Located in the Department of Ophthalmology, the Wert laboratory studies the post-mitotic neuronal cells of the retina, particularly the photoreceptor cells. Our goal is to discover and understand the mechanisms underlying retinal degenerative disease, and to provide novel therapeutics for these complex degenerative disorders using gene therapy and genome engineering technologies, human stem cell transplantations, and metabolic rescue.

The Orth lab is interested in elucidation the activity of virulence factors from pathogenic bacteria so that we can gain novel molecular insight into eukaryotic signaling systems.

Research in the Rothermel Laboratory focuses on deciphering the molecular mechanisms that control cardiac structure and function during normal development and in response to pathological stress.

The Sun Lab studies the most numerous cells in the brain, called “glial cells”.

Our lab focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cell fate specification during blood vessel development and organogenesis.