Vision Science

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Volunteer Basis, Potential for UROP Funding, Potential for Academic Credit

Overview

Within the healthy eye, there are mechanisms that control and manipulate immunity necessary to preserve vision. Several specific biomolecules have been discovered to be constitutively present within the eye. These biomolecules individually control different immune cells and different immune cell functions. Collectively, they suppress inflammation and make the immune system regulate itself. Understanding how these biomolecules alter immunity and how they work together to suppress inflammation has a profound impact on finding ways to reestablish health following infection, graft rejection, autoimmune disease, and diabetes. In addition, advances in understanding how these biomolecules regulate immunity within the eye lead to using these same biomolecules to regulate immunity in other tissues. Our experimental approaches use molecular, biochemical, histological, flow cytometry, cultured cells, and immune model techniques. Each student has a separate research opportunity linked to the general study of ocular immunobiology and an opportunity, based on accomplishment, to contribute to meeting abstracts and publications.

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