Consortium organization
The organizational structure of Lifelong VISION is designed to promote (i) transparent and collaborative decision-making at all levels, (ii) efficient progress monitoring and reporting, (ii) fruitful interactions with external experts and stakeholders, and (iv) optimal embedding at the participating institutes.
learn moreConsortium organization
The organizational structure of Lifelong VISION is designed to promote (i) transparent and collaborative decision-making at all levels, (ii) efficient progress monitoring and reporting, (ii) fruitful interactions with external experts and stakeholders, and (iv) optimal embedding at the participating institutes.
The organizational structure consists of the following Consortium Bodies:
- Executive Board
- Coordinator
- Project Support Office
Furthermore, the following advisory boards and councils shall exist:
- Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)
- Institutional Board (IB)
The people involved
The program is organized in pillars and platforms. Each of those has a page the team members:
- Pillar 1: Gene-based therapy
- Pillar 2: Pathway-based therapy
- Pillar 3: Cell-based therapy
- Platform A: Model systems
- Platform B: Patient profiling
For an overview of everyone involved please visit our team page.
Gene-based therapy Pillar 1
To design and refine truly personalized, innovative and effective treatments for visually impaired individuals.
go to pagePatient profiling Platform B
A datadriven approach to define intervention-specific disease signatures.
go to pageScientific Advisory Board
Anneke den Hollander
About me
Distinguished global pharma leader with expertise in Genomics, Functional Genomics and Ophthalmology. Proven commitment to making a difference for patients, leveraging scientific excellence and translating research findings into innovations, treatments, and cures. Adept at mentoring, developing, and motivating cross-functional teams and providing strategic direction.
Areas of expertise include:
• Portfolio leadership
• Target identification and validation using genomics, functional genomics and multi-omics approaches
• Disease modeling using in vitro (hiPSC-derived cell types, organ-on-a-chip) and in vivo models
• Biomarkers for disease development, disease progression and treatment outcome
Kapil Bharti
Senior Investigator at NEI and Scientific Director of the Intramural Research Program at the National Eye Institute
read moreKapil Bharti
About me
Dr. Bharti holds a bachelor's degree in biophysics from the Panjab University in Chandigarh, India, where he graduated with highest honors. This was followed by a master degree in biotechnology at the Maharaja Sayaji Rao University in Baroda, India and a diploma in molecular cell biology at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University at Frankfurt in Germany. Supported by an international Ph.D. student fellowship, he obtained his Ph.D. from the same institution, graduating summa cum laude. His Ph.D. work involved basic biology in the areas of heat stress, cellular chaperones, and epigenetics. From Germany, Dr. Bharti came to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to work with Dr. Heinz Arnheiter as a postdoctoral fellow. While there, he published numerous papers in the areas of transcription factor regulation, pigment cell biology, and the developmental biology of the eye. It is perhaps this combination of diverse backgrounds that led him to develop an interest in the emerging field of stem cell biology, particularly of the retinal pigment epithelium, as he moved into the role of staff scientist.
Research interests: Ocular stem cell and translational research
The goal of the Unit on Ocular Stem Cells and Translational Research (OSCTR) is to perform translational research on degenerative eye diseases using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology. We are using this technology to develop in vitro disease models to study patient-specific disease processes, to set up high throughput drug screens, and to develop cell-based therapy for retinal degenerative diseases.
Marius Ueffing
Professor, Dr. rer.nat.
Director of the Institute for Ophthalmic Research
Head of the Division of Molecular Biology of Retinal Degenerations
Head of the Core Facility for Medical Bioanalytics
Marius Ueffing
About me
Marius Ueffing is the Director of the Institute for Ophthalmic Research and Co-Chair of the Centre for Ophthalmology at the University Medical Center in Tuebingen, one of the largest centers for ophthalmology in Europe. He directs the Medical Bioanalytics Core Facility a core facility of the medical faculty in Tübingen and acts as a Member of the Board of QBiC, the Quantitative Biology Center of the University of Tuebingen. His research combines cellular and molecular physiology with genome and proteome analysis to analyse the impact of genetic and environmental factors on human health on a systemic level. Focus of the lab is neurodegeneration in the retina with specific emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of disease towards development of targeted therapy.
Core expertise: Experimental ophthalmology; medical genetics; bioanalytics; systems biology, signal transduction, proteomics, neurobiology
Reinier Schlingemann
Professor of Ophthalmology and Vascular Diseases of the Macula
University of Amsterdam
read moreReinier Schlingemann
About me
Focus of research
- The role of angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors in ocular angiogenesis, particularly in AMD and diabetic retinopathy
- The cellular mechanisms underlying loss of the blood-retinal barrier in diabetic retinopathy
- Identification of new genes and mechanisms of angiogenesis
- The role of complement activation and the proteasome in retinal pigment epithelium in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration
- Prospective clinical trials on the use of anti-angiogenic therapy in AMD, diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusions