research

Photochemical Restoration of Vision in Outer Retinal Degeneration

My lab works on vision restoration in outer retinal degeneration. Diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa cause progressive, irreversible loss of photoreceptors and the visual experiences they support, but the inner retina downstream of them often remains structurally intact. Our work centers on photopharmacology: light-activated small molecules delivered by intravitreal injection that bind to cells in the surviving retina and restore their sensitivity to light. We use whole-cell patch clamp and multi-electrode array recordings, combined with machine-learning analysis of population responses, to ask how photoswitch-treated retinas encode visual information at the level of single neurons and across populations of ganglion cells, and how that encoding compares to native vision. In collaboration with the Trauner group at the University of Pennsylvania, we develop and characterize novel photoswitches and dissect the structure–function relationships that govern their ability to restore sight. As a practicing vitreoretinal surgeon, I also participate in clinical trials of these therapies; the long-term goal of the lab is to translate this circuit-level understanding into treatments that recover meaningful vision and can be delivered in an outpatient setting.