Retina Researcher Erika Eggers Sheds Light on Vision’s Mysteries
University of Arizona faculty member wins two prestigious federal grants, totaling $2.8 million, to reduce the specter of blindness for millions with diabetes and deepen insight into how we see.
One of the more studied parts of the human anatomy, the retina -- the neural layer at the back of the eye that senses light -- still has secrets to reveal.
“Researchers have known for decades that increased levels of light increase visual acuity,” said Erika Eggers, associate professor of biomedical engineering, physiology and neuroscience and member of the BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona. “But we still don’t understand the mechanisms behind this process. It seems like it should be relatively simple, but it’s really very complicated.”
Eggers has received two prestigious federal grants to shed light on the inner workings of the retina and how they affect eye disease.
Retinal Signaling and Diabetes
She is principal investigator of a $1.9 million project funded by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health, with additional support from the International Retinal Research Foundation, to study "Retinal Neuronal Signaling in Early Diabetes."