The Pierce Lab’s research is focused on the molecular genetics of inherited retinal disorders. Inherited retinal degenerations such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are common causes of blindness. Established in 2011, our team of scientists and technologists are dedicated to their research in an effort to improve our understanding of the molecular bases of inherited retinal degenerations and related cilia disorders so that rational therapies can be developed for these diseases.
The Pierce Lab has active research projects regarding:
- Retinal Degeneration Disease Gene Discovery
- Retinitis Pigmentosa 1
- NMNAT1 Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA)
- Novel Photoreceptor Sensory Cilia Proteins
- RNA Splicing Factor Retinitis Pigmentosa/Transcriptome Analyses
- Peri-Central Retinitis Pigmentosa
- High-throughput Functional Studies of Sequence Variants
- Genome editing for dominant IRDs
- Genome editing for USH2A associated IRD
- Human Normal Retina Transcriptome