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Connecticut Lions Vision Center

Welcome to the Connecticut Lions Vision Center. This type 2 interdepartmental center was established by the executive vice president and approved by the Board of Trustees in 1998 in recognition of long-term, continuous funding of vision-related research by the Connecticut Lions Eye Research Foundation. The Center director is Dr. James O'Rourke, a physician-scientist investigating microvascular innervation in the eye and the vascular system. The goal of the Center is to advance knowledge about the relationship of the eye and visual system to systemic diseases. Disease examples include diabetes, arteriosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, immune and genetic disorders. This research involves the collaboration of scientists and physicians in studies of vascular, neurologic, metabolic, genetic and molecular aspects of blinding diseases. Education includes pre- and post-doctoral training in graduate programs of immunology, vascular biology, genetics and cell biology. Currently nine faculty members from seven departments collaborate in Vision Center studies, as shown below. We welcome any comments or questions you may have.