David Gamm
Credentials: MD, PhD
Position title: Associate Professor
Email: dgamm@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 263-6429
Address:
621, T607 Waisman Center
1500 Highland Ave
Madison, WI 53705
Focus Groups
Signal Transduction
Education
PhD University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
MD University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Research Detail
Inherited and acquired degenerative diseases of the retina are a significant cause of incurable vision loss worldwide. Closer to home, I see the impact of these diseases on afflicted individuals and their families in my pediatric ophthalmology practice at the University of Wisconsin. As such, my laboratory at the Waisman Center utilizes stem cell technology to 1) investigate the cellular and molecular events that occur during human retinal differentiation and 2) generate cells for use in human retinal disease modeling and cell-based rescue or replacement strategies. To meet these goals, we utilize a variety of human cell types, including ES and iPS cells, which have the capacity to mimic retinal development and disease, as well as to delineate the genetic “checkpoints” necessary to produce particular retinal cell types. By understanding the behavior of these cell types in vitro and in vivo, we hope to optimize strategies to delay or reverse the effects of blinding disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa and age–related macular degeneration.