Shiming Chen, PhD, and her team are developing mechanism-based gene therapies to restore vision. Shiming Chen, PhD, the Dr. Bernard and Janet R. Becker Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology at WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, is spearheading research to understand and treat CRX-associated retinopathies. These inheritable blinding diseases are […]
This month, researchers from WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences joined colleagues from around the world to present their work at SfN’s poster sessions. Sean McCracken, PhD, representing the Williams lab, shared his research on retinogeniculate organization in the visual thalamus after monocular crush injury and explored the role […]
This Research Insight covers a study from the Chen Lab. Here, we highlight a proposed model for retinal degeneration based on binding activity of the Cone-Rod Homeobox transcription factor, CRX. In this study published in eLife, researchers in the lab of Shiming Chen, PhD, Dr. Bernard and Janet R. Becker Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology at […]
Philanthropic Gift Fuels Breakthroughs in Restorative Treatments for Hereditary Blindness ST. LOUIS, MO – November, 2024 — WashU Medicine John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is proud to announce a generous $5 million investment from a Polish donor, aimed at advancing innovative genetic and stem cell research led by Shiming Chen, PhD, […]
On November 6, 2024, WashU Medicine hosted the installation ceremony of Shiming Chen, PhD, as the Dr. Bernard and Janet R. Becker Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology. Held in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center’s Connor Auditorium, the ceremony honored both Dr. Chen’s groundbreaking contributions to the field and the enduring legacy of Dr. Bernard and […]
We’re thrilled to announce that Dr. Shiming Chen has been awarded a Seed grant from the Center of Regenerative Medicine for her groundbreaking project titled “hiPSC-induced retinal organoids modeling CRX-linked retinopathies.” This pioneering research aims to establish three-dimensional retinal organoids—essentially human retinas in a dish—to model inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) linked to the cone-rod-homeobox (CRX) […]
In the ever-changing world of medical research, breakthroughs often emerge from the synergy of passion, intellect, and mentorship. One exciting project currently taking place in the Chen and Rajagopal Labs, where Isabella Gomes is set to embark on a groundbreaking journey! Isabella recently received the Research to Prevent Blindness/Janssen Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship. This […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]