Research Areas

Eight domains, one visual system

Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research

Studying sight from the molecule to the clinic.

Explore the areas

Where JSEI science concentrates

Each area gathers labs that share methods and questions — and most investigators work across several at once.

Therapeutics and Regeneration

Curing blindness requires both halting disease and repairing damaged tissue. These labs pursue gene therapies, transplantation, and pharmacology to restore sight.

Gene therapies
Transplantation
Stem cells

Retinal Cell and Molecular Biology

A long-standing area of excellence: understanding the specialized molecular and cellular interactions in the retina that make vision possible.

Photoreceptor biology
Retinal pigment epithelium
Molecular signaling

Visual Neuroscience

The retina is part of the brain. These labs decode how the neurons of the visual system produce our ability to see.

Circuit mapping
Visual information processing
Synaptic transmission

Ocular Imaging

Imaging is central to diagnosis and to understanding biology. These labs push resolution and precision across diverse imaging techniques.

Fundus imaging
Optical coherence tomography
Advanced microscopy

Eye Surface and Lens

Vision needs a clear window from the front of the eye to the retina. These labs study the maintenance, deterioration, and repair of the eye surface and lens.

Tear films
Cornea
Ocular transparency

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Machine learning and robotics are reshaping science and medicine. These labs apply them to understand biology and improve surgical and clinical practice.

Neural network models
Machine learning
Surgical innovation

Bioinformatics and Population Health

Using large genetic, clinical, and health datasets, these labs learn how to better target diagnostics and treatments to individuals and communities.

Disease genetics
Epidemiology
Improving outcomes

Rehabilitation and Eye Motility

How we look at the world shapes what we see. From magnifiers to eye movements, these labs study what lands on the retina moment to moment — and how it shapes long-term sight.

Ocular muscles and biomechanics
Amblyopia
Low vision