A smiling man in a white coat and blue shirt.

Luciano C. Greig, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

 

Retinal Development and Regeneration

The Greig lab investigates genetic regulation of cell identity acquisition in the retina to inform development of stem cell therapies for currently irreversible causes of vision loss. The retina is a complex brain structure comprised of over 50 neuron types that are tasked with detecting light and processing this raw input to begin extracting visual information. We are interested in understanding how gene regulatory networks direct neural progenitors to generate these diverse classes and subtypes of retinal neurons, and how these neurons assemble into functional neural circuits. Our second goal is to formulate therapeutic strategies to repair retinal pathology by applying these basic developmental biology insights. In particular, we aim to reprogram Müller glia into replacement retinal ganglion cells or photoreceptors. As an additional area of interest, we focus on technology development, with a particular emphasis on genetic analysis and manipulation in mice. Currently, we are developing new methods for 1) mosaic analysis to facilitate phenotypic analysis of gene function at the cellular level and for 2) tracking cells during identity reprogramming experiments to detect instances of cell fusion, material transfer, or aberrant promoter activity.

 

To Learn More:

 

Research Areas:

Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Degeneration, Myopia, Retina or Retinal Diseases, Stem Cell Research, Visual System Development, Retina Regeneration
 
Learn more about UCSF Ophthalmology faculty research.

faculty_member_for_postgrids /
A smiling man in a suit with short gray hair.

Eugene De Juan, MD

Professor

 

Renowned Retina Specialist, Surgeon and Inventor

Dr. de Juan is a renowned retina specialist and surgeon. His research focuses on medical and surgical treatments for ocular disorders, including advances in ocular drug delivery and drug delivery techniques for age-related macular degeneration. Dr. De Juan holds more than 100 patents for novel surgical devices.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/eugene.dejuan

 

Research Areas:

Macular Degeneration, Retina or Retinal Diseases
 
Learn more about UCSF Ophthalmology faculty research.

faculty_member_for_postgrids /
A smiling man in a suit with a tie.

Dan Schwartz, MD

Professor

 

Devices and Technologies that Address Unmet Needs in Ophthalmology

Dr. Schwartz, Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Retina service, is a vitreoretinal surgeon whose research has focused on the development devices and technologies that address unmet needs in ophthalmology. In collaboration with Caltech, he co-invented and helped develop a light-adjustable intraocular lens material that can be used to calibrate residual refractive error after cataract surgery (FDA approvedin 2017) He also co-invented and helped develop OCT angiography as a non-invasive and superior alternative to fluorescein angiography. Current work includes the development of light adjustable materials that can be used to modify scleral biomechanics so as to retard myopia development. Dr. Schwartz has mentored many medical students, residents, and fellows, and has provided research mentorship to over 18 postdoctoral fellows.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/dan.schwartz

 

Research Areas:

Retina or Retinal Diseases, Macular Degeneration, Myopia
 
Learn more about UCSF Ophthalmology faculty research.

faculty_member_for_postgrids /
A man smiling in a formal shirt and tie.

Bob Bhisitkul, MD, PhD

Professor

 

Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatment and New Retinal Therapies

Dr. Bhisitkul, Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Retina Fellowship, is a vitreoretinal specialist who in collaboration with UCSF’s bioengineering group has developed a novel thin-film drug delivery system that can produce long term zero order kinetics through regulating pore sizes at nanoscale. This is now being tested <em>in vivo</em> for delivery of anti-VEGF agents. In addition to his bioengineering projects, he directed the SEVEN-UP cohort study of long-term outcomes in age-related macular degeneration treatment and is an investigator in major clinical trials of new retinal therapies. As Director of the Retina Fellowship, Dr. Bhisitkul has mentored many clinical fellows as well as research fellows. Scholars interested in ocular drug delivery and clinical trials will be interested in the Bhisitkul lab.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/bob.bhisitkul

 

Research Areas:

Macular Degeneration, Retina or Retinal Diseases
 
 
Learn more about UCSF Ophthalmology faculty research.

faculty_member_for_postgrids /
A person smiling with long black hair wearing a blue patterned shirt.

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
 
Learn more about UCSF Ophthalmology faculty research.

faculty_member_for_postgrids /
Smiling woman with blonde hair in a black blazer.

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
 
Learn more about UCSF Ophthalmology faculty research.

faculty_member_for_postgrids /