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 cellular components. Autophagy plays an important role in the unique functions of many specialized cell types in the kidney, liver, and central nervous system. Defects in autophagy can contribute to neurodegenerative, metabolic, and visual disorders, as well as aging and cancer. In the retina, autophagy supports the specialized functions of the RPE, rod and cone photoreceptors, ganglion cells, and Muller glial cells. Our studies will now establish a novel link between the activity of autophagy and the efficiency of cone photoreceptor dark adaptation. They will identify new mechanisms that modulate the function and survival of cone photoreceptors in normal and diseased conditions, paving the way for future translational studies.
The R01 provides support for health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH.
