Shukti Chakravarti, PhD, director of basic science research at NYU Langone’s Department of Ophthalmology, investigates cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the cornea in health and inflammatory conditions that lead to loss of vision. The work of Dr. Chakravarti and her team has identified major collagen-binding ECM proteins as regulators of inflammatory responses and molecular targets for treatment.

A second focus of Dr. Chakravarti’s lab is keratoconus, a degenerative and multigenic disease of the cornea, where a search for disease-causing genes is underway in DNA sequences of individuals and families with keratoconus. A team of clinicians and researchers is investigating keratoconus and other ocular conditions prevalent in people who have Down syndrome. These collaborative efforts aim to improve screening paradigms and develop biomarkers and novel treatment approaches.