UToledo scientists are working to address some of society’s chronic health conditions at the cellular level.
Researchers at The University of Toledo are advancing knowledge of cancer cell movement and how cell proliferation affects disease progression.
Vision Impairment
Internationally published research by Ajith Karunarathne, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, on the impact of blue light on photoreceptor cells in the eye caused a media storm due to implications associated with the widespread use of devices, like cell phones, that emit such light. Blue light causes molecules in the eye to trigger reactions that generate poisonous chemicals, killing photoreceptor cells in the eye and damaging vision. No other colors of light have the same impact.
Heart Disease
Dr. Karunarathne also has been funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to examine the regulation of crucial signaling pathways that help the body control functions, such as heart rate, and impact the development of conditions including cancer and heart disease.
Cancer
Rafael Garcia-Mata, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences and recipient of three active National Institutes of Health grants, is studying the migration of cancer cells away from the primary tumor and their subsequent metastases to distant organs.
