David Gamm, MD, PhD

Position title: Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

David Gamm, MD, PhD

MD, PhD, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
RRF Emmett A. Humble Distinguished Director McPherson Eye Research Institute
Sandra Lemke Trout Chair in Eye Research

Contact Information

Waisman Center
1500 Highland Avenue
Room T609
Madison, WI 53705
608-261-1516
dgamm@wisc.edu
Lab Website: Gamm Lab, Stem Cell Research Program

Research Statement

Inherited and acquired degenerative diseases of the retina are a significant cause of incurable vision loss worldwide. Closer to home, I see the impact of these diseases on afflicted individuals and their families in my pediatric ophthalmology practice at the University of Wisconsin. As such, my laboratory at the Waisman Center utilizes stem cell technology to 1) investigate the cellular and molecular events that occur during human retinal differentiation and 2) generate cells for use in human retinal disease modeling and cell-based rescue or replacement strategies. To meet these goals, we utilize a variety of human cell types, including ES and iPS cells, which have the capacity to mimic retinal development and disease, as well as to delineate the genetic “checkpoints” necessary to produce particular retinal cell types. By understanding the behavior of these cell types in vitro and in vivo, we hope to optimize strategies to delay or reverse the effects of blinding disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa and age–related macular degeneration.

Selected Publications