Wendy Liu, MD, PhD

Elevated eye pressure is the most significant and only modifiable risk factor for glaucoma. However, is it largely unknown what and where the pressure sensors are in the eye and how they contribute to glaucoma. Our goal is to discover new strategies for treating glaucoma by understanding the mechanisms of how the eye senses pressure. Using human genetic data, we have identified genetic variants in a mechanosensitive protein that are associated with glaucoma risk. We will use molecular and electrophysiological approaches, as well as mouse models of glaucoma to investigate the role of this protein in the eye, and how genetic variation affects protein function and glaucoma risk. These results will advance our understanding of why high eye pressure leads to vision loss in glaucoma and may identify new targets for glaucoma treatment.