My research focuses on developing next-generation gene-based therapies for glaucoma, a common eye disease that leads to irreversible vision loss. In most patients, glaucoma begins when the trabecular meshwork (TM)—the tissue that controls fluid drainage from the eye—stops working properly. This causes increased eye pressure and, over time, damage to retinal ganglion cells and the optic nerve. Current treatments lower eye pressure but do not directly correct the underlying cellular defects. My laboratory studies how cellular stress pathways, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, impaired autophagy and mitophagy, and mitochondrial dysfunction, disrupt TM function and drive glaucoma progression. We use these mechanistic insights to design precision therapies that target disease-causing pathways at the gene and epigenetic level.
A major focus of my research is gene editing and gene regulation using non-viral delivery systems, particularly lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). LNPs allow us to deliver gene-editing components—such as CRISPR-based base editors, epigenetic regulators, or RNA-targeting tools—directly to the TM without permanent viral integration. This DNA-free approach improves safety, enables transient and controllable gene modulation, and allows repeat dosing when needed. Our work explores how LNP composition, cargo design, and dosing strategies can be optimized for efficient and selective delivery to ocular tissues.
We combine cutting-edge technologies, including single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing of human donor eyes, advanced mouse models, and ex vivo perfusion-cultured human eyes, to evaluate how gene-editing therapies restore TM function and protect retinal neurons. Students in the lab gain hands-on experience in CRISPR engineering, nanoparticle formulation, ocular delivery, high-resolution imaging, and computational analysis of large-scale transcriptomic data.
The long-term goal of my research is to develop safe, precise, and disease-modifying gene therapies that move beyond pressure-lowering treatments and provide lasting protection against vision loss. This work offers graduate trainees the opportunity to work at the interface of molecular biology, gene editing, nanomedicine, and translational vision science.
