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Don J. Zack

Don J. Zack, MD, PhD

Johns Hopkins Affiliations:
  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

Languages

  • English

Gender

Male

About Don J. Zack

Professional Titles

  • Co-Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Stem Cells and Ocular Regenerative Medicine (STORM)
  • Guerrieri Professor of Genetic Engineering & Molecular Ophthalmology

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Ophthalmology

Background

Donald J. Zack, M.D., Ph.D., is the Guerrieri Professor of Genetic Engineering and Molecular Ophthalmology and co-director of the Center for Stem Cells and Ocular Regenerative Medicine (STORM) at the Wilmer Eye Institute. He is also a professor in the departments of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Neuroscience, and the Institute of Genetic Medicine. His lab studies the control of gene expression in retinal ganglion cells, the cells whose death in glaucoma leads to visual loss and potentially blindness. He also studies the mechanisms by which ganglion cells die in glaucoma, and are developing novel methods to slow down, and hopefully prevent, ganglion cell death in glaucoma. Dr. Zack and his colleagues are beginning studies to promote the differentiation of stem cells into retinal ganglion cells, in the hope that someday that might offer the possibility of restoring vision to glaucoma patients who have already lost significant vision due to ganglion cell death.

Dr. Zack received his M.D. degree and Ph.D. in molecular immunology from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. After a year of internship, he completed his residency in ophthalmology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard University. He then completed fellowship training in glaucoma and molecular biology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and joined the faculty in 1991. Dr. Zack has published over 160 peer-reviewed journal articles and has won a number of awards, including the Alcon Research Award.

Centers and Institutes

Wilmer Eye Institute Research

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

Additional Academic Titles

Professor of Genetic Medicine, Professor of Neuroscience, Joint Appointment in Molecular Biology and Genetics

Contact for Research Inquiries

Smith Building
400 N. Broadway
Baltimore, MD 21287

Phone: (410) 502-5230
Fax: (410) 502-5382
dzack@jhmi.edu

Research Interests

Gene expression in retinal ganglion cells, Glaucoma

Honors

Friedenwald Award, ARVO, 5/2/19