Jeanne Frederick, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Research Interest: Molecular biology of photoreceptor pigments and of neurotransmitter receptors
Identification of genes involved in inherited human retinal disorders is the goal of research conducted by Jeanne Frederick, Ph.D. and Wolfgang Baehr, Ph.D. One of the best known heritable retinal diseases is retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Multiple genetic causes, each identified at the molecular level, are responsible for RP. The general approach to this research is two-fold: to understand the molecular mechanism responsible for degeneration, and to design rational strategies to intervene and, eventually, retard or reverse disease onset. One method involves development of an animal strain that mimics a human disease. For example, knowing a specific DNA alteration in human visual pigment that is associated with RP, the same alteration can produce a comparable retinal degeneration in mice which can then be used to study the physiology, biochemistry and morphology of the retina.