Our overall goals are to decipher and manipulate mechanisms that control the fate of retinal cells throughout their life. Specifically, we want to find new ways to prolong neuronal life and to replace neuronal cells. Two of our major current aims are to understand and overcome the mechanisms limiting neuronal regeneration in neurodegenerative diseases using the mouse and human retina to develop new regenerative therapies.

Previous and current research

Our lab current and future research foci encompass the study of retinal development and regeneration, retinal diseases and retinal repair. I am interested in retinal cells throughout their life, from embryonic stem cells to retinal progenitors to differentiating and mature neurons and glia – with an eye on neuronal regeneration (meaning de-novo neurogenesis) in the adult mammalian retina. The major strategy will be to gain new insight in seminal processes of retinal development, regeneration and degeneration with the objective to develop strategies for neuronal protection and repair.