We are thrilled to announce the publication of a groundbreaking study titled “LXR/CD38 Activation Drives Cholesterol-Induced Macrophage Senescence and Neurodegeneration via NAD+ Depletion“, authored by Ryo Terao, MD, PhD; Mitsukuni Yoshida, MD, PhD; Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD; and colleagues from the Apte Lab. In this study, our researchers unveil critical molecular mechanisms linking dysregulated cholesterol […]
We are thrilled to announce Charles Pfeifer as the distinguished recipient of the highly acclaimed 2024 Dr. Philip Needleman Pharmacology Award. This honor is bestowed upon a graduating student who has exhibited exceptional accomplishments in the field of Pharmacology. Founded in 1991 by Ms. Sima Needleman in tribute to her husband’s unwavering dedication to scholarship […]
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a prevalent eye disease that affects millions of individuals aged 60 and older. Understanding the pathogenesis and developing effective treatments for this condition is crucial. In honor of Dr. Roger H. Johnson, an accomplished ophthalmologist and his dedication to advancing AMD research, the Roger H. Johnson Award was established. This […]
Apply Now for the Winston Fellow Award for Postdoctoral Fellows The Winston Fellow Award Program recognizes outstanding contributions to vision science. The ITVS Pathway overcomes boundaries between disciplines to develop a unique set of basic science, translational and professional skills that will position students to produce transformative breakthroughs in vision science. Students enrolled in the […]
We are thrilled to share with you a remarkable article titled “Retinal Detachment: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options” co-authored by Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD. This enlightening study, published in the renowned journal Nature, explores the intricate details of retinal detachment, providing valuable insights into its causes, diagnosis methods, and available treatment options. In this […]
We are excited to announce that Dr. Margaret Reynolds, a distinguished pediatric ophthalmologist at Washington University in St. Louis, has recently been awarded a grant from the Autism Science Foundation. This one-year grant, starting on February 1st, 2024, aims to explore the potential benefits of vision correction through refractive surgery for children with profound autism. […]
Dr. Margaret M. Reynolds, a renowned researcher at Washington University, has recently been awarded an internal CTRFP grant titled “Phenotype After Refractive Surgery for Autism Spectrum Disorder.” This grant aims to support innovative research projects that can translate scientific discoveries into tangible improvements in human health. The grant, administered by the Institute of Clinical and […]
Precise and targeted healthcare interventions are invaluable in ensuring better outcomes for patients. Investing in innovative research to uncover biomarkers and personalized treatment approaches is at the heart of precision health. In this regard, we are pleased to highlight Dr. Walsh‘s recent achievement of receiving an internal grant from the ICTS – Precision Health Innovation […]
Graduate student Tim Lee from the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS), working in collaboration with the Apte Lab, has published a new paper revealing a significant discovery in the realm of photoreceptor dysfunction. The research, titled “Identification of IMPDH as a Therapeutically Modifiable Target of AMP Kinase in Rod Photoreceptors,” sheds light on […]
Congratulations to MSTP Student Joseph Lin on Collaborative Breakthrough Publication in Cell Reports Medicine: Targeting cell-type-specific, choroid-peripheral immune signaling to treat age-related macular degeneration The Apte Lab is proud to announce the groundbreaking collaborative research publication by MSTP student Joseph Lin and the Ruzycki Lab. The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, addresses age-related macular […]
Congratulations to Dr. Mitsukuni Yoshida from the Apte lab, who has been chosen by the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) as an Emerging-Generation (E-Gen) Awardee. The ASCI acknowledges post-MD, pre-faculty appointment physician-scientists actively involved in immersive research, providing them with access to the ASCI joint meeting and longitudinal programming over a 2-year period. Mitsu […]
Viviana Barquet, MD selected for The TGF (sponsored by Patricia Hill) / RPB Fellowship in Glaucoma In a collaboration, The Glaucoma Foundation (TGF) and Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) have joined forces to champion diversity and innovation in the field of glaucoma research. This strategic partnership has selected Viviana Barquet, MD, as one of the […]
Research led by Apte is the focus of a $15 million pledge from philanthropist Jeffrey T. Fort, to accelerate research and develop new treatments for diseases that cause vision loss.
