecules 2023 Mar 13;24(3):1355-1365
Regional Differences and Physiologic Behaviors in Peripapillary Scleral Fibroblasts Szeto J, Chow A, McCrea L, Mozzer A, Nguyen TD, Quigley HA, Pitha I Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021 Jan 4;62(1):27
Nanofiber-based Glaucoma Drainage Implant Improves Surgical Outcomes by Modulating Fibroblast Behavior Josyula A, Mozzer A, Szeto J, Ha Y, Richmond N, Chung SW, Rompicharla SVK, Narayan J, Ramesh S, Hanes J, Ensign L, Parikh K, Pitha I. Bioeng Transl Med. 2023 Jan 18;8(3):e10487.
Suva Roy, PhD
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Adjunct
Professor, Neurobiology
Research Interests:
Retinal and central visual processing; mechanisms of light adaptation; retinal computations; retinal diseases; comparative biology of vision.
Lab Overview:
The Roy Laboratory is focused on understanding how different retinal cell types work in concert to generate vision and how vision is impaired in diseases such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy The lab uses a multidisciplinary and comparative approach to study the organization and function of neural circuits in the retina, retinal projections to the brain, and structural and functional anomalies within the retina in blinding diseases The knowledge gained from these studies is used to identify molecular and cellular targets for vision restorative therapies
The lab is also developing novel imaging, computational, and virus-based gene delivery techniques for retinal research
Before joining the Moran Eye Center, Dr Roy completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Duke University School of Medicine and worked as a senior research associate at Duke and as an assistant project scientist at the Stein Eye Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles.
NIH Funding FY25:
Bridging Gap in Comparative Biology Using the Tree Shrew Visual System ($249,000)
Select Publication Highlights:
GABAergic Inhibition Controls Receptive Field Size, Sensitivity and Contrast Preference of Direction
Selective Retinal Ganglion Cells Near the Threshold of Vision Roy, S , Xiaoyang, Y , Rathinavelu, J & Field, G.D. Journal of Neuroscience, 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1979-23, 2024.
Large-scale Interrogation of Retinal Cell Functions by 1-photon Light-sheet Microscopy. Roy, S., Wang, D., Rudzite, A.M., Perry, B., Scalabrino, M.L., Thapa, M., Gong, Y., Sher, A. & Field, G.D. Cell Reports Methods, 3(4):100453, 2023.
Inter-mosaic Coordination of Retinal Receptive Fields. Roy, S., Jun, N.Y., Davis, E.L., Pearson, J. & Field, G.D. Nature: 1-5, 2021.
Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, MD, is an expert in high-resolution retinal imaging. He directs UREAD, which plays a key role in the clinical trial for a new therapy for a prevalent form of AMD, as well as other therapies in development. With international partners from both academia and industry, UREAD takes an active part in several initiatives to advance the field imaging-based biomarkers and is involved in several clinical trials Previously, he co-founded and directed the Grading of Digital Fundus Examination (GRADE) Reading Center at the University of Bonn, Germany, where he was the
Department of Ophthalmology’s assistant medical director He has introduced various imaging techniques to map the stages of decline in AMD
Dr Schmitz-Valckenberg holds a Jon M Huntsman Presidential Chair at the University of Utah and is a prolific researcher with more than 210 peer-reviewed publications. His honors include being named by The Ophthalmologist to its Power List 2017: Top 50 Rising Stars.
NIH Funding FY25:
Progression of Early Atrophic Lesions in AgeRelated Macular Degeneration ($385,000, Co-PI with Monika Fleckenstein, MD)
Select Publication Highlights:
Generalizable Deep Learning for the Detection of Incomplete and Complete Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Outer Retinal Atrophy: A MACUSTAR Report. de Vente C, Valmaggia P, Hoyng CB, Holz FG, Islam MM, Klaver CCW, Boon CJF, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Tufail A, Saßmannshausen M, Sánchez CI; MACUSTAR Consortium.Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2024 Sep 3;13(9):11.
