Aparna Lakkaraju, PhD

Professor

 

Effective Therapies for Inherited and Age-Related Macular Degenerations

Research in the Lakkaraju laboratory builds on fundamental insights from retinal cell biology to develop effective therapies for inherited and age-related macular degenerations (AMD). These diseases destroy central high-resolution vision in over 30 million people globally and have limited therapeutic options. We study the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which performs numerous functions indispensable for vision, and is a key site of injury in macular degenerations. Current areas of research focus include: 1. Autophagy and extracellular vesicles in the RPE; 2.Mitochondrial dynamics, metabolic stress and inflammation in the retina; 3. The role of complement activation in AMD; 4. Biophysical approaches to understanding the genetic basis of AMD; and 5. Novel drug targets for macular degenerations. Using advanced live imaging of the RPE and retina, we recently identified promising FDA-approved drugs that can be repositioned to treat macular degenerations.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/aparna.lakkaraju
https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/lakkarajulab/

 

Research Areas:

Macular Degeneration, Retina or Retinal Diseases
 
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Jonathan C. Horton M.D., Ph.D.

Professor

 

Neural Mechanisms Underlying Visual Loss

Jonathan C. Horton MD PhD specializes in pediatric ophthalmology, strabismus, treatment of double vision, and neuro-ophthalmology. He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, where he also received a PhD in Neurobiology in the laboratory of Nobel prize winners David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel. He did a medical internship and a year of neurology residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by ophthalmology residency at Georgetown University. Horton completed fellowships in neuro-ophthalmology and pediatric ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco. He is now Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Physiology, and a member of the Program in Neuroscience. His research interests fall into three broad categories: 1) clinical neuro-ophthalmology and pediatric ophthalmology, inquiring into the features, causes, and treatment of disorders that impair vision; 2) physiology and anatomy of the primate visual system, using knowledge acquired from NIH-funded laboratory experiments in monkeys to understand how the brain mediates perception; 3) strabismus, elucidating the neural mechanisms of visual suppression, amblyopia, and eye movement control in subjects with ocular misalignment. Horton is the recipient of the Troutman-Véronneau Prize, Bressler Prize in Vision Science, Alcon Research Award, and the Osler Distinguished Teaching Award from the UCSF Class of 2011.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/jonathan.horton
https://hortonlab.ucsf.edu

 

Research Areas:

Amblyopia Strabismus or Eye Movement Disorders, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Pediatric, Exotropia, Visual suppression, Central visual pathways
 
 
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Jacque Duncan, MD

Professor

 

High resolution retinal imaging in inherited retinal degeneration

Dr. Duncan, Professor of Ophthalmology, leads an NIH-funded translational vision science laboratory focused on adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) imaging of human photoreceptors to discover mechanisms of cone death in inherited retinal degenerations. In addition, Dr. Duncan’s group is studying changes in cone structure and function during disease progression and testing the efficacy of treatments that aim to slow progression. Along with her collaborator Austin Roorda, PhD (UC Berkeley), they reported the first studies of cone structure during disease progression and in response to an experimental treatment. Dr. Duncan is also Co-PI with Joseph Carroll, PhD (Medical College of Wisconsin) on an NEI-funded Audacious Goals Initiatives proposal that will develop cone-dominant retinal disease models as a resource for translational vision research. Dr. Duncan’s group will characterize photoreceptor structure and function in patients with cone-rod dystrophy. In addition, Dr. Duncan is the Chair of the Foundation Fighting Blindness Consortium Executive Committee. She is the study chair of a natural history study examining the rate of retinal degeneration due to mutations in the USH2a gene (the RUSH2A study). She also serves as principal investigator on a number of clinical trials of treatments and natural history of disease progression in inherited retinal degenerations including retinitis pigmentosa and Usher syndrome.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/jacque.duncan


 

Research Areas:

Retina or Retinal Diseases, Retinitis Pigmentosa or Retinal Degenerations, Macular Degeneration, Adaptive optics, Retinal imaging
 
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Matilda Chan, MD, PhD

Associate Professor

 

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Corneal Injury, Inflammation, and Repair

Dr. Chan, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, is a cornea clinician-scientist interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying corneal injury, inflammation, and repair. Dr. Chan’s R01 is focused on the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in modulating various aspects of corneal repair after injury including inflammation, neovascularization, and fibrosis. She is also studying the epigenetic and genetic alterations underlying Fuch’s endothelial cell dystrophy (FECD), specifically the role of DNA methylation as a mechanism for silencing genes during disease pathogenesis. In collaboration with Jason Gestwicki (UCSF), her group is using high throughput screening to identify compounds for the treatment of FECD. Dr. Chan has mentored undergraduates, medical students, postdoctoral fellows, residents, and clinical fellows. The Chan lab would provide opportunities for Scholars interested in the role of extracellular matrix in ocular disease, epigenetics, and translational vision science.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/matilda.chan


