Richard T. Libby, Ph.D.
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Richard T. Libby, Ph.D.
About Me
Faculty Appointments
Professor - Department of Ophthalmology (SMD)
Senior Associate Dean, Graduate Education and Post-Doctoral Affairs - Dean's Office M&D - Administration (SMD)
Professor - Department of Biomedical Genetics (SMD) - Joint
Professor - Center for Visual Science A&S (RC) - Joint
Professor - Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (SMD) - Joint
Credentials
Post-doctoral Training & Residency
Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Simon John's Laboratory. The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME. Neurodegeneration in Glaucoma. 2001 - 2005
Education
Doctorate in Biology | Boston College. 1997
Bachelor of Science in Biology | Villanova University. 0
Awards
The Thomas R. Lee Award for National Glaucoma Research. 2020
Graduate Student Society Advocacy Award. 2020
Shaffer Prize for Research. 2017
University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry Trainee Academic Mentoring Award in Basic Science.. 2013
Research to Prevent Blindness Career Development Award. 2006 - 2010
Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Award.. 1993 - 1997
Research
Glaucoma is a complex group of diseases where many different genetic and environmental factors conspire to cause vision loss. While there are many different causes of glaucoma, the ultimate cause of vision loss in all glaucomas is the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the ...
Glaucoma is a complex group of diseases where many different genetic and environmental factors conspire to cause vision loss. While there are many different causes of glaucoma, the ultimate cause of vision loss in all glaucomas is the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the output neurons of the retina. Therefore, glaucoma is a neurodegeneration. Our lab focuses on the neurobiology of glaucoma. Primarily, we use mouse models of glaucoma and advanced mouse genetics to probe the pathophysiology of glaucoma. Specifically, we are interested in understanding the molecular processes that lead to RGC death in glaucoma and why are RGCs more likely to die in some patients than in others.
Cell Death Pathways Active in Glaucoma
To date, no molecules are known to be necessary for glaucomatous neurodegeneration nor has the initial molecular trigger(s) been identified. Identifying the molecular pathways required for RGC death in glaucoma will answer fundamental questions about neuronal pathophysiology and will identify potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of optic neuropathies. To determine the molecular degeneration cascades active in glaucoma we are taking two approaches. (1) Candidate gene analysis. The neurotrophic deprivation pathway (as one example) has been implicated as a critical pathway for glaucomatous RGC death. At both the protein and RNA level, we found that components of this pathway (e.g. BIM, JUN, and JNKs) are present in glaucomatous DBA/2J mice, suggesting that this pathway contributes to RGC death. Currently using our knowledge of the key mediator of somal apoptosis in DBA/2J glaucoma (BAX activation) and the other molecules that have been impacted in glaucoma, we are attempting to 'back track' our way up the RGC degeneration pathway. Eventually we hope this approach will lead to a complete identification of the somal and axonal degeneration pathways and to the initial molecular trigger(s) in glaucoma. (2) Genomic analysis. We are also using microarray analysis to investigate DBA/2J glaucoma. Microarray analysis has the potential to identify molecules involved in glaucomatous neurodegeneration that could not be predicted from current knowledge. In these experiments, gene expression changes at various, distinct stages of DBA/2J glaucomatous neurodegeneration are being examined.
Neuronal Susceptibility Factors
Elevated intraocular pressure is the best known risk factor for glaucoma. However, there is extensive patient variability in what constitutes pathogenic intraocular pressure (IOP), suggesting that other susceptibility factors are important in glaucoma. Therefore, even though glaucoma is clearly associated with IOP, susceptibility factors intrinsic to the RGCs and/or other retinal cells are likely critical mediators of glaucomatous neurodegeneration. We are attempting to define the genetic susceptibility factors that conspire with IOP to determine the probability of developing glaucoma and/or the severity of glaucoma. For instance we have shown that deficiencies in BAX gene dosage (a key molecule in the glaucomatous RGC degeneration pathway) can slow RGC loss in glaucomatous mice. These data suggest that allelic differences in components of the RGC degeneration pathway may contribute to glaucoma pathology. Also, we have been addressing the effect of blood pressure on glaucoma by backcrossing a null allele of angiotensin receptor 1 (Agtr1; deficiency in Agtr1 lowers blood pressure in mice) into DBA/2J. Low blood pressure in DBA/2J mice significantly increases the rate of glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Therefore, it appears that many diverse genetic factors can contribute to glaucomatous neurodegeneration and that the DBA/2J mouse is an effective tool in identifying these factors.
Publications
Journal Articles
Andersh KM, MacLean M, Howell GR, Libby RT
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.. 2024 June 1 Epub 06/01/2024.
McKee C, Foley K, Andersh KM, Marola OJ, Wadzinski B, Libby RT, Shrager P, Xia H
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.. 2024 May 10 Epub 05/10/2024.
Diemler CA, MacLean M, Heuer SE, Hewes AA, Marola OJ, Libby RT, Howell GR
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.. 2024 March 10 Epub 03/10/2024.
Diemler CA, MacLean M, Heuer SE, Hewes AA, Marola OJ, Libby RT, Howell GR
Frontiers in aging neuroscience.. 2024 16 :1396443. Epub 07/02/2024.