Visual Loss in Geographic Atrophy: Learnings from the Lampalizumab Trials.
Anegondi N, Steffen V, Sadda SR, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Tufail A, Csaky K, Lad EM, Kaiser PK, Ferrara D, Chakravarthy U. Ophthalmology. 2025 Apr;132(4):420-430.
Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Among Individuals Homozygous for Risk Alleles on Chromosome 1 (CFH-CFHR5) or Chromosome 10 (ARMS2/HTRA1) or Both Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Fleckenstein M, Zouache MA, Pfau M, Pappas C, Hageman JL, Agrón E, Malley C, Keenan TDL, Chew EY, Hageman GS JAMA Ophthalmol 2022 Mar 1;140(3):252-260
STAGG LAB
Brian C. Stagg, MD
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Scientist, Alan S Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation
Research Interests: Clinical decision support in glaucoma; personalized medicine; health informatics; population health
Lab Overview:
Dr Stagg’s research interests are in health services research, health informatics, and predictive modeling. He focuses on improving outcomes for patients with glaucoma using clinical decision support systems to enhance clinical decision-making to ensure that patients receive appropriate glaucoma care.
NIH Funding FY25: Improving Glaucoma Care Using a Scalable Decision Support System ($270,246)
Select Publication Highlights:
Systematic User-centered Design of a Prototype Clinical Decision Support System for Glaucoma. Stagg BC, Tullis B, Asare A, Stein JD, Medeiros FA, Weir C, Borbolla D, Hess R, Kawamoto K Ophthalmol Sci 2023 Feb 2;3(3):100279
A Scoping Review of Patients' Barriers to Eye Care for Glaucoma and Keratitis Hicks PM, Kang L, Armstrong ML, Pongrac JR, Stagg BC, Saylor KM, Newman-Casey PA, Woodward MA Surv Ophthalmol 2023 JulAug;68(4):567-577
The Burden of Caring for and Treating Glaucoma: The Patient Perspective Stagg BC, Granger A, Guetterman TC, Hess R, Lee PP Ophthalmol Glaucoma 2022 Jan-Feb;5(1):32-39
TIAN LAB
Ning Tian, MD, PhD
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Neurobiology
Research Interests:
Retinal neurobiology; synaptic plasticity
Lab Overview:
Neuronal signals are processed in vertebrate CNS through parallel synaptic pathways. These synaptic pathways are formed with distinct cellular and molecular components and, in some cases, regulated by different mechanisms during development. In many parts of CNS, including the visual system, a fundamental anatomical feature of the parallel synaptic pathways is the histologically discrete laminar structure The cellular and molecular specificity of the laminar structure appears to be a major determinant of the specific synaptic pathways
In vertebrate retina, synaptic pathways processing different aspects of visual signals are also formed with different neuronal subtypes and synaptic structures in distinct laminae This laminar structure is not mature at birth and continues to develop during postnatal ages in most mammalian retinas. Dr. Tian’s research aims to understand the
Select Publication Highlights:
cellular and molecular mechanisms, which regulate the development of the retinal synaptic pathways and the formation of the laminar structure, and how these mechanisms are modulated under normal and pathological conditions The lab’s principal strategies are to examine retinal ganglion cell (RGC) synaptic connectivity and activity at different tages of development under normal and pathological conditions and to test specific hypotheses using appropriate transgenic animal models.
In 2021, the lab published findings of the discovery of a new type of nerve cell in the retina, a notable development for the field as scientists work toward a better understanding of the central nervous system by identifying all classes of neurons and their connections
NIH Funding FY25:
Mechanisms Underlying CD3zeta Guided Assembly of Retinal Circuits ($381,250)
An Uncommon Neuronal Class Conveys Visual Signals from Rods and Cones to Retinal Ganglion Cells Young BK, Ramakrishnan C, Ganjawala T, Wang P, Deisseroth K, Tian N Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2021 Nov 2;118(44):e2104884118.
