
Michael
Risner
PhD
Location
Rochester, MI, USA
Current Organization
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
Biography
Dr. Risner is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed his PhD training in Vision Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Risner then moved to Vanderbilt University for post-doctoral training in retinal neurobiology. Afterwards, he was a staff scientist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, studying the pathophysiology of glaucoma. Now, the goal of Dr. Risner’s lab is to understand mechanisms regulating intercellular signaling and cargoes during health and disease. His lab models neuron and glial networks using cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. These studies will inform novel targets and therapeutics for the treatment of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as glaucoma.
News Featuring This Grantee

Newsletters
National Glaucoma Research Report: Summer 2025
In this issue: Can Listening to How Cells Communicate Help Treat Glaucoma? Will AI Prevent Vision Loss from Glaucoma One Day? Researcher Spotlight: Jennifer Fan Gaskin, MBChB, MD, and more!

Research News
Could Listening in to Cellular Communication Help Treat Glaucoma?
By unlocking the secrets of how cells communicate, this first-of-its-kind BrightFocus National Glaucoma Research-funded study could help prevent vision loss and restore sight for those living with the disease.