Jeff Marchant
Dr. Marchant is a Research Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and has been studying the vertebrate eye since graduate school. Much of the early work focused on the cornea and several projects continue today including the mechanism(s) of resistance to epithelial infection and the development of an artificial cornea using silk-based scaffolds. His research expanded to begin a characterization of the corneoscleral angle in the chicken and to study trabecular meshwork cells using human cell cultures. In 2005, Dr. Marchant began collaborating with Dr. John to further these studies by switching to mouse models of IOP regulation. The research has lead to the identification of a novel component in the mouse trabecular meshwork, type XII collagen, and a novel model to explain the age-related loss of hyaluronan that is characteristic of primary open-angle glaucoma. In addition, the research has focused on the inner wall of Schlemm’s canal as a dynamic modulator of aqueous outflow resistance. The data obtained resulted in the award of a two-year award from the American Health Assistance Foundation - National Glaucoma Research. Dr. Marchant continues to spend time during the summer in Dr. John’s laboratory. At Tufts, he can be reached at jeffrey.marchant@tufts.edu.
Publications:
Gareth R. Howell, Richard T. Libby, Jeffrey K. Marchant, Lawriston A. Wilson, Ioan M. Cosma, Richard S. Smith, Michael G. Anderson, and Simon W.M. John (2007). Absence of glaucoma in DBA/2J mice homozygous for wild-type versions of Gpnmb and Tyrp1. BMC Genetics, In press
Gareth R. Howell, Jeffrey K. Marchant and Simon W. M. John (2007), Mouse Models: A key system for revolutionizing understanding of glaucoma, in Eye, Retina, and Visual System of the Mouse, Leo M. Chalupa and Robert W. Williams, Editors, MIT Press. In press
Douglas B. Gould, Jeffrey K. Marchant, Olga Savinova, Richard S. Smith and Simon W. M. John (2007), Col4a1 Mutations Activate the Unfolded Protein Response and Cause Genetically Modifiable Ocular Dysgenesis. Hum. Mol. Genetics. 16: 798 - 807.
