Dr. Richard Kramer

Biography

Richard H. Kramer is a Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. He holds the CH and Annie Li Chair of Molecular Biology of Diseases and is also the Director of the Vision Science Core. His research primarily focuses on exploiting neural plasticity to restore vision in retinal degenerative diseases, particularly in retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. Kramer has developed innovative photochemical tools, known as 'photoswitches', which confer light sensitivity to retinal ganglion cells, thereby bypassing the loss of rods and cones in the retina. His lab uses electrophysiological recordings, optical imaging, and behavioral experiments in vivo to demonstrate the effectiveness of these approaches in restoring light responses in living mice. The overarching goal of his work is to translate the use of photoswitch molecules into therapeutic modalities for blind humans. In addition to these innovations, Kramer is investigating the physiological changes in retinal ganglion cells due to the loss of photoreceptors and is developing genetic interventions to reverse these changes. He aims to utilize genetically-targeted photo-control for specific ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors to enhance neural signaling precision in targeted brain regions.

Research Interests