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
 
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Erik Ullian, PhD

Professor

 

Synapse Formation and Function in the Visual System

Dr. Ullian, Professor of Ophthalmology, studies molecular mechanisms that regulate synapse formation and function in the visual system. He has used cell culture systems to screen for genes and small RNAs that impact synaptic transmission. His laboratory has identified the miRNA pathway as an important regulator of a variety of neuronal and synaptic processes relevant to visual system development. The Ullian lab is also studying the interactions between neurons and glia that are required for proper development and function of the nervous system. He is developing astrocyte, neuron, and microglial 3D organoids to model key aspects of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, Dr. Ullian has mentored K awardees, including Dr. Yvonne Ou. Scholars who are interested in the interactions of neurons and glia in the visual system will be interested in the Ullian lab.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/erik.ullian
https://ullianlab.ucsf.edu/

 

Research Areas:

Visual System Development, Retina or Retinal Diseases, Stem Cell Research
 
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Deepak A. Lamba, M.B.B.S., Ph.D.

Associate Professor

 

Retinal Repair Following Inherited and Age-Associated Degeneration

Dr. Lamba leads an NIH-funded laboratory focused on using human stem cells for retinal repair following inherited and age-associated degeneration. He utilizes stem cell technologies to generate disease-in-a-dish models or for cell replacement. The key research interests include (1) exploring the potential and challenges in retinal cell replacement therapies esp. the role of the tissue microenvironment and (2) developing stem-cell based model systems to understand various human retinal degenerations and identifying new therapeutic avenues including genome editing technologies like CRISPR. Dr. Lamba is a natural collaborator with clinician-scientists and since joining the Department in 2018 he has established collaborations with Drs. Jacque Duncan and Tony Moore. Dr. Lamba has mentored numerous pre- and postdoctorates and is also a member of the education committee. His group will provide opportunities for Scholars interested in harnessing the power of novel stem cell technologies to clinical problems especially retinal degenerations.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/deepak.lamba
http://lambalab.ucsf.edu
https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/lambalab/

 

Research Areas:

Gene Therapy, Retinitis Pigmentosa or Retinal Degenerations, Stem Cell Research, Leber Congenital Amaurosis, Retinal Development, Pluripotent stem cells, Cell replacement
 
 
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Bruce R. Conklin, MD

Professor

 

Therapeutic Approaches to Genetic Disease

Dr. Conklin uses induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, both from patients and engineered to have particular mutations to model human disease. His lab is developing new genome engineering methods in human iPS cells to identify therapeutic targets in cardiac, motor neuron and retinal diseases. Trainees will utilize CRISRP technology for therapeutic genome editing, then test the effect of genome editing in diseases modeled in iPS cells. The combination of human iPS cells and genome editing provide unprecedented opportunities to explore new areas of biology and discover new therapies for disease. Dr. Conklin has mentored many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the lab. He has on-going collaborations with Dr. Shen that has led to a publication in Nat Genetics 2019 and Dr. Lakkaraju studying water transport across the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE), as a functional measure of gene correction in Best’s disease. Scholars interested in the use of state-of-the-art therapeutic genome editing strategies and stem cell biology will find opportunities in Dr. Conklin’s lab.

 

To Learn More:

https://profiles.ucsf.edu/bruce.conklin
https://labs.gladstone.org/conklin/
https://ucsfhealthcardiology.ucsf.edu/people/bruce-conklin
 

Research Areas:

Gene Research, Gene Therapy, Stem Cell Research
 
Learn more about UCSF Ophthalmology faculty research.

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