Kerur, Nagaraj
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology
Education
- BVSc, Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences
- PhD, Microbiology and Immunology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
- Postdoc, Ophthalmology, University of Kentucky
Contact Information
PO Box 801319
Email: nk8m@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu
Website: http://faculty.virginia.edu/kerurlab/
Research Disciplines
Immunology
Research Interests
Innate Immune Mechanisms in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Research Description
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterized by central vision loss which often culminates with morose consequences, such as irreversible blindness. An estimate, by the United Nations, predicts that the global population of individuals aged 60 and above will double by 2050, reflecting an unprecedented growth in the aging population that will likely have a serious ramifications for aging-associated diseases such as AMD. Our recent work demonstrated that AMD pathology is linked to hyperactivation of innate immune pathways, a feature also shared by a variety of other aging-associated degenerative diseases. Aging is the most important risk factor for AMD. However molecular details of how aging triggers innate immune pathways is unclear. The overall goal of our lab is to decipher the mechanism by which aging influences hyper-activation of innate immune pathways in AMD and aging.