Ophthalmology

Gustavo D. Aguirre, V.M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Ophthalmology and Medical Genetics

Dr. Aguirre’s veterinary ophthalmological and gene-therapy research focuses on inherited diseases of the eye, especially degeneration of the retina in dogs, humans, and other mammals. In 2001, he, his colleagues and researchers at Penn were the first to restore vision in blind dogs using gene therapy.

Dr. Aguirre's research interests include molecular basis of inherited eye diseases, and developing DNA-based tests for their control. His clinical interest is inherited eye disease and he is the director of the "Inherited Eye Diseases Clinic".
Currently, Dr. Aguirre is involved in research regarding inherited eye diseases among which are progressive retinal atrophy, or PRA, cataracts and the like.

Since dogs and people share such similar genetic makeups, the research has the potential to identify the causes of some cases of X-linked blindness in humans.

Dr. Gustavo D. Aguirre received his VMD from University of Pennsylvania in 1968, completed a residency in Ophthalmology from 1968 to 1969, received a fellowship in Retinal Cell Biology from 1969 to 1971 and earned a PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in 1975. After 12-years at Cornell University, he returned in 2004 to the Ryan Hospital.