Jianhai Du, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Opthalmology and Visual Sciences

jianhai.du@wisc.edu

(608)-262-2213

McPherson Eye Research Institute
WIMR II, 9th Floor, Room 9453
1111 Highland Ave
Madison, WI 53705

Lab Website

Research Interests

My research focuses on how metabolic pathways regulate neuronal survival and function in eye diseases The Du Laboratory integrates metabolomics, molecular biology, and disease models to investigate how alterations in glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolism contribute to retinal degeneration to fight blindness. A major goal of our work is to identify metabolic vulnerabilities and signaling pathways that can be targeted pharmacologically to preserve retinal function and viability. By defining the metabolic mechanisms underlying cell-specific dysfunction and mis-communication, our research aims to discover new therapeutic targets and develop metabolism-based strategies for treating blinding disorders such as age-related macular degeneration and inherited retinal diseases.