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.
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 gene expression of the macrophage transcriptome and the effects of 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
- Studying the role of senescence and physiologic aging and their contribution to age-associated eye diseases