Congratulations to Marlene Behrmann, PhD, and co-author Claire Simmons, a trainee in Pitt's MD-PhD Program, on the publication of "Large-Scale Functional Overlap Between Dorsal and Ventral Object-Responsive Networks" in Communications Biology! Using functional MRI (fMRI) data, the study reveals that dorsal and ventral object-selective brain regions are connected through overlapping networks, challenging the traditional view that these pathways operate independently. By identifying a broad, integrated circuit for object processing, the research advances our understanding of how the brain recognizes and interprets the world around us. Read about it in Nature: nature.com/articles/s42003-0…

Did you know... that people who want to assess their driving capability due to a vision condition can contact the Adaptive Driving Program or be referred there by the Low Vision Clinic or optometrist? Learn more at ophthalmology.pitt.edu/patie…

Community. Compassion. Vision. 👁️✨ Another successful Community Vision Day at the UPMC Vision Institute brought volunteers, providers, and community members together to help expand access to vital eye care services. Thank you to everyone who gave their time and talents to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others! @eyeandear #CommunityVisionDay #UPMCVisionInstitute #EyeCareForAll #CommunityImpact #VisionHealth #PittsburghCommunity

Pitt Ophthalmology in LA Drs. Chhablani, Martel, Eller, and Uppuluri presented their research at the Retina Society Annual Meeting in Los Angeles this year. It's one of the biggest gatherings of retina specialists, and our team brought their best. Proud of the work they're doing to advance retina care for our patients. #PittOphthalmology #PittMed #RetinaHealth #Ophthalmology #RetinaSociety #EyeHealth #VisionScience

He spent a decade building Pitt's innovation ecosystem. Then it helped save his sight. 👁️ After a devastating eye injury in 2024, Evan Facher of Pitt's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship received a first-of-its-kind surgery in Pittsburgh at the UPMC Vision Institute at Mercy Pavilion. Today, he's recovering and back to driving Pitt innovation forward. Read about it: pittwire.pitt.edu/features-a… #PittOphthalmology #PittMed #EyeHealth #Innovation #Pittsburgh #ArtificialIris

Did you know... that there is a Sjögren’s Dry Eye Clinic at the UPMC Vision Institute? It meets the first Tuesday of every month. For referrals or appointments, please contact the UPMC Vision Institute at 412.647.2200.

Congratulations to Dr. José-Alain Sahel and his team on their new study, published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine! Working with international collaborators, the team showed that an experimental optogenetics-based treatment was safely given to 10 patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Combined with a specially designed visual stimulation device, it improved visual function in some participants. RP affects more than 1.5 million people worldwide and can lead to severe vision loss or blindness. "Retinitis pigmentosa can result from a mutation in any one of more than 100 distinct genes, so it presents an extraordinary challenge," said Dr. Sahel, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Director of the UPMC Vision Institute. Read more about it on ophthalmology.pitt.edu/news #Ophthalmology #RetinitisPigmentosa #VisionResearch #Optogenetics

Congratulations to Dana McGinnis-Thomas on being featured by TribLIVE in their article, "In a Heartbeat: How Patient Navigators Can Break Down Healthcare Barriers." As a patient navigator with the UPMC Vision Institute, Dana plays a vital role in helping patients overcome obstacles to care, connecting them with resources, coordinating services, and ensuring they receive the support they need throughout their healthcare journey. Read the full story: triblive.com/news/health-now… #PatientNavigator #HealthcareAccess #PatientCare #HealthEquity #PatientExperience #BreakingBarriers

We're thrilled at today's announcement that the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 recognizes the developers of optogenetics! And we are proud to have been the first to apply the technology in medicine, in a landmark 2021 Nature Medicine study. This video explains how the team used optogenetics to partially restore vision in a blind patient, in a trial led by Dr. José-Alain Sahel, Chair of Ophthalmology at Pitt and Director of the UPMC Vision Institute. 🎥 VIDEO: inside.upmc.com/optogenetic-… 📖 PAPER: nature.com/articles/s41591-0… "It is great to see the work of pioneers in the field of optogenetics recognized and to see that the Nobel Committee press release referred explicitly to the clinical demonstration in vision restoration trials," said Dr. Sahel. "This encourages us to continue to optimize the implementation of this technology and the next iterations at the core of our efforts." 🗞️ RELEASE: nobelprize.org/prizes/medici…

Congratulations to Dr. Petr Baranov on three outstanding recent research publications and preprints advancing our understanding of vision science, neurodevelopment, and regenerative medicine! In Scientific Reports, Dr. Baranov and collaborators moved closer to achieving vision restoration in Glaucoma through cell replacement therapy. They demonstrated that modulation of host innate immunity in the retina, called microglia cells, can significantly improve the survival of donor human retinal ganglion cells, offering important insights for the development of future cell-based therapies for vision loss. #VisionResearch #OphthalmologyResearch #RetinalResearch #Neuroscience #SingleCellGenomics #ResearchExcellence #UniversityOfPittsburgh

Meet Dr. Dimitrios Stavropoulos! Since 2023, he's been a Postdoctoral Associate in Dr. Kun-Che Chang's lab and part of the ARPA-H THEA team, a national initiative working toward whole-human-eye transplantation. His research focuses on optic nerve regeneration, protecting retinal cells after injury, and exploring whether transplanted cells can restore vision once thought permanently lost, work aimed at treating currently irreversible conditions like glaucoma. Before Pittsburgh, he earned his MD in Greece and practiced as the sole doctor in a remote mountain community. Here, he's already won Best Poster at the 2025 Department of Ophthalmology Research Retreat. Next up: an ophthalmology residency and vitreoretinal surgery fellowship, on his way to becoming a physician-scientist who treats patients and pushes vision research forward. #Ophthalmology #VisionResearch #MeetOurTeam

