Molecular Genetics of Human Vision
Our website has moved to a new address.
Please update your bookmarks and links to: http://uuhsc.utah.edu/MoranEyeCenter/zhang_lab/
The retina is a sheet of light-sensing cells that convert complex external visual stimuli to electrical and chemical signals. The signals generated by the retina are then transmitted to the brain to form visual images. Collectively, retinal degeneration is the most common cause of irreversible visual loss in the developed world.
The overall goal of our research program is to discover novel genes and gain insights into molecular mechanisms of retinal degeneration including macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and a host of other diseases.
Click on the links below to learn more about research projects under current investigation:
Recent News:
Researchers at the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah have identified a gene called HTRA1 that contributes to a major risk of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of irreversible vision loss in the developed world, affecting 50 million people. The discovery of this gene allows anyone to take a simple blood test to find out if they are up to 700% more likely to develop AMD than the average person. This is particularly important for individuals who have a family history of blinding eye conditions.(click to read more...)
The Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah is pleased to announce that Kang Zhang, MD, PhD, has been elected to the prestigious American Society of Clinical Investigators (ASCI). Doctor Zhang is only the second ophthalmologist in this prestigious organization's 98 year history to be honored with membership. (click to read more...)
Debbie Moss has described her sight as "Swiss cheese" because of the little pinprick holes missing in her central field of vision. It's a problem she shares with three of her four children. They have Stargardt disease, the juvenile form of macular degeneration, caused by an inheritable gene mutation. She was diagnosed when she was 21 after years of seeking a solution, but her doctors then said there was a 95 percent chance she (click to read more...)
