Martin-Paul Agbaga, PhD

Dr. Martin-Paul Agbaga is currently an Assistant Professor of Research in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. Agbaga earned a BSc. in Biological Sciences (First Class Honors) from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, as well as a MS and PhD in Cell Biology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. During his graduate and postdoctoral training under Prof. Robert E. Anderson, MD., PhD, at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Dr. Agbaga also had the opportunity to work with Prof. Anna Wobus, PhD, at the In Vitro Differentiation Group, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany, and with Dr. Orson L. Moritz, PhD, at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences of University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Martin-Paul’s long-term research interest is to combine advances in molecular biology techniques, lipidomics, proteomics and biochemical assays to dissect the mechanism underlying blinding eye diseases with the goal to discover, develop and evaluate possible future treatments for age-related macular degeneration and juvenile autosomal dominant macular dystrophy. Prior to receiving the BrightFocus Foundation Award, Martin-Paul received grants from Hope for Vision and Knight Templar Eye Foundation Inc. that enabled him to generate the preliminary studies that lead to the design of experiments to be done with the BrightFocus Foundation Award.