Bio
Dr. Stefanie G. Wohl, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological and Vision Sciences at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry in New York City.
She joined SUNY Optometry as an Assistant Professor, where she founded the Wohl Laboratory - the institution’s first molecular biology research lab. Her research explores how specific molecules called microRNAs regulate retinal development, regeneration, as well as cellular responses during disease or after injury. The long‑term goal is to combat visual impairment and blindness by attenuating degenerative processes and stimulating neural regeneration via endogenous retinal cells. Her current work focuses on understanding and counteracting disease mechanisms in models of retinitis pigmentosa and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as exploring and utilizing mechanisms of cell programming and developing approaches for regenerative medicine. Her work is funded by programs such as the New York State Empire Innovation Program Grant and a recent NIH R01 award (R01EY032532).
Renowned experts influenced Dr. Wohl's path in the field of ophthalmology and neuroscience. She conducted postdoctoral research and served as an Acting Instructor in Dr. Thomas Reh’s laboratory at the University of Washington in Seattle, and collaborated with Dr. Rachel Wong and Dr. Fred Rieke. Supported by a German Research Foundation fellowship, she studied retinal development and the role of microRNAs and transcription factors in Müller glia function and retinal regeneration.
Dr. Wohl earned her B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Biology with “summa cum laude” from Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany, where she focused on lesion‑induced neural regeneration in the adult mouse retina under the mentorship of Dr. Jürgen Bolz, Ph.D., and Dr. Stefan Isenmann, M.D. Her Ph.D. work also included microglial characterization after optic nerve injury as well as after retinal ischemia.
More details about Dr. Wohl's research and her publications can be found on her website:
www.wohl-lab-vision-sciences.com.
