Martha Neuringer, Ph.D.
- Professor, Oregon National Primate Research Center
- Research Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, School of Medicine
Biography
Dr. Neuringer’s major areas of research include 1) the development and characterization of nonhuman primate models of retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly, and photoreceptor degenerations; 2) preclinical studies of gene and cell-based therapies for retinal disease; 3) the role of nutritional factors – particularly omega-3 fatty acids and carotenoids – in retinal and brain development, aging and disease; and 4) cognitive development and aging.
Dr. Neuringer’s laboratory has done pioneering work on the roles of nutritional factors in visual system development, aging and retinal disease, including the actions of carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids. The current primary focus of her research program is the creation of translational nonhuman primate models of retinal degenerative diseases to facilitate better understanding of disease mechanisms and preclinical testing of potential gene and cell-based therapies. Her laboratory has identified and characterized naturally-occurring nonhuman primate models of retinal disease including age-related macular degeneration, Batten disease and Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Her preclinical studies of retinal gene therapy for several inherited retinal diseases have helped to provide the basis for human clinical trials.
Education and training
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Degrees
- B.A., 1966, Harvard/Radcliffe
- Ph.D., 1971, Harvard University
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Fellowship
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, ONPRC
Memberships and associations:
- Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
- Society for Neuroscience
- International Society for Eye Research
- American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy
- American Society for Nutrition
- International Carotenoid Society (Fellow)
Areas of interest
- Nonhuman primate models of retinal disease
- Gene and cell therapies for retinal disease
- Nutritional factors in development and aging of the retina and brain
- Cognitive aging
Honors and awards
- OHSU Distinguished Science Educator Award, 2003
- International Life Sciences Institute: Certificate of Achievement for one of 20 most cited papers in 70-year history of Nutrition Reviews
- OHSU Technology Innovation/Industry Collaboration Award, 2012 and 2014
- Fellow, International Carotenoid Society, 2017
- Stein Innovation Award from Research to Prevent Blindness, 2018
- Helen Keller Vision Award from Pacific NW Lions Club, 2019
- OHSU Research and Innovation Award, 2020, 2023
Publications
Publications
Granzyme B degrades extracellular matrix and promotes inflammation and choroidal neovascularization
AngiogenesisPreformed Vesicle Approach to LNP Manufacturing Enhances Retinal mRNA Delivery
SmallThiophene-based lipids for mRNA delivery to pulmonary and retinal tissues
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaWide-field OCT angiography for non-human primate retinal imaging
Biomedical Optics ExpressDevelopment of a translatable gene augmentation therapy for CNGB1-retinitis pigmentosa
Molecular TherapyEarly-in-life isoflurane exposure alters resting-state functional connectivity in juvenile non-human primates
British journal of anaesthesiaGenetic variants in melanogenesis proteins TYRP1 and TYR are associated with the golden rhesus macaque phenotype
G3: Genes, Genomes, GeneticsGlial, Neuronal, Vascular, Retinal Pigment Epithelium, and Inflammatory Cell Damage in a New Western Diet–Induced Primate Model of Diabetic Retinopathy
American Journal of PathologyPeptide-guided lipid nanoparticles deliver mRNA to the neural retina of rodents and nonhuman primates
Science AdvancesCarotenoids improve the development of cerebral cortical networks in formula-fed infant macaques
Scientific ReportsCRISPR/Cas9 editing of the MYO7A gene in rhesus macaque embryos to generate a primate model of Usher syndrome type 1B
Scientific ReportsIncreased cell stiffness contributes to complement-mediated injury of choroidal endothelial cells in a monkey model of early age-related macular degeneration
Journal of PathologyInfant isoflurane exposure affects social behaviours, but does not impair specific cognitive domains in juvenile non-human primates
British journal of anaesthesiaA neonatal nonhuman primate model of gestational Zika virus infection with evidence of microencephaly, seizures and cardiomyopathy
PloS oneInfant rhesus macaque brain α-tocopherol stereoisomer profile is differentially impacted by the source of α-tocopherol in infant formula
Journal of NutritionBardet-Biedl Syndrome in rhesus macaques
Experimental Eye ResearchNew MiniPromoter Ple345 (NEFL) drives strong and specific expression in retinal ganglion cells of mouse and primate retina
Human Gene Therapy13C-lutein is differentially distributed in tissues of an adult female rhesus macaque following a single oral administration
Nutrition ResearchThe effects of breastfeeding versus formula-feeding on cerebral cortex maturation in infant rhesus macaques
NeuroImageAllogeneic iPSC-derived RPE cell graft failure following transplantation into the subretinal space in nonhuman primates
Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceDiscovery of a CLN7 model of Batten disease in non-human primates
Neurobiology of DiseaseRelationships of carotenoid-related gene expression and serum cholesterol and lipoprotein levels to retina and brain lutein deposition in infant rhesus macaques following 6 months of breastfeeding or formula feeding
Archives of Biochemistry and BiophysicsThe Ultrastructure, Spatial Distribution, and Osmium Tetroxide Binding of Lipofuscin and Melanosomes in Aging Monkey Retinal Epithelium
Current Eye ResearchBrain xanthophyll content and exploratory gene expression analysis
Genes and NutritionCarrot solution culture bioproduction of uniformly labeled 13C-lutein and in vivo dosing in non-human primates
Experimental Biology and MedicineCognition in aged rhesus monkeys
Genes, Brain and Behavior