Adriana Di Polo PhD

Adriana Di Polo received her B.Sc. degree in Biology from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, (Caracas, Venezuela) followed by a Ph.D. degree in Physiology from the University of California Los Angeles (Jules Stein Eye Institute). She then pursued post-doctoral training at the Center for Research in Neuroscience at McGill University (Montreal, Canada) where she investigated gene therapy approaches for neurotrophin-mediated retinal ganglion cell neuroprotection. Dr. Di Polo joined the faculty of the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at the University of Montreal in 2000 and was promoted to Full Professor in 2011. Since 2013, her primary affiliation is the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center (CRCHUM).
Dr. Di Polo’s main research interest is to understand the fundamental molecular mechanisms that promote retinal ganglion cell death in glaucoma. She is studying the contribution of glial cells and the retinal/optic nerve microvasculature to ganglion cell damage using experimental models of ocular hypertension. Dr. Di Polo seeks to use this knowledge to propel the development of novel therapeutics for glaucoma. Her background as a biologist trained in the neurosciences brings a new perspective to understanding the mechanisms underlying glaucoma pathophysiology.