Jeremy Sivak
Profile: Scientist, University Health Network
Department: Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto
Research Interests:
Our laboratory is investigating the molecular pathways directing cellular responses to tissue damage and repair in the eye. This work has direct relevance to retinal degenerative diseases, and also serves as a model for these mechanisms in the central nervous system and other organs. We have recently turned our attention to damage of the inner retinal layers and optic nerve. Injury to these tissues drives the pathologic outcome for patients with glaucoma; a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in Canada and worldwide. We are focusing on the roles that metabolic, oxidative, and biomechanical stress place on the sensitive retinal ganglion cells and their associated glia. For these experiments we use a variety of molecular, cellular, and genetic techniques.