WashU Medicine physicians describe a rare cause of secondary glaucoma tied to amyloid protein deposits inside the eye Physicians from the WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences recently published a new case report describing a rare cause of glaucoma that was difficult to diagnose using standard clinical exams. The […]
Researchers are learning that the eye may offer important clues about brain health, especially in people with retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy and systemic manifestations (RVCL-S) In this study, led by medical student Henok Getahun, working in the Apte lab at WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, participants with […]
Study identifies critical role of epigenetic regulation in rod photoreceptor specification Ismael Hernández-Núñez, PhD, researcher in the Clark lab at WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, and his laboratory recently published “Active DNA demethylation upstream of rod-photoreceptor fate determination is required for retinal development”. The study uncovers how changes […]
St. Louis, MO – September 10, 2025 – WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences is spotlighting advances in corneal regeneration, offering new hope for patients living with vision impairment due to corneal scars and opacities. Corneal scars and opacities—often caused by trauma, infection, or chemical injury—are a leading cause […]
We are excited to announce that Takeshi Yoshimatsu, PhD has received his first R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)! This prestigious five-year grant, which began on July 1, 2025, will support groundbreaking research titled: “Visual Feature Competition Between Central and Peripheral Retinal Pathways.” Why This Research Matters “Eye fixation is a critical […]
Autophagy Regulates Müller Glial Cell Inflammatory Activation A new study published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science highlights the critical role of autophagy—the body’s process of recycling proteins—in regulating inflammation within the retina. The research, led by Thomas Ferguson, PhD, and Philip Ruzycki, PhD, from the John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual […]
St. Louis, MO — August 27, 2025 — Researchers at the WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences in collaboration with the Department of Neurology have published new findings on the effects of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulation on the human retina. The study, led by the Apte Lab and published […]
We’re excited to share a new publication from Josh Morgan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, titled “Alternative to the statistical mass confusion of testing for ‘no effect’”, published in the July 2025 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology. Morgan’s work challenges the traditional reliance on P values to determine whether an effect exists. While P […]
AUGUST 2025 – ST. LOUIS, MO — Brian Clark, PhD Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and colleagues have published a new study titled “Single-cell transcriptomics of ventral forebrain progenitors identifies Evf2 enhancer lncRNA–enhancer gene guidance through direct RNA binding and RNP recruitment domains”. This work provides new insights into how long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) […]
A Novel Insight Into Eye Immunity and Circadian Biology Charles Pfeifer, PhD, a former graduate student and postdoctoral researcher, Andrea Santeford, MS, supervisor in the Apte Lab at WashU Medicine, and Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD, Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, have published a landmark study in the journal Glia. The paper, […]
Groundbreaking Advances in Imaging Technologies and Machine Learning to Reanalyze OHTS Data | Leveraging Modern Techniques to Enhance Glaucoma Risk Assessment July 2, 2025 – St. Louis, MO: A new publication in JAMA Ophthalmology led by James C. Liu, MD, glaucoma specialist at WashU Medicine, highlights the transformative potential of deep learning and artificial intelligence […]
St. Louis, MO – June 18, 2025 – A recent study published in JAMA Ophthalmology sheds light on the correlation between the diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and the mental health decline in patients who were previously diagnosed with ocular hypertension. Conducted as part of the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study, this research underscores the imperative […]
St. Louis, MO — May 30, 2025 — The John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at WashU Medicine proudly announces the winners of the 2025 Winston Fellow Competition. This annual event showcases outstanding research contributions from postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the award recipients. Winners […]
This Research Insight covers a recent publication from the Apte Lab. Here, we highlight how Ryo Terao, MD, PhD, Mitsukuni Yoshida, MD, PhD, and colleagues explore how excessive cholesterol accumulation in the retina contributes to the degeneration of light-sensing photoreceptors, leading to vision loss. The evidence presented in this study suggests that targeting a process […]
St. Louis, MO — April 1, 2025 —Researchers from WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences have identified the most effective treatments for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR), a condition that can cause blurry vision and vision loss. The study, led by Henok Getahun and Dr. Rajendra Apte, reviewed the […]
This Research Insight covers a recent publication from the Kerschensteiner Lab. Here, we highlight how Jenna Krizan, PhD and colleagues added clarity to an ongoing debate about the origin of direction-selective signaling in the brain and explored its role in the predatory behaviors of the mouse. In their recent paper published in PNAS, scientists in […]
ST. LOUIS, MO – January 23, 2025 —WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is pleased to announce the publication of a new comprehensive review titled “The Landscape of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibition in Retinal Diseases” by Joseph Lin, a dedicated medical student in the Apte Laboratory. The review, published […]
ST. LOUIS, MO – December 17, 2024 — Taku Yamamoto, MD, PhD, a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been honored with the Vision Research Scientific Foundation (VRSF) Award for his groundbreaking work on immunosenescence, the aging-related transition of the immune system. Yamamoto’s project focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying […]
November is Diabetic Retinopathy Awareness Month, a time to shed light on a condition that remains a significant cause of blindness among adults. Affecting millions of people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, diabetic retinopathy develops when high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in the retina. At WashU Medicine, researchers are leading […]
St. Louis, MO – October 18, 2024 – Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis’ Drs. Custer and Maamari have been awarded the 2024 American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) Research Award for their groundbreaking paper titled “The Hatchet Flap for Eyelid and Midfacial Reconstruction: Experience from 70 Cases.” The paper, […]