Srinivasa Rao
Sripathi

My career goal is to play a key role in the development and translation of stem cell-based therapies for the treatment of Age-macular degeneration (AMD). My research interest is to better model the stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (hRPE) cells for treating advanced forms of atrophic AMD and develop therapeutic approaches for protecting the RPE from AMD-associated oxidative stressors. I use multi-omics approaches to identify pathways that regulate AMD-associated RPE de-differentiation and dysfunction.

Using High Content Screening (HCS) technologies, I am actively screening small molecule libraries for RPE neuroprotective and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) inhibitory molecules, and pathways that modulate RPE-EMT and exploring their mechanisms of action. I use both CRISPR genome editing technology and iPS cells from patients to model RPE degenerative disease. Utilizing CRISPR interference/activation (CRISPRi/a) methodologies in hRPE cells, I am optimizing the genetic screen platform to identify the AMD-associated risk factors. Over the last 13 years, I have been studying the biochemistry and molecular biology of RPE degenerative diseases.