Visual Deprivation Retards the Maturation of Dendritic Fields and Receptive Fields of Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells. Chen H, Xu HP, Wang P, Tian N. Front Cell Neurosci. 2021 Apr 27;15:640421.
The Susceptibility of Retinal Ganglion Cells to Optic Nerve Injury is Type Specific. Yang N, Young BK, Wang P, Tian N. Cells. 2020 Mar 10;9(3):677.
VINBERG LAB
Frans Vinberg, PhD
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Interests:
Retinal electrophysiology and calcium signaling; phototransduction and visual cycle; retinal disease
Lab Overview:
The Vinberg Lab works to understand retinal mechanisms that enable vision over a wide range of light intensities and colors and how these mechanisms are affected in major blinding diseases like AMD and diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Vinberg previously focused on mechanisms that regulate calcium (Ca2+) in the eye’s photoreceptor cells and how dynamic modulation of Ca2+ in these cells contributes to the light adaptation and temporal resolution of vision. In addition to basic science, Dr. Vinberg’s work has provided mechanistic insight into a night blindness disease caused by mutation in Slc24a1 gene encoding for a Ca2+ exchanger expressed in the rod photoreceptor cells
The Vinberg Lab uses state-of-the-art electrophysiology (single cell and ex vivo/in vivo ERG) and Ca2+ imaging techniques together with basic pharmacology and molecular/cell biology
tools to study fundamental molecular/cellular and disease mechanisms, mainly in the photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelium cells from mice, primates and human donor eyes Current projects focus on human central vision; plasticity in retinal degenerative disease; and photoreceptors in diabetes
The lab has developed a method for reviving post-mortem retinal tissue, allowing testing of potential new therapies on functioning tissue. A partnership with the Utah Lions Eye Bank has established an ultra-fresh tissue program, one of just two in the country.
Dr. Vinberg is part of an effort to develop wholeeye translation through the six-year Viability, Imaging, Surgical, Immunomodulation, Ocular Preservation and Neuroregeneration (VISION) Strategies for Whole Eye Transplant project
NIH Funding FY25:
Pigment Regeneration Mechanisms in the Human Retina ($396,625); Functional Plasticity in Retinal Degenerative Disease ($384,792)
Select Publication Highlights:
Revival of Light Signalling in the Postmortem Mouse and Human Retina. Abbas F, Becker S, Jones BW, Mure LS, Panda S, Hanneken A, Vinberg F Nature 2022 Jun;606(7913):351-357
Optimizing the Setup and Conditions for Ex Vivo Electroretinogram to Study Retina Function in Small and Large Eyes Abbas F, Vinberg F, Becker S J Vis Exp 2022 Jun 27;(184):10 3791/62763
Transduction and Adaptation Mechanisms in the Cilium or Microvilli of Photoreceptors and Olfactory Receptors from Insects to Humans Abbas F, Vinberg F Front Cell Neurosci 2021 Apr 1;15:662453
INTERMOUNTAIN OCULAR RESEARCH CENTER
Liliana Werner, MD, PhD
Co-Director, Intermountain Ocular Research Center
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
H A and Edna Benning Presidential Endowed Chair
Research Interests:
Pathology and complications of intraocular lenses
Center Overview:
As co-director of the Intermountain Ocular Research Center, Dr Werner’s research is centered on the interaction between ocular tissues and different intraocular lens (IOL) designs, materials, and surface modifications. These include IOLs implanted after cataract surgery, phakic lenses for refractive surgery, and ophthalmic implantable devices in general.
