Vivian Lee
University of Pennsylvania, PA·Neuroscience
The cornea, the clear front surface of the eye, contains more nerve endings than any other part of the body. These nerves sense pain, temperature, touch and chemicals.
- Fields
Neuroscience
Medicine & Clinical Research
Biology
- Topics
cornea
peripheral nerve regeneration
trigeminal nerve
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Feb 2027
What they work on
- Determine the role of NMDA receptors, glutamate-sensing receptors, in corneal nerve maintenance and regeneration by conditionally deleting them in sensory nerves or in Schwann cells, the nerves' support cells, in mice.
- Test how raising or lowering NMDA receptor levels changes corneal nerve regrowth after injury, using genetic mouse models and intravital imaging of nerves in living animals.
- Identify downstream effectors of NMDA receptor signaling, including the EphB2-Sox2 axis, using spatial transcriptomics to map gene activity across the regenerating cornea and link it to protein levels and nerve shape.
More about the research
They also release growth factors that keep the cornea healthy. Trauma, infections, metabolic disease and eye surgeries such as refractive (vision-correcting) surgery can all damage them. Once injured, corneal nerves do not grow back to their original density or shape, and the cornea stops working properly. No current treatment specifically regrows corneal nerves.
Why it matters
Corneal diseases are a major health problem in the US, and many leave permanent nerve damage that impairs the cornea. By defining how NMDA receptors and their downstream signals control corneal nerve regrowth, this work could identify new drug targets for therapies that restore corneal nerves. Patients with corneal injury, infection or surgery-related nerve loss would benefit.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Gregory Borschel
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, IN·Medicine & Clinical Research
Determine how much corneal Schwann cells, the support cells that accompany nerve fibers, control limbal stem cell activity, using an animal model of neurotrophic keratopathy, selective cell ablation and tracking of corneal cell populations.
Greg Harris
University of Cincinnati, OH·Biomedical Engineering
Quantify and control the electric potential generated by piezoelectric PVDF-TrFE scaffolds in response to remote ultrashock activation and mechanical stimulation.
Jeffery Twiss
University of South Carolina-Columbia, SC·Neuroscience
Test whether KHSRP, an RNA-binding protein that destabilizes mRNAs, controls peripheral nerve axon regeneration through a mechanism within the neuron, building on faster regeneration seen in KHSRP knockout mice.
The school
University of Pennsylvania: 90 labs on PI Pages, $2.2B a year on research, 750 research doctorates a year.
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