Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) is best known as the virus that causes cold sores, but it is also the leading infectious cause of blindness in the United States. In the eye, HSV-1 can produce …
Research News
A Molecular ‘Override’ for Inherited Blindness: Vision Research Group Publishes Recent Paper
For children born with a rare form of inherited blindness called Leber congenital amaurosis type 16 (LCA16), the genetic culprit can be a single miswritten instruction in their DNA — a so-called “nonsense mutation” that …
AI-BRIDGE Aims to Reduce Vision Loss from Diabetes
“Blindness from diabetes is preventable.” ~ Roomasa Channa, MD A University of Wisconsin–Madison ophthalmologist is tackling one of the biggest barriers to preventing diabetic vision loss: access to timely screening and follow-up care. Currently …
DOVS at ARVO 2026
The University of Wisconsin Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences is pleased to have many colleagues presenting at this year’s Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology annual meeting in Denver, Colorado. View the complete …
$2.5 Million Grant Will Help UW Vision Researcher Explore the Virus that Hides in Plain Sight
More than 70% of people worldwide carry Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) for life. Most know it as the virus behind cold sores—a minor, if annoying, inconvenience. But HSV-1 has a far more serious …
International Pupil Colloquium to Bring Global Researchers to Madison
A distinguished group of pupil researchers from around the world will gather in Madison this summer for the 35th annual International Pupil Colloquium (IPC), hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Ophthalmology and Visual …
Celia Bisbach: On a Path to Saving Sight
When you talk to Celia Bisbach about her research, the first thing you notice is her vibrant smile and the excitement in her eyes. The Jefferson, WI native is a post-doctoral researcher in the high-profile …
Introducing the 2026 Kambara Symposium Keynote Speaker: Dr. Maureen Neitz
A highly accomplished vision scientist and expert in colorblindness has been announced as the keynote speaker for the 2026 George Kambara, MD, Vision Science Symposium. Maureen Neitz, PhD is the Ray H. Hill Endowed Chair …
From Cold Sores to Glaucoma: Exploring a Potential Connection Between Two Leading Causes of Blindness
Vision researchers Colleen McDowell, PhD and Donna Neumann, PhD are digging into a critical question of whether glaucoma and ocular herpes are simultaneously promoting ocular damage. With a $427,000 two-year exploratory grant from the National Institutes of Health, they’re working to find the answer.