The Qiuhua Yang Lab investigates how metabolic and inflammatory processes contribute to retinal degenerative diseases, aging-related conditions, and ocular fibrosis. We focus on the interactions among retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, immune cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts, emphasizing how metabolic reprogramming and inflammation shape disease progression through epigenetic regulation and altered cell behavior. Our research aims to define metabolic heterogeneity, discover key metabolic regulators, and decode intercellular metabolic signaling. We study both wet and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), investigating the mechanisms of choroidal neovascularization, subretinal fibrosis, geographic atrophy, and RPE degeneration. We also examine how retinal ischemia, as seen in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), drives immune and metabolic dysfunction. Using advanced technologies such as spatial transcriptomics, metabolomics, single-cell sequencing, and photoacoustic imaging, we explore local and systemic pathways through the eye–gut, eye–cardiovascular, and eye–kidney connections to better understand and target retinal and systemic diseases.
Our ultimate goal is to identify novel therapeutic targets to halt or reverse vision loss and uncover broader implications for systemic health.
