How Neural Activity Shapes Vision Recovery in Glaucoma

This project studies how visual stimulation helps the eye’s nerve cells stay healthy, adapt, and repair their connections after glaucoma-related damage, with the goal of developing new ways to protect and preserve vision.

This project explores how light and neural activity help the retina protect itself from damage in glaucoma. By studying how retinal cells maintain and rebuild their connections after injury, we aim to uncover ways to preserve vision and stimulate repair processes that could benefit people with glaucoma and related neurodegenerative diseases.

This project challenges the traditional view that glaucoma damage begins primarily in nerve fibers by focusing on early changes in the connections between retinal cells as a potential target for treatment. It is also among the first studies to test whether visual activity actively drives protection and repair of injured retinal circuits. By combining controlled light stimulation with precise manipulation of neural signaling, we can identify mechanisms that may be harnessed to preserve vision.

This research could lead to new approaches for preserving vision in glaucoma by identifying ways to protect and strengthen the retinal connections that are lost during disease. Beyond glaucoma, the findings may reveal general principles of how the nervous system adapts and repairs itself after injury, helping guide the development of treatments for other neurodegenerative and vision-threatening conditions.