Jennifer R. Chao MD, PhD

Ophthalmology
Associate Professor

Email: jrchao@uw.edu | Phone: 206.543.7250

Our team studies inherited retinal degenerations and focuses on potential treatment modalities. Our projects involve the generation of patient-specific stem cells from individuals with retinal degenerative diseases, including Sorsby Fundus Dystrophy, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, and Usher Syndrome. We generate retinal cells from these patient- and disease-specific stem cells and work to create accurate models of a “disease in a dish”. Our goal is to use our models to better understand disease mechanisms and to discover potential therapeutics that ameliorate the blinding effects of these diseases.