Research

Research is a major component of the Department of Ophthalmology and it encompasses both the basic and clinical sciences. The second floor of the Mason Eye Institute is totally devoted to research laboratories and support facilities. Additionally, there is research space at the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation at 404 Portland Street, Columbia, Missouri. Five full-time PhD researchers hold faculty appointments in the Department of Ophthalmology and are responsible for research efforts in the basic sciences. Research interests within the department are diverse and cover a wide range of ophthalmologic problems.

Research is being conducted by Martin Katz, PhD, to determine the mechanisms underlying age-related retinal degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the United States. More...

Non-invasive electroretinogram (ERG) is the only objective way to detect retinal function in humans and animals. Research conducted in the laboratories of Bo Lei, PhD, in the Vision Science department of the University of Missouri-Columia, explores the cellular and molecular mechanisms of mammalian ERG components. More...

The cornea is an ideal candidate for gene therapy due to its immune-privilege status, accessibility and easy visual monitoring. Corneal haze, scarring and neovascularization are among the leading causes of vision impairment in the world and affect approximately 1.5 million Americans every year. Abnormal wound healing due to corneal injury or infection has been shown to play a critical role in causing these and other corneal disorders and diseases. The research in the laboratory of Rajiv Mohan, PhD, is primarily focused in developing tissue-targeted selective gene therapy approaches for preventing/treating corneal disorders, diseases and dystrophies, and studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in corneal wound healing. More...

The research performed in the laboratory of Kristina Narfström, PhD, concerns mainly the characterization of hereditary retinal blinding diseases in animals that have their counterparts in humans. Clinical and laboratory studies in affected dogs and cats form the basis of her research. Ophthalmological, genetical, electrophysiological, and morphological descriptions of the disease processes are performed. Disease mechanisms are elucidated and, finally, treatment strategies are evaluated. The main goal of her studies is to find effective cures for hereditary retinal blinding disease for the affected animals and, ultimately, also for humans with comparable diseases. Further, safety issues are studied in the large animal models in order to prepare for human clinical studies. More...

Beryl Ortwerth, PhD, has spent many years investigating the mechanisms which result in cataract formation in older adults. There appears to be many causes of cataracts, but the one most often implicated is increased exposure to sunlight, which is a major problem in tropical countries. More...

It has been hypothesized that chaperone-like activity of -crystallin is responsible for maintaining lens clarity and transparency in vivo. The truncation of the alpha crystallin decreases its chaperone-like activity. Krishna Sharma, PhD, is investigating the role of site specific lens proteases and peptide hydrolases in truncation and alteration of alpha crystallin chaperone activity. More...

Lixing Reneker, PhD, is currently studying molecular mechanisms of eye development, specifically signal transduction pathways in lens development and anterior segment development. More...

The research and clinical portions of the department are integrated in various ways. The basic sciences are included in the resident teaching conferences each year. Segments of this portion are taught by all departmental researchers. Bi-weekly research seminars are held featuring speakers from both within and outside of the university.