We are thrilled to announce that Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD has recently been awarded a $300,000 Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB)/American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF) Catalyst Award for Innovative Research Approaches for AMD. This prestigious award serves as a testament to Dr. Apte’s commitment to advancing knowledge in the field of ophthalmology, particularly in the […]
In the ever-evolving realm of medical research, breakthroughs often emerge from the synergy of passion, intellect, and mentorship. One such promising endeavor is underway in the Chen and Rajagopal Labs, where Isabella Gomes is set to embark on a groundbreaking journey! Gomes, the recent recipient of the Research to Prevent Blindness/Janssen Medical Student Eye Research […]
Congratulations Dr. Apte! Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD, Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences received an award from the Carl Marshall & Mildred Almen Reeves Foundation entitled ‘Cross-tissue Receptor Ligand Interactions to Identify Novel Targets in Neovascular AMD’. This grant will be used to fund studies that help us identify novel therapeutic targets […]
Congratulations Dr. Ferguson! Dr. Ferguson recently received a sub award from a R01 that Dr. Vladimir Kefalov at the university of California, Irvine received entitled “Modulation of cone photoreceptor function by autophagy”. Autophagy is an intracellular process that supports cell survival through the recycling of macromolecular complexes by the removal of nonfunctional and potentially toxic […]
Diabetic retinopathy, a major concern for individuals with diabetes, has long been associated with the risk of vision loss and blindness. This condition, driven in part by the actions of retinal immune cells known as microglia, takes a significant toll on those it affects. In a groundbreaking publication, Charles Pfeifer, PhD, from the laboratory of […]
Congratulations Dr. Siegfried! Carla Siegfried, MD, Jacquelyn E. and Allan E. Kolker, MD, Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences received a new NIH RO1 Grant entitled ‘Racial disparities of open-angle glaucoma: A study of mitochondria and oxidative stress in human trabecular meshwork’. Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness worldwide and frequent cause of visual […]
Thank you for everything that you do! We would like to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work and impressive accomplishments of our postdoctoral appointees at Washington University. The contributions of our postdocs are an integral part of the world-class education and research at Washington University. Their energy and talent are vital to our thriving and […]
Congratulations to Charles Pfeifer on successfully defending your thesis! You have worked hard to achieve this significant milestone in your academic career.
Studying mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that proteins made by stem cells to help regenerate the cornea may become new targets for treating and preventing injuries to the cornea related to dry eye disease.
The Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences has been granted an Unrestricted Grant by Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) in the amount of $115,000 a year to support eye research conducted by the Department of Ophthalmology. This funding has been awarded based on […]
Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) is pleased to announce that Takeshi Yoshimatsu, PhD, of the Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine has been granted a $350,000 RPB Career Development Award to support eye research. The support is provided over a four-year period. The RPB Career Development Award was established in 1990 to support […]
Congratulations to Sean McCracken, winner of the Inaugural Winston Fellow Competition. Sean McCracken from the Williams Lab presented “Diversity in homeostatic calcium set points predicts retinal ganglion cell survival following optic nerve injury in vivo” In December 2022, David (A&S ‘74) and Deborah Winston made a generous gift to establish the Winston Fellow Award in […]
Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD Presentation “Laser Therapy/Surgery” Jason Colasanti Poster “C0352: MiR-34a promotes choroidal neovascularization through modulating the KLF2/CXCR4 axis” Isabella Gomes Poster “C0448: Phenotypic heterogeneity in a family with a late Cone-Rod Homeobox truncation mutation” Mae Gordon, PhD Presentation “How to minimize bias”Poster “B0166: Prediction model of visual field progression in the Ocular Hypertension […]
A noninvasive test may screen for disease before symptoms begin. Dr. Van Stavern is using retinal imaging as a window to the brain to develop a more accessible and affordable screening tool for Alzheimer’s disease that could become part of a routine eye exam. The retina and central nervous system are so interconnected that changes in […]
I am a new research faculty in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, started last November. My research aims to uncover the molecular and cellular basis of the regional specializations in the retina and understand why certain retinal diseases cause degeneration in specific regions such as age-related macular degeneration in the central eye and […]
Gene therapy has been used in clinical trials to treat several types of inherited retinal degenerative diseases. Dr. Shiming Chen’s Lab aims to overcome the limitations of the current gene therapy technology by developing a new strategy called “tunable gene therapy” that has the ability to target diseases linked to mutations. The tunable gene therapy strategy […]
Joseph Lin, MTSP Student in the Apte Lab has received the 2023 National Eye Institute (NEI) ARVO Travel Grant. This awarded travel grant in the amount of $750, will cover Joseph’s meeting registration and provide partial travel support to attend and present at the ARVO 2023 Annual Meeting which will be held April23-27 in New […]
Congratulations! Steven Bassnett, PhD, Grace Nelson Lacy Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science on the renewal of the R01 grant entitled “Structural, Mechanical, and Cell Biological Properties of the Ciliary Zonule.” (grant ID R01EY029130). The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. The R01 provides support […]
Congratulations! Andrew Huang , MD, MPH, Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, on receiving a grant from Mid-America Transplant through a collaboration with CryoCrate entitled “Establishment of the First Limbal Tissue Bank in the World Based on a First-in-Class Biocompatible Cryopreservation Technology.” The Mid-America Transplant Foundation provides grants and scholarships to community organizations and students working to improve donation […]
