The ultimate goal of laboratory research in the Department of Ophthalmology is to improve the understanding of and patient care for a variety of eye diseases and vision problems.

Basic research in the Department of Ophthalmology currently includes:

• Genetic componets and mechanisms leading to development of age-related macular degeneration 
• Cellular mechanics of developmental morphogenesis, wound healing, and the reorganization of bioengineered tissues
• Immunology of parasitic diseases; immune privilge of the anterior chamber of the eye; immune surveillance of intraocular tumors; immune modulation of cancer metastases
• Decreasing the rates of corneal transplant rejection
• Bacteria linked to contact lens wear
• Relationship of lipid production and aqueous tear formation in eye health

This research is conducted by Drs. Hassan Alizadeh, Igor Butovich, Dwight Cavanagh, Peter Chen, Yu-Guang He, Wojciech Kedzierski, James McCulley, Anne McMahon, Jerry Niederkorn, and Matthew Petroll, Danielle Robertson, and Rafael Ufret-Vincenty.