Curing blindness is now within sight Advancing basic and translational research and creating pharmacological treatments to cure blindness. Welcome Message Our Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute serves as an international leader in advancing research and bolstering the support of investigators pursuing basic and translational sciences relevant to vision. We are bringing together exceptional scientific expertise from within the University, the School of Medicine and other schools, and complementary research programs to advance collaborations that focus on fundamental discoveries in vision research with translational potential. We aim to integrate basic and clinical research, including genetics and pharmacology, in order to develop innovative and accessible therapies for millions robbed of their sight or progressing toward blindness. News Feb 17, 2026 | UC Irvine School of Medicine Inside Falling Leaves: New Facility Brings 13 Research Programs to Cure the ‘Incurable’ Palczewski and his team are using a combination of gene therapy and noninvasive imaging to develop cures for inherited blindness. So far, they’ve discovered how to reverse and prevent cell degeneration in the eyes and are now working to develop a method to guide this therapy to specific cells in need of correction. Jan 23, 2026 | UC Irvine School of Medicine Pioneering Research to Prevent and Reverse Blindness Research led by Frans Vinberg, PhD and colleagues at UC Irvine demonstrates that human retinal cells can regain light responses after prolonged loss of blood flow, challenging long-standing assumptions about irreversible vision loss. This work establishes critical preclinical methods and infrastructure that support new therapeutic strategies to prevent and potentially reverse blindness. Jan 13, 2026 | UC Irvine News How These Long-Living Sharks Keep Sharp Vision for Centuries Research led by Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD, shows that Greenland sharks—among the longest-lived vertebrates—retain structurally intact and functional retinas well beyond 100 years of age. Their remarkable visual preservation appears tied to ongoing activation of DNA-repair and protective molecular pathways, providing new insight into mechanisms that may counteract age-related retinal degeneration. View All News Events May 8, 2026 Distinguished Speaker Series | Celso Henrique Freitas Alves, PhD Apr 17, 2026 Distinguished Speaker Series | Filippo Mancia, PhD Apr 10, 2026 Distinguished Speaker Series | Vsevolod V. Gurevich, PhD Apr 3, 2026 Distinguished Speaker Series | Audrone Lapinaite, PhD Mar 20, 2026 Distinguished Speaker Series | Jun Yang, PhD View All Events Breaking Barriers: Trailblazing Innovations in Medical Research Symposium September 19, 2025 BCTVR hosted a world-class Symposium, titled “Breaking Barriers: Trailblazing Innovations in Medical Research” on September 19, 2025. We were honored to organize this one-day event, which delved into the forefront of modern medical research and explored groundbreaking innovations. The symposium featured leading scientists from across the nation, including three Nobel laureates, a Presidential Early Career Award recipient, and other distinguished speakers, who shared their insights on opening new frontiers in medical research. Additionally, we hosted power meetings with prominent researchers, providing a platform for collaboration and exchange of ideas. VIEW EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Explore the Science Behind the Vision Get an inside look at the groundbreaking research happening within the Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research. Hear directly from our faculty as they share the goals, impact, and innovation driving their work. These stories highlight the collaborative spirit and scientific excellence at the heart of BCTVR. Watch the Videos Researchers Sponsors Postdocs Students T32 VSTP Distinguished Speaker Series Every Friday, 8:30 am-10:00 am PST, during Academic year, CTVR hosts worldwide research seminars on the groundbreaking research topics ranging from ophthalmology, genetics, biochemistry, neurobiology, imaging, computational sciences to novel ophthalmic treatments. This seminar series showcases the Vision Science Program and engages our colleagues from UCI, the region, the nation and beyond. Please join us! Learn more About Friday Seminars Unique Two-photon Ophthalmoscope (2PO) The BCTVR boasts having the two-photon ophthalmoscope (2PO) instrument for humans, a next-generation technology that could accomplish in-depth, real-time views of disease progression. It is the only one in the country and only one of the two in the world. This live imaging with 2PO excitation can help provide patients more individualized treatment by using a nondestructive, deeply penetrating long-wavelength infrared laser beam. The application of 2PO simultaneously exceeds and complements the capabilities of optical coherence tomography and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, two of the techniques currently used clinically to image retinal diseases. Read Full Article BCTVR Publication Library We strive to make our research available to benefit and transform society and improve people's lives. Full List of Publications