Wang X, Delle C, Peng W, Plá V, Giannetto M, Kusk P, Sigurdsson B, Sakurai S, Sweeney A, Sun Q, Du T, Libby RT, Nedergaard M
Neurobiology of disease.. 2023 November 188 :106322. Epub 10/12/2023.
Maes ME, Donahue RJ, Schlamp CL, Marola OJ, Libby RT, Nickells RW
Molecular neurodegeneration.. 2023 September 2618 (1):67. Epub 09/26/2023.
Marola OJ, Yablonski SER, Shrager PG, Nickells RW, Libby RT
Cell death discovery.. 2022 July 228 (1):331. Epub 07/22/2022.
Marola OJ, Howell GR, Libby RT
Cell death discovery.. 2022 April 168 (1):207. Epub 04/16/2022.
Syc-Mazurek SB, Yang HS, Marola OJ, Howell GR, Libby RT
Cell death & disease.. 2022 March 1613 (3):244. Epub 03/16/2022.
Wang V, Heffer A, Roztocil E, Feldon SE, Libby RT, Woeller CF, Kuriyan AE
PloS one.. 2022 17 (9):e0271950. Epub 09/01/2022.
Marola OJ, Syc-Mazurek SB, Howell GR, Libby RT
Cell death & disease.. 2020 September 2611 (9):811. Epub 09/26/2020.
Heffer A, Wang V, Sridhar J, Feldon SE, Libby RT, Woeller CF, Kuriyan AE
Translational vision science & technology.. 2020 June 9 (7):9. Epub 06/05/2020.
Wang X, Lou N, Eberhardt A, Yang Y, Kusk P, Xu Q, Förstera B, Peng S, Shi M, Ladrón-de-Guevara A, Delle C, Sigurdsson B, Xavier ALR, Ertürk A, Libby RT, Chen L, Thrane AS, Nedergaard M
Science translational medicine.. 2020 March 2512 (536)Epub 1900 01 01.
Heffer AM, Wang V, Libby RT, Feldon SE, Woeller CF, Kuriyan AE
PloS one.. 2020 15 (12):e0243626. Epub 12/21/2020.
Yoon C, Qi Y, Mestre H, Canavesi C, Marola OJ, Cogliati A, Nedergaard M, Libby RT, Rolland JP
Biomedical optics express.. 2019 December 110 (12):6242-6257. Epub 11/14/2019.
Syc-Mazurek SB, Libby RT
Progress in retinal and eye research.. 2019 November 73 :100769. Epub 07/10/2019.
Heffer AM, Proaño J, Roztocil E, Phipps RP, Feldon SE, Huxlin KR, Sime PJ, Libby RT, Woeller CF, Kuriyan AE
PloS one.. 2019 14 (9):e0222596. Epub 09/17/2019.
Marola OJ, Syc-Mazurek SB, Libby RT
Cell death discovery.. 2019 5 :140. Epub 10/10/2019.
Syc-Mazurek SB, Rausch RL, Fernandes KA, Wilson MP, Libby RT
Cell death & disease.. 2018 October 269 (11):1095. Epub 10/26/2018.
Harder JM, Williams PA, Soto I, Foxworth NE, Fernandes KA, Freeburg NF, Libby RT, John SWM
Cell death & disease.. 2018 June 139 (6):705. Epub 06/13/2018.
Fernandes KA, Mitchell KL, Patel A, Marola OJ, Shrager P, Zack DJ, Libby RT, Welsbie DS
Experimental eye research.. 2018 June 171 :54-61. Epub 03/08/2018.
Rausch RL, Libby RT, Kiernan AE
Experimental eye research.. 2018 May 170 :81-91. Epub 02/13/2018.
Fahrenthold BK, Fernandes KA, Libby RT
Scientific reports.. 2018 March 158 (1):4641. Epub 03/15/2018.
Rausch RL, Libby RT, Kiernan AE
PloS one.. 2018 13 (5):e0197048. Epub 05/08/2018.
Apara A, Galvao J, Wang Y, Blackmore M, Trillo A, Iwao K, Brown DP, Fernandes KA, Huang A, Nguyen T, Ashouri M, Zhang X, Shaw PX, Kunzevitzky NJ, Moore DL, Libby RT, Goldberg JL
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 2017 October 437 (40):9632-9644. Epub 09/04/2017.
Syc-Mazurek SB, Fernandes KA, Wilson MP, Shrager P, Libby RT
Molecular neurodegeneration.. 2017 October 212 (1):71. Epub 10/02/2017.
Syc-Mazurek SB, Fernandes KA, Libby RT
Cell death & disease.. 2017 July 208 (7):e2945. Epub 07/20/2017.
Harder JM, Braine CE, Williams PA, Zhu X, MacNicoll KH, Sousa GL, Buchanan RA, Smith RS, Libby RT, Howell GR, John SWM
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2017 May 9114 (19):E3839-E3848. Epub 04/26/2017.
Levin LA, Crowe ME, Quigley HA,
Experimental eye research.. 2017 April 157 :34-37. Epub 12/09/2016.
