Dr. Edward M. Levine is the William A. Black Professor of Ophthalmology and Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University. He can be reached by email at ed.levine@vanderbilt.edu or by phone at 615-936-0496. His lab is located in B3222 Medical Center North, at 1161 21st Ave South, Nashville, TN 37232.

Dr. Levine's laboratory focuses on two main areas related to vision. The first is the study of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern the development of the mouse retina. This work uses multiple genetic models to identify the genetic circuitry driving these processes, from the initial patterning events of the optic neuroepithelium to the specification of cell fate in the proliferative and multipotential retinal progenitor cells and their postmitotic progeny.

The second area of focus is understanding how resident retinal glia (Muller glia) contribute to the pathological changes associated with retinal disease and injury, and discovering ways to stimulate regeneration from these cells. The lab is particularly interested in understanding how Muller glia alter their differentiation program in retinal injury and proliferative vitreoretinopathy, as these situations best reveal the complexity of the barriers to regeneration.

The lab is utilizing the Audacious Goals Initiative from the National Eye Institute to screen for novel factors that promote regenerative properties in adult mouse Muller glia in vivo. The research incorporates mouse genetics, cell and tissue culture, analyses of protein and nucleic acid expression, imaging, and examination of cellular behavior.