WVU summer research program helps student affirm passion for research into glaucoma and other ocular diseases

A lifelong curiosity and passion for visual sciences led Lauren Peyton from the University of Notre Dame to the West Virginia University Health Sciences campus in Morgantown, where she had the opportunity to engage in the same hands-on research that played a crucial role in restoring her vision.

When she was just nine years old, Peyton was involved in a traumatic boating accident that left her temporarily blinded in both eyes. Peyton credits the restoration of her vision to exceptional medical care, enabled by years of scientific research and innovation.

“That experience showed me that every advancement in medicine begins with research,” Peyton explained. “The treatments and knowledge that led to my recovery were only possible because researchers asked difficult questions, tested new ideas and built the foundation that physicians rely on every day. It has been incredibly meaningful to be able to contribute to that same process through vision research at West Virginia University.”

Peyton was one of nine students from around the country who were accepted to the WVU School of Medicine’s Summer Undergraduate Vision Research Fellowship Program and arrived on campus in July.

The 10-week, full-time program provides interns with basic biochemistry and visual neuroscience research experience in areas exploring blinding diseases and new diagnostic and treatment methods. Each student enrolled in the program is paired with a faculty mentor on a small-scale, hands-on research project that they formally present at the conclusion of the program in August.

Peyton was partnered with Assistant Professor and Glaucoma Specialist Joel Palko, MD, where she had the unique opportunity to engage in hands-on research aimed at better understanding the ocular disease that she has been battling for most of her life.

“I developed glaucoma as a result of my accident, so management of the disease has been a part of my everyday life for several years,” she said. “Being able to make meaningful contributions to better understanding this disease has made this entire experience especially meaningful to me. My hope is to one day contribute to a future where fewer children experience vision loss.”

Palko and Peyton’s research project focused on understanding axonal degeneration in the context of glaucoma and vision loss. Peyton explained that axons are the long extensions of neurons that make up the nerve fibers of the optic nerve, and that being able to study them independently provides some much-needed context into how degeneration occurs among glaucoma patients.

“The broader question behind this project is determining how early changes in axons may contribute to optic nerve degeneration before major cell death occurs. My current goal is to establish a reliable system for culturing neurons and confirming that axons can successfully grow into a separate compartment. This serves as a crucial first step in better understanding what makes axons vulnerable to disease,” she said.

Peyton added that glaucoma can be a particularly challenging neurodegenerative disease to study because there are still many unanswered questions about its underlying mechanisms. While elevated eye pressure is a prominent risk factor for the disease, glaucoma is still known to occur in patients whose eye pressure falls within the normal range. She said these unanswered questions make glaucoma all the more fascinating to study in the laboratory.

“We understand many of the factors associated with the disease, but we still do not fully know what triggers degeneration of the optic nerve or why it progresses differently from person to person,” she said. “I’ve been especially interested in understanding what occurs during the earliest stages of glaucoma. By the time vision loss is noticeable, much of the damage is already irreversible. Learning why axons begin to degenerate before neurons die can eventually help researchers identify new methods for detecting or slowing progression of the disease earlier.”

Palko said he was honored to work alongside Peyton on this project, and that students like her perfectly represent the program’s mission in action.

“Lauren is a shining example of why we host this program each summer,” Palko said. “It allows us to bring talented students like her to our campus, which brings new insights and perspectives into our laboratories, while we help give them the tools and experiences they need to be successful in their future research, academic and career endeavors.”

Peyton is a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame, where she majors in science professional studies and minors in compassionate care medicine. Following the completion of her studies, Peyton plans to attend medical school and pursue a career in ophthalmology.

The Summer Undergraduate Vision Research Fellowship Program is hosted by the WVU Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, and is led by Assistant Professors Michael Robichaux, PhD, and Saravanan Kolandaivelu, PhD. It is supported by the WVU Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE), an initiative aimed at developing innovative methods to prevent, treat and slow the progression of blinding diseases. CoBRE is funded through a major grant from the National Institutes of Health.

To learn more about vision research at the WVU School of Medicine, visit medicine.hsc.wvu.edu/eye/research.