The Institute
The Institute for Ophthalmic Research is imbedded into the integrated research and treatment Centre for Ophthalmology at the University Medical Centre of Tübingen and offers excellent infrastructures and a vibrant basic and clinical research environment. The Institute is headed by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Marius Ueffing and cooperates closely with the University Eye Hospital headed by Prof. Dr. med. Karl Ulrich Bartz-Schmidt.
The Institute aims at uncovering the causes for degenerative, inflammatory, neoplastic, and vascular diseases of the eye and developing diagnostics and therapies based on these discoveries. Translational research is jointly performed with the University Eye Hospital Tuebingen as well as within the framework of the the Centre for Neurosensory Systems (ZfN).
Independent but interconnected scientific teams work together using a systemic, cause-related approach to find new ways of diagnosing and treating eye diseases based on an in-depth understanding of the disease mechanisms.
Interdisciplinarity and international connectivity ascertain relevance and quality of work in four main topics: structure and function of the retina; pathomechanisms and risk factors; multimodal diagnostics for personalized treatment strategies and development of innovative treatment for retinal degenerative diseases.
Organized in a variety of groups and teams the institute offers a multifaceted portfolio of competences including multi-omics approaches, computational biology, pathophysiology and toxicology, neurophysiology, pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. Together with partners in academia and industry, we develop and evaluate concepts for novel diagnostics and therapies. A variety of large-scale projects funded by the European Community, the Federal Ministry of Research, the German Research Council, and private foundations have created a high level of cooperation.
Mission & Strategy
RESEARCH FOR VISION
As a leading centre for vision research, we conduct rigorous research in order to break new ground in understanding the principles of vision and the mechanisms of blinding diseases. We are confident that this research will enable us to rationally develop effective treatments that ultimately retain or restore vision.
Within the Centre for Ophthalmology at the University of Tübingen Medical Centre, we and our colleagues at the University Eye Hospital jointly strive for scientific excellence and honesty, for speed in translating the advancements into patient’s benefit, and for training and mentoring the next generation of leaders in our field.
As leaders and partners in multi-national collaborations, we work for continuous strengthening our ties to fellow international scientists in the public and private sector and to foundations, industry, and patient organizations.
As an integral part of Tübingen’s biomedical and neuroscience campus, we offer a scientific environment that favors creativity for generating groundbreaking ideas, their transfer into reality and their translation into diagnostics and therapy, to help those that suffer from vision loss.
Centre of Excellence
The state of Baden-Württemberg has identified the Centre for Ophthalmology as a Centre of Excellence – the only one of its kind in Baden-Württemberg. Culminating in 2016 after years with a scattered infrastructure, the Federal Government of Germany, the State of Baden-Württemberg, and the University Medical Centre have contributed more than 54 Mio Euros to establish a new building that now houses both the Institute and the Eye Clinic under one roof. The new infrastructure, designed as an Integrated Research and Clinical Centre for Ophthalmology is supporting us on the way to advancing our understanding of the principles of human vision and enables us to better help those who are at risk of losing their vision.
Statement of the Director
Seeing is an essential part of human life and the eye is our window to the world. Our eyes let us see its beauty and they allow us see each other. When we look into each other’s eyes, we make a first connection. Blindness is pushing this all into darkness. When I started work on the eye and on its diseases 30 years ago, we knew only a few genes linked to blindness. And there was no hope to save eyesight for those affected by it. Within these 30 years we have moved from describing the problem to solving it. I want to go on in solving it, until hope has become a reality.