Project Leader
Winner of the 2016 Cogan Award
Botond Roska, senior group leader at the FMI and project-leader for the NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering, is a renowned expert in the structure and function of retinal circuits in health and disease. His work has contributed in both a fundamental and highly original manner to our understanding of the function of retinal circuits. In addition, he has used his knowledge of retinal processing and the newly available optogenetic tools to reactivate retinal function, at least partially, in mouse models of blinding retinal diseases. Together with scientist from around the world, but particularly the Vision Institute in Paris, he currently tries to bring this method of vision restoration to patients with retinitis pigmentosa, and other late-onset adult blindness diseases.
The 2016 Cogan Award from the Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology now recognizes and highlights these outstanding contributions to the field. With this he joins Ted Drya and Connie Cepko, two thought leaders in the field, who have earlier received this award as well.