The Division of Experimental Retinal Therapies (ExpeRTs) was created to consolidate a longstanding expertise established within the Department of Clinical Sciences & Advanced Medicine at the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. Its members composed of board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists and vision scientists have identified numerous naturally-occurring forms of inherited retinal degeneration in dogs, developed genetic tests to help reduce the incidence of these diseases in the pet dog population, and have used these models to pioneer the development of novel therapeutic approaches and accelerate their translation into the clinic.
Researchers and clinicians from other schools at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (see: affiliated members) provide a unique and complementary expertise that to this date has helped move four treatments for retinal diseases into clinical trials. Through collaborations with academic investigators or sponsored research agreements with industry partners, the Division of ExpeRTs is dedicated to provide the necessary scientific and technical support to facilitate the development, testing and screening of new retinal therapies that can prevent blindness in humans and their animal companions.
