Dr. Amna Faruqi

Associate Professor Dept of Physiology

Scientific research plays an important role in improving patient therapy and devising new treatment techniques. Arecent study conducted in the University of California made a discovery of how adults with visual impairment could partially regain vision in cases of inherited blindness. It was observed that administration of synthetic retinoids which target the retina could restore a significant amount of vision in children with genetic impairment of sight. The visual pathway starts in the eyes but sends signals throughout the brain, with the central circuits being responsible for perception of vision. Immediately after treatment with retinoids, the signals caused activation of more neurons in the brain. This restoration of visual function at the level of the brain was much greater than expected from the improvements observed at the level of the retinae. Until now, scientists considered that the brain must receive those signals in childhood so that central circuits could wire themselves correctly. However, this new idea could aid in the development of retinoid therapies to save the central visual pathway of adults more fully with this inherited blindness. To develop an enquiring minding to foster research, IM & DC is playing a major role by encouraging its students to engage in research projects from the very start, so why not start working on one today!