Research Interests

  • The role of the innate immune system in regulating pathologic angiogenesis
  • The effects of senescence on macrophage gene regulation
  • Oxidative stress, inflammation and the regulation of cell death in models of macular degeneration
  • Regulation of photoreceptor cell death by inflammation
  • The role of innate immune cells in aging and disease
  • Molecular regulation of uveitis
  • The role of microRNAs in aging and age-related eye pathologies
  • Molecular mechanisms in retinal microglia contributing to eye pathologies
Current Projects

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Lab News

10/21/22: New publication in collaboration with Edelson lab is available  from Science Immunology:  “The ZFP36 family of RNA binding proteins regulates homeostatic and autoreactive T cell responses”

10/14/22: Congratulations to MSTP graduate student, Zelun Wang, for receiving the Thach Award in Neuroscience for his talk entitled “Energetic Diversity of Retinal Ganglion Cells and Implications for Neurodegeneration” at the 2022 Neuro Retreat!

9/9/22: Congratulations,  MCB graduate student Jason Colasanti, on being awarded for Best Poster at the 2022 DOVS Departmental Retreat!

9/6/22: Welcome DBBS graduate student Yoon Lee who is starting her first lab rotation!

 

News Archive

Current Projects:

  • Investigating the mechanisms underlying photoreceptor cell death in models of retinal disease
  • Investigating the role of the innate immune system in regulating angiogenesis
  • Analyzing the macrophage transcriptome and its effects on aging
  • Examining the mechanisms responsible for changes in macrophage cell metabolism that may contribute to blinding diseases of the eye
  • Using tissue specific deletion of soluble and membrane expressed molecular activators of myeloid cell function in order to define the role of these cells in regulating post-developmental angiogenesis and retinal photoreceptor cell demise
  • Elucidating the role of resident microglia in retinal pathologies
  • Examining circadian rhythm in retinal immune cells
  • Studying the role of senescence and physiologic aging and their contribution to age-associated eye diseases