The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences seeks to promote the study of basic and clinical problems of the eye and visual system that may lead to improvements in the prevention and treatment of major blinding disorders worldwide.

Unifying Vision Research and Patient Care

Department Chair, Jonathan H. Lass, M.D.

Welcome to the Case Western Reserve University Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to serving the University's motto of "Thinking Beyond the Possible". We are home to some of the nation's most respected, recognized researchers, clinicians, and academicians. Due to our collaborative approach and the tremendous resources of our academic medical center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center and its UH Eye Institute, we continue to succeed in our innovation toward advancing visual health.

Our translational research collaborations involve over 40 investigators across 10 disciplines, designating us as one of the top research funded institutions in the country by the National Eye Institute. Major areas of our translational research program include cataract, corneal inflammation and infections, diabetic retinopathy, genetic eye diseases, macular degeneration and other retinal degenerations such as retinitis pigmentosa. Along with our Core facilities, our department's efforts are supported by our Visions Research Coordinating Center (VRCC), enabling our discoveries to be examined in clinical trials, and our nationally recognized image analysis reading centers for the cornea (CIARC) and retina (REDIARC). Please browse our website and feel free to contact us with inquiries. Welcome again and thank you for visiting.

Visual Sciences Research Center & The CORE Modules

There are 6 CORE Modules in the Visual Sciences Research Center: Histology, Microscopy & Digital Imaging, Molecular Biology, Proteomics, Specialized Animal Resources and Tissue Culture & Hybridoma. Each module provides essential research support to over 30 CWRU departments that comprise the VSRC, providing genotyping services, high quality images, microscopy training, image analysis, high quality parrafin or cryostat sections and slides, histological stains, cloning and construction of the purest strains of mice. The VSRC is supported by a National Eye Institute funded P30 Core Grant: EY11373.