Macular Degeneration: A Leading Cause of Vision Loss Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in adults over 50 in North America, affecting nearly 20 million Americans today. Globally, that number is projected to reach 300 million by 2040, with nearly two million people in the U.S. living with severe vision loss. […]
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) remains the leading cause of blindness in adults over age 50, and while treatments exist for advanced stages of the disease, they are not curative or preventive. During Low Vision and AMD Awareness Month, researchers in the Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD and the Apte Lab within the WashU Medicine John […]
The WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences has received a notice of award for a new clinical trial focused on advancing treatment options for patients with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The study, titled “Efficacy of Dapagliflozin in Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration: […]
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common condition affecting the macula—the central part of the retina responsible for detailed vision. It is a leading cause of vision loss in people 50 years or older. Understanding the condition, recognizing early changes, and knowing what support is available can help patients maintain both vision and quality of […]
Poonam Naik, PhD, a researcher in the Apte Lab within the WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, has received a research grant from the VitreoRetinal Surgery Foundation to study new immune-based approaches for treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), a leading cause of vision loss. The project focuses on […]
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 […]
New funding supports innovative research into the biology of choroidal neovascularization WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, congratulates Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, for receiving a new research grant from The Carl Marschall Reeves and Mildred Almen Reeves Foundation. The grant supports Dr. Shuntaro Ogura’s project in Apte Lab […]
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 […]
An increase in gap years may be a cause for concern for the nation’s growing doctor shortage A new publication by WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, led by physicians Cynthia L. Montana, MD, PhD, and Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, examines how today’s medical training path may be […]
Honor recognizes his lifetime contributions to vision science and advances in retinal disease and surgery Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor in the WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, was awarded the Gold Medal by the Saudi Ophthalmology Society for his lifetime contributions to vision […]
Funding supports study using optical coherence tomography angiography to predict risk for preeclampsia Wilson Wang, MD and Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, of the WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, have received a $139,150 grant from the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. This grant is in support of their project […]
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 […]
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, […]
JULY 3, 2025 — ST. LOUIS, MO — WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences congratulates Mitsukuni Yoshida, MD, PhD, on being selected as a 2025 recipient of the NIH Outstanding Scholars in Neuroscience Award Program (OSNAP). I am very humbled and honored to receive this recognition. As a physician-scientist, […]
ST. LOUIS, MO — May 27, 2025 — WashU Medicine Ophthalmology and Visual Science’s Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, Paul A. Cibis Distinguished Professor and Vice Chair of Innovation and Translation, has been named the 2025 Snell Memorial Lecturer at the University of Rochester’s Flaum Eye Institute. Apte delivered his keynote address on May 23, […]
ST. LOUIS, MO — May 23, 2025 — The Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) has awarded a prestigious Research Fellowship Grant to Mitsukuni Yoshida, MD, PhD, a research fellow in the Apte Lab and a physician-scientist in the Academic Scholar Advancement Program (ASAP) in the Department of Anesthesiology. The funded project, titled “The […]
The John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences (DOVS) at WashU Medicine is proud to announce that two medical students from the Apte Lab have received prestigious awards recognizing their outstanding research in vision science. Wilson Wang, a talented medical student researcher, has been awarded the Max & Evelyn Grand and Robert Carter […]
St. Louis, MO — April 21, 2025 — Rajendra Apte, MD, PhD, was honored with the Outstanding Faculty and Staff Award during a special ceremony recognizing exemplary contributions to the academic community. The 26th annual Outstanding Faculty and Staff Award Ceremony took place on Monday, April 21, at 5:00 p.m. in Steinberg Auditorium on the […]
Rajendra S. Apte, MD, PhD, and members of the Apte Lab at WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences recently presented their latest research at the 129th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society, held April 17-20, 2025, at The Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo. “It was an honor to […]
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 […]