Yaron Rabinowitz, MD

Director, Opthalmology Research
Email:yaron.rabinowitz@cshs.org
Phone:(310) 423-9640
Fax:(310) 423-9649

Institute Affiliation

Regenerative Medicine Institute

Awards and Activities

International Society of Refractive Surgery Research Award2006
American Academy of Ophthalmology Honor Award2000
Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, U.C.L.A.1994
National Eye Institutes of Health Research Award1993
Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology1990

Research Focus

Corneal topographic analysis and profiles of the eye to better understand the genetics of keratoconus. Molecular Genetic analysis of the cornea to identify molecular defects that predispose individuals to develop keratoconus and to devise therapy for this diseas by gene therapy. Conversion of corneal limbal epithelial cells into progenitor retinal cells to treat age related macular degeneration

Research Contributions

A leading clinical and molecular research program on keratoconus. 1) Described subtle topographic anomalies in family members of patients with keratoconus, 2) Demonstrated that genes are the primary contributor to the development of keratoconus and 3) Demonstrated a molecular defect in the epithelium of patients with keratoconus.

Current investigations include:

Molecular genetic analysis of patients with keratoconus and family members to identify genes contributing to the disease and devise a cure by means of gene therapy.

Selected Publications

  1. Rabinowitz YS: Keratoconus. Survey of ophthalmology, 42(4): 297-319
  2. Rabinowitz YS, Garbus J, McDonnell PJ: Computer-assisted corneal topography in family members of patients with keratoconus. Arch. Ophthalmol., 108(3): 365-71, 1990
  3. Rabinowitz YS, Dong L, Wistow G: Gene expression profile studies of human keratoconus cornea for NEIBank: a novel cornea-expressed gene and the absence of transcripts for aquaporin 5. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 46(4): 1239-46, 2005
  4. Wang Y, Rabinowitz YS, Rotter JI, Yang H: Genetic epidemiological study of keratoconus: evidence for major gene determination. Am. J. Med. Genet., 93(5): 403-9, 2000
  5. Li X, Rabinowitz YS, Tang YG, Picornell Y, Taylor KD, Hu M, Yang H: Two-stage genome-wide linkage scan in keratoconus sib pair families. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., 47(9): 3791-5, 2006
  6. Tang YG, Rabinowitz YS, Taylor KD, Li X, Hu M, Picornell Y, Yang H: Genomewide linkage scan in a multigeneration Caucasian pedigree identifies a novel locus for keratoconus on chromosome 5q14.3-q21.1. Genet. Med., 7(6): 397-405
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