Dr. Werner has authored more than 360 peerreviewed publications and book chapters on the subject, co-edited three books, and received numerous awards in international meetings for
scientific presentations, videos, and posters. She has also been a guest speaker in different international meetings in at least 25 countries. Also, Dr. Werner is a consultant for various companies manufacturing IOLs and other ocular biodevices and a consultant for the FDA
She is recognized as a foremost authority in the IOL field and was the first woman to receive the prestigious American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Charles D. Kelman Award and Lecture. She is also the first woman and the first Latina to hold the position of U S Associated Editor for the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery
Select Publication Highlights:
Effect of Simulated Lenticular Debris on Corneal Endothelial Cells: Experimental Study in Rabbit Eyes. Wilkinson SW, Park SSE, Ungricht EL, Trapnell M, Nydegger J, Cardenas IA, Brintz BJ, Mamalis N, Olson RJ, Werner L J Cataract Refract Surg 2022 Nov 1;48(11):1325-1330
3D X-ray Computed Tomography in the Analyses of Intraocular Lenses Explanted Because of Postoperative Opacification Werner L, Wallace-Carrete C, Kelkar N, Eid K, Polson R J Cataract Refract Surg 2024 Sep 1;50(9):970-975
Clinical and Histopathological Findings in the Dead Bag Syndrome. Culp C, Qu P, Jones J, Fram N, Ogawa G, Masket S, Mamalis N, Werner L.J Cataract Refract Surg. 2022 Feb 1;48(2):177-184.
YANG LAB
Jun Yang, PhD
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Interests:
Pathogenetic mechanisms of retinal degeneration; cell biology of photoreceptors
Lab Overview:
Dr Yang’s laboratory research focuses on the disease mechanisms and therapeutic treatments for retinal degenerative diseases using mouse models Her research group investigates the biological functions of genes whose mutations are known to cause human retinal diseases. The group also studies how to treat these diseases utilizing gene therapy.
Dr. Yang’s team is also interested in the cell biology of photoreceptors, especially the cellular processes of intracellular trafficking and structural maintenance. The research led by Dr. Yang is attempting to understand more about retinal degenerative diseases, identify more candidate
Select Publication Highlights:
causative genes, and provide tactics to design various therapies Dr Yang’s laboratory uses a combination of experimental approaches, including molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics approaches
NIH Funding FY25: Disease Mechanism of Usher Syndrome 2 ($469,144); The Role of Centriole Linkage in Retinal Degeneration and Hearing Loss ($462,430); Core Vision Research Grant ($150,861)
Disruption of CFAP418 interaction with lipids causes widespread abnormal membrane-associated cellular processes in retinal degenerations. Clark AM, Yu D, Neiswanger G, Zhu D, Zou J, Maschek JA, Burgoyne T, Yang J. JCI Insight. 2024 Jan 9;9(1):e162621.
Adenylyl Cyclase 6 Plays a Minor Role in the Mouse Inner Ear and Retina Mathur PD, Zou J, Neiswanger G, Zhu D, Wang Y, Almishaal AA, Vashist D, Hammond HK, Park AH, Yang J Sci Rep 2023 May 1;13(1):7075
USH2A Gene Mutations in Rabbits Lead to Progressive Retinal Degeneration and Hearing Loss Nguyen VP, Song J, Prieskorn D, Zou J, Li Y, Dolan D, Xu J, Zhang J, Jayasundera KT, Yang J, Raphael Y, Khan N, Iannuzzi M, Bisgaier C, Chen YE, Paulus YM, Yang D Transl Vis Sci Technol 2023 Feb 1;12(2):26
Deafness-Associated ADGRV1 Mutation Impairs USH2A Stability through Improper Phosphorylation of WHRN and WDSUB1 Recruitment. Guan Y, Du HB, Yang Z, Wang YZ, Ren R, Liu WW, Zhang C, Zhang JH, An WT, Li NN, Zeng XX, Li J, Sun YX, Wang YF, Yang F, Yang J, Xiong W, Yu X, Chai RJ, Tu XM, Sun JP, Xu ZG. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2023 Jun;10(16):e2205993.
Guoxin Ying, PhD
Research
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Dr Ying works with the Zhu Laboratory studying retinal function and degeneration using transgenic technologies designed to inform precise mechanisms of protein function.
