Nan-Kai Wang Lab

Dr. Wang’s research interest focuses on mitochondria function, which is involved in cellular metabolism and apoptosis. His laboratory is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His overall research goal is to develop therapies for retinitis pigmentosa and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration through mitochondrial reprogramming. He is developing research programs using mouse models to study the role of mitochondria in inherited retinal dystrophies, which includes a unique patient-specific knock-in mouse model and conditional overexpression knock-in mouse models. His models may have significant utility in testing therapeutic strategies to preserve vision in inherited retinal dystrophies.