Joseph Martel, MD, is a distinguished clinician-researcher specializing in vitreoretinal disease and vision restoration therapies. His research focuses on understanding and treating retinal degeneration through multiple therapeutic approaches, including gene therapy, optogenetics, artificial retina devices, and novel treatment delivery platforms. As both a practicing physician and researcher, he is working to uncover the fundamental mechanisms of retinal degeneration while developing innovative therapeutic interventions to preserve and restore vision. Dr. Martel is the principal investigator on several clinical trials.
Research Focus
Dr. Martel's research program encompasses multiple therapeutic approaches to understanding and treating retinal degeneration, including:
- Gene therapy (gene-specific and gene-agnostic approaches)
- Optogenetics
- Artificial retina devices
- Novel treatment delivery platforms
Clinical Practice & Research Philosophy
As both a practicing physician and researcher, Dr. Martel maintains a clinical practice treating pediatric and adult vitreoretinal conditions while advancing translational research. His work bridges the gap between fundamental mechanisms of retinal degeneration and innovative therapeutic interventions for vision preservation and restoration.
Research Interests
- Retinal Gene Therapy
- Gene-specific and gene-agnostic approaches
- Optogenetics
- Novel AAV-mediated delivery platforms
- Suprachoroidal gene therapy
- Development of PRPF31-RP Non-human Primate Animal Models
- Artificial Retinal Technology: PRIMA Retinal Prosthetic Device
Current Clinical Trials
- PRODYGY: Phase I/II First-in-Human Trial of Rod-Derived Cone Viability Factor (RdCVF) Gene Therapy for Rod-Cone Dystrophy
- PIONNER: Phase I/II First-in-Human Trial of Optogenetic Gene Therapy for Rod-Cone Dystrophy
- VISTA: Phase 2/3 Trial of AGTC-501 Gene Therapy for X-Linked RP due to RPGR gene
- PRIMA: Feasibility Study of Photovoltaic Restoration of Central Vision for End-Stage Atrophic AMD
- ProEYS: Natural History Study of EYS Associated Rod-Cone Dystrophy
- PhenoRod2: Natural History Study of Rho, PDEa, PDEb Associated Rod-Cone Dystrophy
Key Collaborators
- Jose-Alain Sahel, MD
- Leah Bryne, PhD
- Morgan DiLeo, PhD
- Ethan Rossi, PhD
- William Beltran, DVM, PhD - University of Pennsylvania
- Cameron Rivere, PhD - Carnegie Mellon University