Working Together to Understand, Protect and Restore Vision
What are ‘ribbons’ doing in your eye?! A recent study by Sinha and Hoon labs uncovers new role(s) of these molecular components that fuel retinal visual processing. Every time we see, the retina must rapidly transform patterns of light into signals that the brain can understand. This process depends on specialized connections between nerve cells …
Color is a powerful part of our visual perception. Color can draw attention, elicit emotion, and convey meaning. In this exhibit, artists use color in imaginative ways to accomplish these effects. COLOR POWER will be on display from October 8th, 2026 to January 22nd, 2027. Join us Thursday, October 8th from 4:30 to 6:30 pm …
On September 15, 2026, MERI Director of Research David Gamm joined the Lee Rayburn Show on Wisconsin Public Radio to discuss ongoing MERI research and to answer questions from Wisconsin residents about ophthalmological conditions, advances in scientific research at UW, clinical trials, and the future of eye care. 🎧 Listen to the recording of the …
Tuesday, January 13th, 2026 – 3571 WIMR February, 2026 There will be no seminar this month so that we can bring you the MERI-at-a-Glance event on Friday, February 13th from noon- 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 – 3571 WIMR Special Seminar: Three ~15-minute research talks by our Kenzi Valentyn Vision Research Award recipients. Tuesday, …
McPherson ERI researchers have identified a protein called CD166/ALCAM that allows scientists to identify and purify a critical type of retinal photoreceptor for the first time. The discovery, published in Stem Cell Research and Therapy, overcomes a major obstacle in the development of stem cell-based therapies designed to replace cells lost in retinal disease. You …
We hope you enjoyed learning about the wonderful world of birds and their vision as much as we enjoyed hosting it. Over 220 community members attended the lectures and demonstrations, making this the most well-attended Vision at in the history of the event! None of it would have been possible without help from our volunteers and collaborators: If you …
Congratulations to MERI Member Prof. Curtis Brandt (DOVS), who has been awarded a four-year R01 grant from the National Eye Institute to support his research in preventing herpes-related blindness. HSV-1 corneal infection can lead to loss of sensory nerve axons in the tissue, resulting in neurotrophic keratopathy. There are several negative outcomes to the nerve …
Our 2026 update on age-related macular degeneration research at the McPherson ERI, the Trout AMD Update, is now available for viewing on our website or to download as a PDF. Sponsored by the Trout AMD Project, an initiative founded by Dr. Monroe and Sandra Trout of Appleton, the annual update reviews recent progress on AMD research in some of the many McPherson ERI member labs investigating this widespread eye disease.
A recent publication in Nature Communications explores the human genome to identify genetic barriers that limit nonviral CRISPR editor delivery. By using a new screening platform across 19,114 human genes, researchers identified 26 cellular factors that actively constrain CRISPR editing efficiency. This research was made possible by a collaborative effort across campus, including numerous MERI members …
The UW–Madison Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the McPherson Eye Research Institute at UW–Madison are pleased to announce the recruitment of Jianhai Du, PhD. Dr. Du joined the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences as Associate Professor with tenure on July 1, 2026, and serves as the McPherson Eye Research Institute’s inaugural …