Welcome to the Vision Core Website

The Vision Core Center Grant is one of 38 NEI/NIH supported facilities in the country. Vision scientists across the campus of WSU and at other institutions are supported by research Modules in the Anatomy and Cell Biology Department. These modules provide centralized units which continue to facilitate and enhance vision research at Wayne State University and institutions such as Henry Ford Hospital. The modules cost-effectively enhance current, ongoing research by providing this group of investigators with personnel and equipment to advance, with priority, NEI funded research projects and secondarily provide opportunity for collaboration and development of new pilot projects for grant development.

The three Research Modules include: Morphology, Tissue Culture/Hybridoma/ Molecular and Computer Graphics. The Morphology Module provides for all facets of light, electron and con focal microscopy, as well as training of new personnel. Expertise is also available for immunofluorescence and immunocytochemistry, as well as cryofixation techniques. This facility provides morphological expertise to those whose training is not in this area and enhances the work of those who are primarily morphologists. The Tissue Culture/Hybridoma/Molecular Module provides vision investigators with tissue and organ culture facilities and continues to provide tissue culture hybridoma and molecular technological expertise. The Computer Graphics Module provides the capability for investigators to carry out analytical and statistical operations, to obtain technical assistance on the development of software programs for data gathering and analysis by either personal or Core Module microcomputers, and to provide image analysis capability to capture and enhance a variety of images. It is also critical for generation of poster and slides presentations.

Each of the Modules is staffed by a highly talented research assistant/associate who is an expert in the research areas needed within each facility. The Director(s) of each Module consist of an established vision scientist who has considerable experience in the respective research field and who actively functions to enhance NEI supported studies and to encourage and facilitate collaborative vision research efforts.