Research & Teaching

The Department of Ophthalmology belongs to the leading centers in the areas of lamellar corneal transplantation including structural biology of the cornea as well as diagnostics and pathophysiology of glaucomas at a national and international level. An interdisciplinary team of clinician and basic scientists conducts patient-oriented experimental and clinical research into corneal disorders and neurodegenerative diseases of the retina and optic nerve. The broad spectrum of methodologies applied includes molecular and cell biologic experiments, histology and electron microscopy, electrophysiology and visual psychophysics, and state-of- the-art imaging modalities, such as OCT an- giography and magnetic resonance imaging. New medical products for treatment of ocular diseases are being tested in multicenter studies. A current health care project „Diagnosis and effective therapy of Long COVID“ evaluates different possibilities to diagnose Long and Post COVID using objective biomarker and to develop effective therapies. The major goal of the research efforts is to elucidate the pathophysiological causes underlying degenerative and vascular diseases of the eye and visual pathway on a molecular, cellular, and systemic level, to advance the microsurgical techniques, to secure the quality of treatments, and to promote the development of novel therapeutic concepts and treatment strategies.