Ming Zhang, MD, PhD

I am an assistant professor and a retinal virologist in Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University working on projects using mouse models and retinal culture models related to the pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) ocular infections for many years. One of my research project focuses on identify factors and pathways participating in tissue damage and  cell death, leading to the impairment of vision during CMV retinitis, a disease which occurs predominantly in infants with congenital CMV infection or in people whose immune system has been compromised (15-40% of those with AIDS). Recently, we have developed an in vivo mouse model of systemic neonatal CMV infection. By using this model, we will identify the mechanism whereby CMV latent infection in the choroid accelerates the development of neovascular AMD.