Ji Won Bang, PhD

Dr. Bang's career goal is to have an independent and successful research program that focuses on neurodegeneration and neuroplasticity under normal and pathological conditions. Specifically, Dr. Bang focuses on glaucoma and blindness. During her Ph.D. program, Dr. Bang examined plasticity in the healthy adult's visual system. Then, as she started her postdoctoral research at NYU Department of Ophthalmology, she expanded her basic science work to clinical populations. Currently, Dr. Bang investigates how glaucoma and blindness change the brain at both the subcortical and cortical levels and how impaired vision can be restored. In the current project, Dr. Bang proposes to examine the alteration of the sleep-regulating systems in glaucoma. This BrightFocus award provides an invaluable foundation for completing the proposed research and establishing her independent research career.