Research at the University of Rochester Eye Institute

 

The Visual Role of Retinal Neurons

Rod and cone photoreceptors

Dr. David Williams and his collaborators, including Dr. Geunyoung Yoon, have developed the ability to image the rod and cone photoreceptors of the human eye in vivo by adapting the technique of adaptive optics imaging to the eye. This great advance has lead to a better understanding of the role of photoreceptor arrays in norma lvision and to the degraded vision that results from alterations in these cells. In addition to continuing basic research studies on this method, the group has begun to apply adaptive optics imaging to the study of retinal diseases.

Retinal ganglion cells

Drs. William Merigan and David Williams are developing new methodologies for imaging and studying the visual role of human and macaque retinal ganglion cells. These methods involve imaging the complete dendritic fields of these cells in vivo, an approach that will permit the study of normal ganglion cell function, as well as that altered by aging, trauma or diseases such as glaucoma or macular degeneration.