Scientist Kate Keller’s Quest to Solve the Glaucoma Puzzle

Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, Dr. Keller’s journey began in a local veterinary lab, where a high school internship first introduced her to the hidden world of microscopy. Today, she is a leading researcher focused on the molecular “jigsaw puzzle” of human glaucoma.

Dr. Keller’s 2026 Shaffer research project focuses on the complex mechanics of the eye. Alongside her collaborator, Dr. Colin Willoughby, she is investigating microRNAs within trabecular meshwork (TM) cells. These tiny molecules act as biological switches, turning genes on and off to regulate intraocular pressure. By comparing healthy cells with those affected by glaucoma, Dr. Keller aims to:

“To understand the molecular mechanisms of disease… it’s like a jigsaw puzzle, trying to fit in all the pieces of data to build a big picture.”

In 2010, she received her first grant from Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) and was awarded the Shaffer Prize for Innovative Research. This initial investment acted as a springboard, allowing her to secure continuous NIH funding for over a decade. “If it were not for the GRF investing in my ideas as a junior scientist, I would not be where I am now,” she reflects.

When she isn’t hunting for molecular breakthroughs, Dr. Keller prioritizes “unplugging” from the digital world. A resident of the Pacific Northwest, she spends her free time:

Driven by a passion for discovery and a deep gratitude for the community that supported her early career, Dr. Keller continues to piece together the molecular evidence needed to protect the vision of patients worldwide.

Edinburgh, Scotland

University of Edinburgh

I became fascinated with microscopes when I did an internship as a high school student in the local veterinary laboratory, which provides diagnostics for livestock in rural Scotland. There I used histological stains to identify gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.

To understand the molecular mechanisms of disease. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle, trying to fit in all the pieces of data to build a big picture.

Together with my collaborator, Dr Colin Willoughby, a clinician based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, we will investigate microRNAs in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells. MicroRNAs are tiny molecules that help control how genes are turned on and off in TM cells. They regulate several pathways that keep intraocular pressure at healthy levels. By studying the differences in glaucomatous TM cells compared to TM cells from healthy individuals we expect to identify microRNAs that regulate intraocular pressure and new biomarkers of the disease.

MicroRNAs are promising targets for drug therapy due to their ability to modulate glaucoma-related pathways. Studying how microRNAs are different in glaucomatous cells will aid development of novel glaucoma therapeutics.

Anything to get off the computer screen! You will likely find me exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest, watching my daughter play soccer, listening to my son’s band, or working in my garden.

In 2010, I received my first grant from the Glaucoma Research Foundation and was honored to receive the Shaffer Prize for Innovative Research. I used the data generated from that grant to apply for NIH funding and I have been fortunate to be continuously funded by NIH since then. If it were not for the Glaucoma Research Foundation investing in my ideas as junior scientist, I would not be where I am now. I continue to be very grateful for the opportunity it provided me then, and for the current support today.

Posted on April 13, 2026. Article by Cynthia Steel, PhD, MBA