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-associate 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. Prior to join as a as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Don Zack’s lab at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, I am a graduate student with Dr. Wan Jin Jahng at Michigan Technological University, As a graduate student, I carried out multiple research projects to understand the early biochemical and proteomic alterations during RPE cell death under AMD-associated oxidative stress stimulus; Over the last 12 years, I have been studying the biochemistry and molecular biology of RPE degenerative diseases. During my research career, I have generated peer-reviewed publications, secured multiple grants and collaborated with several vision research laboratories.