Sip of Science was a hit! 🍻 Thank you to our presenters Maysam Chamanzar, PhD, Zeila Hobson, and Bryan Jones, PhD, to Avenu Workspaces for sponsoring with us, and to @TraceBrewing for hosting. See you next time! #SipOfScience #PittOphthalmology

Congratulations to Dr. Rajesh Sasikumar, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the UPMC Vision Institute, on being invited by the American Academy of Ophthalmology to serve as a moderator for the joint Polish Ophthalmological Society and AAO Glaucoma Session at the 57th Congress of the Polish Ophthalmological Society in Wroclaw, Poland! #Ophthalmology #Glaucoma #VisionResearch #AAO #UPMCVisionInstitute #PittMed #EyeCare #GlobalHealth #AcademicMedicine #PhysicianLeadership

Mark your calendars, Pittsburgh! Sip of Science returns on September 22 at Trace Brewing @TraceBrewing Enjoy an evening of drinks, engaging presentations, and fascinating science featuring: 🍺 Maysam Chamanzar, PhD (Carnegie Mellon University) 🍺 Zeila Hobson (Pitt Ophthalmology) 🍺 Bryan Jones, PhD (Pitt Ophthalmology) #PittsburghEvents #Community #Science #VisionResearch #LocalResearchers #PittsburghScience #ScienceTalks #ResearchInnovation #Outreach

🌍✈️ Expanding research opportunities across borders. The Chateaubriand Fellowship gives PhD students the opportunity to conduct research in France while building international collaborations and advancing their scientific training. We're proud to highlight three Department of Ophthalmology graduate students who have participated in this prestigious program: Phillip Harding, Riley Arbuckle, and Rylee Cisney. Through their experiences abroad, they gained valuable research expertise, expanded their professional networks, and contributed to global scientific collaboration. Congratulations to these outstanding trainees for representing our Department on the international stage and inspiring future scholars to explore opportunities beyond the lab! #VisionResearch #GraduateEducation #GlobalResearch #OphthalmologyResearch #AcademicMedicine #PittMed #FutureScientists

Expanding access to sight-saving care in Armstrong County Two new retinal imaging cameras have been installed in Armstrong County through the Eyes on Wheels Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program, thanks to a generous gift from the Richard G. and Barbara A. Snyder General Charity Fund. The program utilizes web-connected retinal cameras in primary care clinics and community settings to increase access to diabetic retinopathy screening, helping identify eye disease earlier and reducing preventable vision loss. "The Snyder family has long demonstrated a deep commitment to their community and a strong belief in the importance of preserving sight," said Lawton Snyder, CEO of the Eye & Ear Foundation. Their support will help bring critical screening services to more individuals living with diabetes across the region. We are grateful for partnerships that advance community eye health and improve access to vision care where it is needed most. Read more: eyeandear.org/2026/08/new-re… #CommunityHealth #DiabeticRetinopathy #PublicHealth #VisionCare #Ophthalmology #EyeHealth #PittMed #UPMCVisionInstitute

Congratulations to José-Alain Sahel, MD, Distinguished Professor and Chairman of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology, on being named a co-recipient of the 2026 António Champalimaud Vision Award. Dr. Sahel shares this honor with Botond Roska for more than two decades of work developing optogenetic therapies, treatments that make retinal cells responsive to light again even after the photoreceptors that normally do that job have been destroyed by disease. It's an incredible example of translational research: taking discoveries from the lab bench all the way to human clinical trials, where the approach has already shown it can partially restore vision in patients. Worldwide, 43 million people are blind and 295 million live with visual impairment, much of it caused by retinal diseases and macular degeneration. Dr. Sahel's work is helping change what's possible for those patients. Congratulations to Dr. Sahel and the entire team on this incredible recognition. Read more about it here: ophthalmology.pitt.edu/news #Ophthalmology #VisionScience #ChampalimaudVisionAward #PittOphthalmology #RetinalDisease

Did you know... that if a baby's eyes "shake," that movement is a clue, not a full diagnosis? Nystagmus means something in the visual or balance system needs a closer look, and early evaluation can change the care plan. Learn more: eyeandear.org/2026/08/pediat…

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can affect people very differently, which is why awareness and early detection are so important. In All About Vision's latest feature on age-related macular degeneration, Dr. Joseph Martel of the UPMC Vision Institute explains why AMD can affect patients so differently. From slow, nearly unnoticeable progression to more severe vision loss, AMD isn't the same for everyone. Read more: allaboutvision.com/medtech/l… #AMD #MacularDegeneration #EyeHealth #RetinaCare #UPMCVisionInstitute

Translational research is when groundbreaking discoveries move beyond the lab and into the real world. At the UPMC Vision Institute, researchers are developing innovative tools, technologies, and rehabilitation strategies that help people with vision loss navigate daily life more safely and independently. Explore the StreetLab, where researchers study mobility and accessibility in realistic environments; the Driving Simulator, which helps evaluate driving performance and visual function; the Life Skills Apartment, designed to assess everyday living tasks; and many other innovative programs advancing vision research and rehabilitation. Learn more about how research is making a real-world impact at the UPMC Vision Institute by visiting our Technology Transfer page: ophthalmology.pitt.edu/trans… #TranslationalResearch #VisionResearch #UPMCVisionInstitute #MobilityInnovation #DrivingSimulator #LifeSkillsTraining #AccessibilityMatters #VisionLossSupport