Research Overview

Department of Ophthalmology clinical and laboratory scients contribute to the growing body of ophthalmic knowledge through research and patient-oriented investigation.

Basic Science Research Labs

Man with brown hair wearing white lab coat preparing to peer into a piece of ophthalmic lab equipment

Butovitch Lab

PI: Igor A. Butovich, Ph.D.

Man and woman in white lab coats examing data on a computer screen that the woman is pointing at with her gloved left hand.

Harbour Lab

PI: J. William Harbour, M.D.

Two men with dark hair and glasses wearing white lab coats looking at what a woman with dark hair wearing a white lab coat is writing in her notebook.

Mootha Lab

PI: V. Vinod Mootha, M.D.

Man with black hair and glasses wearing a white lab coat is examining a lens on a piece of large ophthalmic lab equipment.

Park Lab

PI: Kevin (Kyung) Park, Ph.D.

Man with gray hair wearing a white lab coat pointing at data on a computer screen while speaking with two young women in white lab coats.

Petroll Lab

PI: W. Matthew Petroll, Ph.D.

Woman with dark blonde hair wearing purple gloves and a white lab coat transferring liquid into a small vial with a dropper.

Robertson Lab

PI: Danielle M. Robertson, O.D., Ph.D.

Young man with black hair and beard wearing a white lab coat standing to the right of a man in a white lab coat with a bald head and glasses seated at a microscope and looking to his right.

Ufret Lab

PI: Rafael Ufret-Vincenty, M.D.

Three young women in white lab coats looking at a computer screen as the woman in the middle points at data.

Wert Lab

PI: Katherine J. Wert, Ph.D.

Core Facility

Close-up of a blue eye as seen through an ophthalmology tool.

NEI Vision Research Core Facility

The National Eye Institute Vision Research Core Facility at UT Southwestern is comprised of three service modules:

Module 1: Stem Cell, Organoid, and Cell Phenotyping
Module 2: Gene Editing and Virus Production
Module 3: Microscopy and Animal Phenotyping

Visit Core Facility

Resident Research Projects

Medical student research opportunities

Third- and fourth-year Ophthalmology residents are required to complete a research project for presentation at the Annual Resident and Alumni Day conference on June 14, 2025. Every year, medical students are invited to assist residents with research. To work on a project, please contact the resident directly.

Sarah Kenny, M.D. (PGY4)

Project

Outcomes and Complication Rates of Femtosecond Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS) among Resident Surgeons