Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Publications
Contact Information
UPMC Vision Institute
UPMC Mercy Pavilion
1622 Locust Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412-383-6624
kcchang@pitt.edu
Research Focus
In Chang's lab, our goal is to restore vision loss, particularly due to glaucoma and optic neuropathy, which involve the progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Once RGCs are lost, they cannot be regenerated in humans or other mammals, leading to irreversible blindness. We are exploring gene therapy through viral vectors to potentially restore these degenerative RGCs and their axons. Additionally, transplanting stem cell-derived RGCs presents a promising strategy for vision restoration; however, ensuring the survival and integration of donor RGCs into the recipient's retina remains a key objective of cell replacement therapy. While several protocols have been developed for generating RGCs from human stem cells, these methods are often labor-intensive, time-consuming, and yield low efficiencies in RGC production.
To address these challenges, my lab is pursuing three research directions:
1. Study the molecular mechanism of RGC differentiation
2. Conduct the gene manipulations for axon regeneration
3. Develop the improved protocol for human retinal organoid differentiation and transplantation
For more information, visit the Chang Lab.