CONTACT INFORMATIONCREDENTIALSPUBLICATIONSRuchira Singh, Ph.D.Contact InformationResearch LabsSingh LabVisit Singh Lab Lab WebsiteLocationsUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterSchool of Medicine and Dentistry601 Elmwood Ave, Box 659Rochester, NY 14642Faculty AppointmentsAssociate Professor - Department of Ophthalmology (SMD) Associate Professor - Department of Biomedical Genetics (SMD) - JointBiographyResearchThe overall objective of my research is to find treatments and possibly cures for retinal and neuro-degenerative diseases. Towards this goal my research program focuses on 1) using patient-derived human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to study the molecular mechanism of specific retinal and neurological diseases and 2) applying that knowledge to pharmacologically target certain retinal disorders in patient-derived cells. The retina is an extension of the central nervous system that has been shown to share the pathological manifestations of a number of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis. Moreover, patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease of the central retina, have been shown to have non vision–related cognitive decline. Furthermore, a number of physiological processes that are affected in neuro-degenerative diseases are also impacted in retinal degenerative diseases. To cite a few examples, perturbation in phagocytic clearance, iron metabolism, polarized fluid transport and blood–tissue barrier function are all major cellular characteristics of degenerative diseases of both the retina and the brain. Therefore studying mechanisms of specific retinal degenerative diseases also has significant relevance for understanding other neurological disorders. The current projects in the laboratory utilize patient-derived hiPSCs for: • Studying the role of individual cell layer and intercellular interaction in retinal physiology and disease development • Delineating the disease mechanism(s) of inherited retinal degenerative disease(s) and age-related macular degeneration • Elucidating the role of gene-environment interaction in the pathophysiology of macular degeneration More details about specific projects can be found on my lab websitePublicationsJournal Articles3/2/2023Dalvi S, Chatterjee A, Singh R. "AMD recapitulated in a 3D biomimetic: A breakthrough in retina tissue engineering." Cell stem cell.. 2023 Mar 2; 30(3):243-245. 5/6/2021Manian KV, Galloway CA, Dalvi S, Emanuel AA, Mereness JA, Black W, Winschel L, Soto C, Li Y, Song Y, DeMaria W, Kumar A, Slukvin I, Schwartz MP, Murphy WL, Anand-Apte B, Chung M, Benoit DSW, Singh R. "3D iPSC modeling of the retinal pigment epithelium-choriocapillaris complex identifies factors involved in the pathology of macular degeneration." Cell stem cell.. 2021 May 6; 28(5):978. 3/25/2021Manian KV, Galloway CA, Dalvi S, Emanuel AA, Mereness JA, Black W, Winschel L, Soto C, Li Y, Song Y, DeMaria W, Kumar A, Slukvin I, Schwartz MP, Murphy WL, Anand-Apte B, Chung M, Benoit DSW, Singh R. "3D iPSC modeling of the retinal pigment epithelium-choriocapillaris complex identifies factors involved in the pathology of macular degeneration." Cell stem cell.. 2021 Mar 25; Epub 2021 Mar 25. VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONSClose WindowSchedule an appointment with Ruchira Singh, Ph.D.Please answer the following questions to help us find the right appointment for you.Important: If you believe that you have a medical or psychiatric emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. This website is not intended for emergency care.Have you seen this provider in the last 2 years?YesNoExisting Patient Schedule or request a follow up appointment online through MyChart. If you do not have a MyChart account, please close this window and call the appointment phone number. Ruchira Singh, Ph.D. is currently scheduling for the following appointment type(s): Our policy does not permit patients to establish care with multiple providers within the same practice or specialty without prior approval. If you choose a new provider in the same office, we will cancel the appointment. Please contact the office directly with questions on this policy.