 |
Andrew Browne Ophthalmology Mentor: Bruce Tromberg |
|
Project Title: Multiphoton imaging of retinal structure and function in hypoxia |
|
I am a vitreoretinal surgeon and biomedical engineer engaged in cross-disciplinary research focused on vision science. My background is in biomedical device design and implementation as well as a growing expertise in the evaluation of retinal tissue structure and function in laboratory and clinical settings. My active research projects include multiphoton techniques for testing retinal tissue structure and function in vitro, developing retinal tissues in a petri dish which can be transplanted into blind subjects, evaluation of patient’s visual function and developing novel imaging tools for rapid determination of tissue structure and function. Retinal organoids are ‘balls’ of retinal tissue which are grown from human stem cells. We are developing methods to manufacture these tissues using micro-scale technologies so that they can be studied as tools for biology in the laboratory, and so that retinal organoids can be transplanted into blind subjects. We are using sophisticated laser scanning technologies to evaluate the microscopic arrangements and function of cells in retinal organoids. Using these laser tools, we will detect the changes that occur under stresses like hypoxia, toxic exposure and temperature fluctuation. The other arm of my research addresses measuring retinal function in human patients for whom I provide care. We are using several biophysical tests to determine subjective vision as well as several technologies for measuring objective vision. Part of this work is related in working to develop cameras capable of quantifying retinal structure and function. |
