Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Bioengineering
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Director, Imaging Acquisition and Analysis Core Module, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Publications
Contact Information
UPMC Vision Institute
UPMC Mercy Pavilion
1622 Locust Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412-864-2220
ias6@pitt.edu
Lab Personnel
Manik Bansal, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate
John Gnalian
Jason (Yi) Hua, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate
Fengting Ji, Graduate Student, Bioengineering
Po-Yi Lee, Graduate Student, Bioengineering
Marissa Quinn
Susanna Waxman, Graduate Student, Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences
Fuquiang Zhong, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate
Research Focus
Our laboratory's objective is to study the eye as a biomechanical structure. More specifically, our work aims to identify the causes of glaucoma, with the ultimate intention of finding a way to prevent vision loss.
In our daily lives, we rarely think of the eye as a biomechanical structure. The eye, however, is a remarkably complex structure with biomechanics involved in many of its functions. For our eyes to be able to track moving objects, for example, requires a delicate balance of the forces exerted by several muscles. Forces are also responsible for deforming the lens and allowing focus. A slight imbalance between the forces and tissue properties may be enough to alter or even preclude vision. These effects may take place quickly or over long periods, even years. Understanding ocular biomechanics is therefore important for preventing and treating vision loss.
For more details, visit the Ocular Biomechanics Laboratory website.