Select Publication Highlights:
Arf-like Protein 2 (ARL2) Controls Microtubule Neogenesis during Early Postnatal Photoreceptor
Development Gerstner CD, Reed M, Dahl TM, Ying G, Frederick JM, Baehr W Cells 2022 Dec 30;12(1):147
Deletion of CEP164 in Mouse Photoreceptors Post-ciliogenesis Interrupts Ciliary Intraflagellar Transport (IFT) Reed M, Takemaru KI, Ying G, Frederick JM, Baehr W PLoS Genet 2022 Sep 8;18(9):e1010154
Effect of Conditional Deletion of Cytoplasmic Dynein Heavy Chain DYNC1H1 on Postnatal
Photoreceptors Dahl TM, Reed M, Gerstner CD, Ying G, Baehr W PLoS One 2021 Mar 11;16(3):e0248354.
ZHU LABORATORY
Weiquan (Wendy) Zhu, PhD
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Research Interests:
Angiogenesis and vascular instability and its nexus with inflammation, infection, and immune-related diseases of the eye and central nervous system
Lab Overview:
Dr Zhu studies vascular stability and its relationship to disease
Her laboratory focuses on examining whether ARF6 activation acts as a common convergence point to regulate multiple inflammatory and angiogenic pathways and determining whether blocking ARF6 activation promotes vascular stability and can be used as a novel strategy to treat conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease.
This work has triggered her interest in determining whether ARF6 inhibition would have similar efficacy in
Select Publication Highlights:
maintaining blood-central nervous system (CNS) barrier function under pathological conditions in the CNS and in maintaining alveolar-capillary barrier function under pathological conditions of infectioninduced acute respiratory distress syndrome.
In 2017 Dr. Zhu published findings that ARF6 inhibition stabilizes the blood-retina barrier and reduces debilitating sequelae in animal models of several vasculature-related inflammatory eye diseases (Journal of Clinical Investigation).
In 2022, Dr Zhu published findings demonstrating that ARF6 inhibition not only prevents vascular damage but also promotes remyelination and functional recovery in animal models of MS (Neuron)
These discoveries open promising new avenues for therapeutic interventions in MS and potentially other neuroinflammatory diseases, including vascular eye diseases.
Neuroinflammatory Disease Disrupts the Blood-CNS Barrier via Crosstalk Between Proinflammatory and Endothelial-to-mesenchymal-transition Signaling Sun Z, Zhao H, Fang D, Davis CT, Shi DS, Lei K, Rich BE, Winter JM, Guo L, Sorensen LK, Pryor RJ, Zhu N, Lu S, Dickey LL, Doty DJ, Tong Z, Thomas KR, Mueller AL, Grossmann AH, Zhang B, Lane TE, Fujinami RS, Odelberg SJ, Zhu W (2022) Neuron, 110(19), 3106-3120 e7
Small GTPase ARF6 Controls VEGFR2 Trafficking and Signaling in Diabetic Retinopathy. Zhu W, Shi DS, Winter JM, Rich BE, Tong Z, Sorensen LK, Zhao H, Huang Y, Tai Z, Mleynek TM, Yoo JH, Dunn C, Ling J, Bergquist JA, Richards JR, Jiang A, Lesniewski LA, Hartnett ME, Ward DM, Mueller AL, Ostanin K, Thomas KR, Odelberg SJ, Li DY (2017). J Clin Invest, 127(12), 4569-4582.
Interleukin Receptor Activates a MYD88-ARNO-ARF6 Cascade to Disrupt Vascular Stability. Zhu W, London NR, Gibson CC, Davis CT, Tong Z, Sorensen LK, Shi DS, Guo J, Smith MC, Grossmann AH, Thomas KR, Li DY (2012). Nature, 492(7428), 252-5.