Joseph Lin, MSTP Student in the Apte Lab has just published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) entitled “Dry Eye Disease in Mice Activates Adaptive Corneal Epithelial Regeneration Distinct from Constitutive Renewal in Homeostasis” Joseph, along with additional faculty members of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences discuss […]
Please welcome, Takeshi Yoshimatsu, PhD, to the DOVS Research Faculty team as the new Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Dr. Yoshimatsu who joined our team on November 14, 2022 has a MSc and PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan, as well as Postdoctoral Training in Neuroscience. Additional academic training includes: […]
Congratulations to Zelun Wang, MSTP MD/PhD student from the Apte Lab; and co-mentored by Dr. Philip Williams, on receiving the Thach Award in Neuroscience for his Short Talk entitled “Energetic Diversity of Retinal Ganglion Cells and Implications for Neurodegeneration” The Tom Thach Award was initiated in 2014 to honor the contributions to science and the […]
Congratulations! Thomas Ferguson, PhD Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, on receiving a new four year R01 Grant from NEI for his research entitled “Immune Privilege, Müller cells, and Autophagy.” The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. The R01 provides support for the health-related research and development based on the […]
Congratulations! Rithwick Rajagopal, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Director of Clinical COVID Preparedness, on receiving a new five year R01 Grant from NEI for his research entitled “Modulating Retinal Lipid Biogenesis in Diabetes for Therapeutic Effects.” The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. […]
WashU Visionaries Congratulations! to the WashU Visionaries, headed by Philip Ruzycki, PhD and Liam McCoy (research tech, DOVS) on their very first entry into the 2022 MindsEye Ultimate BeepBall Tournament, that was held in Fenton Park on June 25, 2022. BeepBall is a spin on baseball where everyone is blindfolded except the pitcher and catcher. […]
Congratulations! Philip Williams, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences on receiving his first R01 Grant from NEI for his research entitled “Resilient Identifying and Leveraging Strategies of Inherently Resilient Retinal Neurons to Treat Degeneration” The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. The R01 provides support […]
Congratulations! Lynn Hassman, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences on receiving a K08 Grant from NEI for her research entitled “Resolution of Ocular Inflammation: The Role of Type 1 Conventional Dendritic Cells.” The K08 is a special award for individuals who have a clinical doctoral degree to provide support and protected time to […]
Congratulations to Chas Pfeifer, research trainee in the Apte Lab, on receiving the “2022 Cora Verhagen Award” for best poster or paper presented by a graduate student or post-doctoral fellow in an immunology-sponsored session at the ARVO annual meeting. Both Chas and Dr. Apte will be attending the 2023 ARVO conference next year in New […]
The 2022 RPB Career Development Award Recipient Philip Ruzycki, PhD has been granted the prestigious Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Career Development Award to support eye research. The RPB Career Development Award was established in 1960 and is given to support the independent pursuits of promising early career scientists or clinician scientists in their research […]
Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Kerschensteiner, who has received the Cogan Award of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). The annual award recognizes a researcher age 45 or younger who has made important research contributions in ophthalmology and visual science that are directly related to disorders of the human eye or visual system, […]
Bernard Becker Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Daniel Kerschensteiner, MD has been appointed the new Bernard Becker Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. This scholarship is in acknowledgement for the outstanding leadership he has brought to our department as well as to the fields of neuroscience and the visual sciences
Dr. Bernard and Janet R. Becker Distinguished Professor in Ophthalmology Shiming Chen, PhD has been awarded the Dr. Bernard and Janet R. Becker Endowment for Distinguished Professor in Ophthalmology. This endowment, is in acknowledgement for her outstanding work in the field of Ophthalmology, especially in the area of the Molecular Basis of Retinal Gene Expression.
Grace Nelson Lacy Distinguished Professorship Steven Bassnett, PhD has been appointed the Inaugural Grace Nelson Lacy Distinguished Professor in Ophthalmology. This Scholarship is in acknowledgement of the outstanding work that Dr. Bassnett has contributed to the field of Ophthalmology, and most recently in the field of glaucoma over the past 30 years. This endowment was […]
Andrea Santeford, MS, Research Laboratory Supervisor in the Dr. Apte’s Lab, has led the effort on a paper published in eLife on August 23, 2021. The paper is supported by an NIH grant awarded to the Apte Lab. Age-related inflammation, also known as inflammaging, is a leading driver of multiple aging-related diseases. Andrea Santeford and […]
Joseph Lin, MSTP MD/PhD student in Dr. Apte’s Lab has been awarded a F30 grant for his project entitled “Role of Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 2 in Macrophage-mediated Antimicrobal Immunity”
Congratulations to Dr. Shiming Chen, who has been awarded a prestigious RPB Stein Innovation Award from the Research to Prevent Blindness. This award provides flexible funding to scientists actively engaged in research with the goal of understanding the visual system and the diseases that compromise its function, with a focus on new technologies and cutting-edge […]
The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Washington University seeks an innovative and motivated individual to join our Research Faculty Full-time tenure-track academic appointment (Assistant Professor) This position will focus on research with minimal teaching or administrative obligations The qualified applicant will demonstrate: An outstanding record of research accomplishments Exciting future basic and/or translational […]