Myoungsup Sim, PhD

I received a PhD in Molecular biology and Genetics from Seoul National University, Korea. During my PhD course and 2 year-postdoctoral periods in Korea, I acquired advanced molecular, cellular biological, and biochemical concepts and techniques. In 2012, I started glaucoma research as a postdoctoral employee and Assistant Project Scientist at Hamilton Glaucoma Center in University of California, San Diego, where I studied mitochondrial dysfunction in retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve head astrocytes as a pathological mechanism of glaucoma. Since 2017, I have researched as a Research Associate, Senior at Duke eye center to further understand the biological basis of glaucoma, particularly focusing on the roles of autophagy and mechanotransduction in the outflow facility physiology and pathophysiology. My most recent studies have been focused on identifying the mechanosensor responsible for mechanical stress-induced autophagy in the human trabecular meshwork cells and our team and I finally identified that primary cilium is a mechanosensor for the autophagy induction. Currently, I plan to extent all these novel findings to Schlemm’s canal cells proposed in this proposal to better understand outflow physiology and pathophysiology.