Moussa A. Zouache, PhD
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Sharon Eccles Steele Center for Translational Medicine (SCTM)
Research Interests:
AMD; aging of the eye; engineering; mathematical modeling; translational research
Research Overview:
Dr Zouache’s primary research interest is directed towards understanding the etiology and natural history of AMD
As a principal investigator working with the SCTM, Dr. Zouache currently leads an initiative to identify markers of progression for AMD by combining genetic, biological, and clinical data and mechanistic models. As part of his research, Dr. Zouache works on refining the genetic structure of AMD, with a focus on the two gene regions most commonly and strongly associated with this disease, CFH-CFHR5 on chromosome 1q32 and ARMS2/HTRA1 on chromosome 10q26
He also seeks to identify genetic variants that drive AMD onset and progression as opposed to genetic polymorphisms that only modulate phenotypes
Part of Dr Zouache’s research involves developing novel frameworks combining laboratory-based techniques and mathematical models to characterize the exchange of material between the RPE and the choriocapillaris This work has dramatically improved our understanding of mass transfers between the retina and choroid and retinal homeostasis in health, aging, and disease.
Select Publication Highlights:
Levels of the Factor H-related 4 Protein Do Not Influence Susceptibility to Age-related Macular
Degeneration or its Course of Progression. Zouache MA, Richards BT, Pappas CM, Anstadt RA, Liu J, Corsetti T, Matthews S, Seager NA, Schmitz-Valckenberg S, Fleckenstein M, Hubbard WC, Thomas J, Hageman JL, Williams BL , Hageman GS. Nat Commun. 2024 Jan 10;15(1):443.
The Vascular Geometry of the Choriocapillaris is Associated with Spatially Heterogeneous Molecular Exchange with the Outer Retina Faust CD, Klettner CA, Toso M, Hageman GS, Eames I, Luthert PJ, Zouache MA J Physiol 2024 Apr;602(7):1273-1295
Variability in Retinal Neuron Populations and Associated Variations in Mass Transport Systems of the Retina in Health and Aging Zouache MA Front Aging Neurosci 2022 Feb 25;14:778404
ADJUNCT FACULTY
INTERNAL | UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
Brittany Coats, PhD
Karen Curtin, PhD, MStat
Jungkyu Kim, PhD
Kristen Kwan, PhD
Jon Rainier, PhD
Jason Shepherd, PhD
Monica Vetter, PhD
EXTERNAL | SCTM
Catherine Bowes Rickman, PhD
Victor Chong, MD
Anne Fung, MD
Eugene de Juan, MD
Anat Loewenstein, MD
Philip Luthert, MBBS, FRCP, FRCPath, FRCOphth
Jordi Monés, MD, PhD
Debra Schaumberg, ScD, OD, MPH
William Daniel Stamer, PhD
Omer Trivizki, MD
Larry A. Wheeler, PhD
EXTERNAL
Paul Bressloff, PhD
Margaret DeAngelis, PhD
Ticiana de Francesco Figueiredo, MD
Eduardo Fernandez, MD, PhD
Werner Gellermann, PhD
Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD
Wen Fan Hu, MD, PhD
Ariana Levin, MD
Matthew B. Schlenker, MD
Arsham Sheybani, MD
Barry Willardson, PhD
Lloyd Williams, MD, PhD
PROFESSORS EMERITUS
Wolfgang Baehr, PhD
Professor (Emeritus), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah
Specialties:
Donnell J. Creel, PhD
Research Professor (Emeritus), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah
Specialty:
Membrane protein transport in photoreceptors and mouse models for inherited retinal disease; photoreceptor biochemistry; molecular and cell biology. Electrophysiology
Jeanne M. Frederick, PhD
Associate Professor (Emerita), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah
Specialties:
Retinal cell and molecular biology
Helga E. T. Kolb, PhD
Professor (Emerita), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah
Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, Spain
Editor, webvision med utah edu
Specialty:
Retinal anatomy.
Robert E. Marc, PhD
Distinguished Professor (Emeritus), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah
MarcLab for Connectomics
Specialties:
Retinal neurotransmission and networks; retinal degenerations; metabolomics
Richard A. Normann, PhD
Professor (Emeritus), Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering, University of Utah
Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, Spain