 

Research Areas:

Cornea, Matrix Metalloproteinases, Infectious Diseases
 
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Travis Porco, PhD, MPH

Professor

 

Trachoma, Ebola Virus Disease, Measles, and Other Communicable Diseases, Infodemiology Using Social Media

Dr. Porco, Professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Ophthalmology, is a mathematical epidemiologist and biostatistician who has contributed to projects involving trachoma, Ebola virus disease, measles, and other communicable diseases. He has been the biostatistician for numerous NEI RCTs, including MUTT I and II, SCUT II, TANA I and II, SWIFT, FAST, ADJUST, and KETFO, and multiple BMGF trials including PRET-Niger, MORDOR I and II, NAITRE, CHAT, and CHATON. He is multiple PI on the NEI Trachoma Forecasting grant, and PI on an NIH EBOLA forecasting grant. He has been co-Investigator on NIH and other grants using search, social media, mobile health, deep learning, digital surveillance, and large clinical registry datasets to remotely study infectious, inflammatory, pediatric, and age-related eye conditions. His team has found significant correlations of social media data (Twitter, Google Search, Wikipedia) with clinically validated seasonality of eye disease and with detection of worldwide ocular epidemics. They have studied the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global eye health and on other communicable disease, using search and social media. They have begun using LLMs of social media text to validate reported disease. They also have recently begun use of targeted social media campaigns to identify and recruit study subjects for interactive components of their digital surveillance studies. Dr. Porco has considerable experience in mentoring residents and research fellows in study design, having a hand in most of the resident and fellow research projects over the last ten years. Scholars interested in mathematical modeling and biostatistics may identify Dr. Porco as a Mentor.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/travis.porco


 

Research Areas:

Infectious Diseases, Cornea, Epidemiology
 
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Thomas Lietman, MD

Professor

 

Trachoma, Childhood Mortality, and Corneal Ulcer Treatment and Prevention

Dr. Lietman is the Ruth Lee and Phillips Thygeson Distinguished Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, and the Director of the Francis I. Proctor Foundation. His research group has considerable experience with individual and community-randomized trials of trachoma, childhood mortality, and corneal ulcer treatment and prevention. He has served as the PI on a number of NIH-funded clinical trials: the Steroids for Corneal Ulcer Trial, the two Mycotic Ulcer Treatment Trials, the two Trachoma Amelioration in Northern Amhara studies, and the Village Integrated Eye Worker trial (in Nepal). He is multiple PI on the Ethiopian trachoma trial KETFO and on the ongoing SCUT II corneal ulcer trial. In addition, he was the overall PI on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded MORDOR I study and for the MORDOR II studies (Niger and Burkina Faso), as well as the AVENIR planning grant (Niger). He ran the Niger arm of the BMGF-funded PRET trachoma study, and has worked on the BMGF-funded Neglected Tropical Disease modeling consortium. Recently, he has explored big data for infectious disease, including two NEI projects: the Digital Disease Detection grant and the Forecasting Trachoma grant.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/thomas.lietman


 

Research Areas:

Trachoma, Cornea, Infectious Diseases
 
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Douglas Gould, PhD

Professor

 

Studying the biological functions of the extracellular matrix and its role in human disease

Our broad mission is to understand the biological functions of a specialized extracellular matrix structure called the Basement Membrane.

Our primary focus is a multi-system disorder that is caused by mutations in the genes encoding type IV collagen alpha 1 (COL4A1) and COL4A2.

Our goal is to understand the tissue-specific molecular mechanisms that underlie this syndrome and develop mechanism-based therapies that can prevent, reduce or delay disease in patients.

The Gould lab uses translational genetics to study the role that extracellular matrix proteins play in a multisystem connective tissue disorder caused by mutations in type IV collagens. Individuals with mutations in type IV collagen alpha 1 (COL4A1) or alpha 2 (COL4A2) often have a complex syndrome presenting with cerebrovascular, ocular, renal and muscular manifestations. Approximately one-third of these individuals have developmental defects of the eye leading to impaired vision or early onset glaucoma. The Gould lab uses genetic models to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying pathology in each organ that might represent therapeutic targets to prevent, reduce, or delay disease. Dr. Gould is the Director and Vice Chair for research and is dedicated trainee advocate and mentor with a commitment to inclusivity. The Gould lab provides research opportunities for Scholars interested in state-of-the-art genetic approaches, extracellular matrix biology, cell biology, physiology, biochemistry and advanced imaging.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/douglas.gould


 

Research Areas:

Glaucoma, Retina or Retinal Diseases, Gene Research
 
 
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