Summary
My lab has contributed to new insights in comparative and evolutionary neurobiology, neurotrophic factor biology, cell counting methodology, extraocular muscle physiology, mechanisms of loss of smell in COVID, and epidemiology of strabismus. Currently, my lab seeks to understand the underlying mechanisms of strabismus. Strabismus is a misalignment of the eyes that occurs in 2-3% of people and can cause loss of binocular vision and even loss of vision in the weaker eye. We examine risk factors, such as the role of orbital anatomy, risk genes, including some genes likely inherited through Neanderthal introgression, that may explain the substantial ethnic variation in strabismus prevalence and types. Current projects explore the global prevalence of strabismus, ethnic variations in the types of strabismus, and reasons for strabismus epidemics.
Education
- Visiting Scientist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California
- M.D. Thesis, Neuroanatomy, University of Göttingen, Germany
- M.D., University of Göttingen School of Medicine, Germany