Oct 21, 2026 | UC Irvine School of Medicine

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Eye researchers at work on groundbreaking whole-eye transplant

UCI Health researchers Kimberly Gokoffski, MD, PhD, and Frans Vinberg, PhD, are advancing research toward restoring vision through whole eye transplantation. Their work focuses on major challenges such as preserving donor eye function and reconnecting the eye with the brain, with the potential to also advance treatments for blindness today.

Oct 21, 2026 | UC Irvine School of Medicine

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Renowned retina researcher joins Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research

Internationally recognized retina researcher Frans Vinberg, PhD, has joined UCI’s Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research, bringing expertise in retinal biology and vision restoration. His research explores treatments for retinal disease, including ischemic vision loss, gene editing therapies and whole eye transplantation.

Oct 02, 2026 | UC Irvine News

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Celebration of Madeline King's PhD

Madeleine King successfully defended her PhD in Biochemistry, with research focused on developing safer and more precise genome editing technologies. Her work advances base and prime editing tools that could improve the accuracy of future treatments for genetic diseases.

Sep 18, 2026 | UC Irvine School of Medicine

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PerZeption Awarded NEI Phase 1 SBIR Grant for Age-related Macular Degeneration Study

PerZeption Inc. has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) for the project "Efficient Achromatic and Chromatic Photostress Recovery Assessment for Age-related Macular Degeneration." The study will be performed in collaboration with researchers at the Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research at the University of California, Irvine.

Sep 11, 2026 | UC Irvine School of Medicine

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Pre-Med Students Spend Summer Immersed in Biomedical Research

UCI’s summer research programs give undergraduate students hands on experience in biomedical research and clinical medicine. This year, 25 students in the HBCU Summer Research Clinical Experience (TRAVIS) Program explored fields including retinal disease, gene editing, and inherited eye disorders while gaining mentorship and research experience.

Aug 13, 2026 | UC Irvine News

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Knights Templar Eye Foundation Leaders Visit UCI to Celebrate Career-Starter Grant Recipient and Meet Program Alumni

Postdoctoral scholar Yexuan Cao, MD, PhD, of the Rui Chen Lab, receives $100,000 grant to study a newly identified gene linked to inherited retinal disease