Our laboratory studies inherited eye diseases. Projects range from attempts to map disease-causing genes with linkage analysis and positional approaches to the molecular characterization of specific mutations once the disease-causing genes have been identified. Diseases actively under study include: age related macular degeneration; glaucoma; retinitis pigmentosa; hereditary myopia; corneal dystrophies; Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. Students and fellows in the laboratory are encouraged to participate in the clinical examination of patients as well as in the molecular investigation of the diseases.