Majumder S, Zhu G, Xu X, Senchanthisai S, Jiang D, Liu H, Xue C, Wang X, Coia H, Cui Z, Smolock EM, Libby RT, Berk BC, Pang J
Cell reports.. 2016 December 617 (10):2532-2541. Epub 1900 01 01.
Hedberg-Buenz A, Christopher MA, Lewis CJ, Fernandes KA, Dutca LM, Wang K, Scheetz TE, Abramoff MD, Libby RT, Garvin MK, Anderson MG
Experimental eye research.. 2016 May 146 :370-385. Epub 10/22/2015.
Fernandes KA, Bloomsburg SJ, Miller CJ, Billingslea SA, Merrill MM, Burgess RW, Libby RT, Fuerst PG
Molecular and cellular neurosciences.. 2016 March 71 :1-12. Epub 12/10/2015.
Alavi MV, Mao M, Pawlikowski BT, Kvezereli M, Duncan JL, Libby RT, John SW, Gould DB
Scientific reports.. 2016 January 276 :18602. Epub 01/27/2016.
Fernandes KA, Harder JM, Williams PA, Rausch RL, Kiernan AE, Nair KS, Anderson MG, John SW, Howell GR, Libby RT
Experimental eye research.. 2015 December 141 :42-56. Epub 06/24/2015.
Mao M, Smith RS, Alavi MV, Marchant JK, Cosma M, Libby RT, John SW, Gould DB
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2015 October 56 (11):6823-31. Epub 1900 01 01.
Mac Nair CE, Fernandes KA, Schlamp CL, Libby RT, Nickells RW
Journal of neuroinflammation.. 2014 November 1911 :194. Epub 11/19/2014.
Fernandes KA, Harder JM, John SW, Shrager P, Libby RT
Neurobiology of disease.. 2014 September 69 :108-16. Epub 05/27/2014.
Coleman JA, Zhu X, Djajadi HR, Molday LL, Smith RS, Libby RT, John SW, Molday RS
Journal of cell science.. 2014 March 1127 (Pt 5):1138-49. Epub 01/10/2014.
Strazzeri JM, Hunter JJ, Masella BD, Yin L, Fischer WS, Diloreto DA, Libby RT, Williams DR, Merigan WH
Experimental eye research.. 2014 February 119 :88-96. Epub 12/05/2013.
Huang L, Hu F, Xie X, Harder J, Fernandes K, Zeng XY, Libby R, Gan L
PloS one.. 2014 9 (4):e94173. Epub 04/15/2014.
Soto I, Howell GR, John CW, Kief JL, Libby RT, John SW
PloS one.. 2014 9 (9):e107291. Epub 09/10/2014.
Howell GR, Soto I, Libby RT, John SW
Experimental neurology.. 2013 August 246 :54-61. Epub 01/18/2012.
Fernandes KA, Harder JM, Kim J, Libby RT
Experimental eye research.. 2013 July 112 :106-17. Epub 05/03/2013.
Jiang Y, Ding Q, Xie X, Libby R, Lefebvre V, Gan L
The Journal of biological chemistry.. 2013 June 21288 (25):18429-38. Epub 05/06/2013.
Howell GR, Libby RT
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2013 June 2154 (6):4260. Epub 06/21/2013.
Zhou Y, Tanzie C, Yan Z, Chen S, Duncan M, Gaudenz K, Li H, Seidel C, Lewis B, Moran A, Libby RT, Kiernan AE, Xie T
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2013 May 28110 (22):8966-71. Epub 05/15/2013.
Harder JM, Libby RT
Cell death and differentiation.. 2013 January 20 (1):182. Epub 09/21/2012.
Harder JM, Ding Q, Fernandes KA, Cherry JD, Gan L, Libby RT
Molecular and cellular neurosciences.. 2012 August 51 (1-2):53-9. Epub 07/24/2012.
Fernandes KA, Harder JM, Fornarola LB, Freeman RS, Clark AF, Pang IH, John SW, Libby RT
Neurobiology of disease.. 2012 May 46 (2):393-401. Epub 02/14/2012.
Geng Y, Dubra A, Yin L, Merigan WH, Sharma R, Libby RT, Williams DR
Biomedical optics express.. 2012 April 13 (4):715-34. Epub 03/15/2012.
Howell GR, Soto I, Zhu X, Ryan M, Macalinao DG, Sousa GL, Caddle LB, Macnicoll KH, Barbay JM, Porciatti V, Anderson MG, Smith RS, Clark AF, Libby RT, John SW
The Journal of clinical investigation.. 2012 April 122 (4):1246-61. Epub 03/19/2012.
Harder JM, Fernandes KA, Libby RT
Scientific reports.. 2012 2 :530. Epub 07/25/2012.
Zhu X, Libby RT, de Vries WN, Smith RS, Wright DL, Bronson RT, Seburn KL, John SW
PLoS genetics.. 2012 8 (8):e1002853. Epub 08/09/2012.
Howell GR, Walton DO, King BL, Libby RT, John SW
BMC genomics.. 2011 August 2412 :429. Epub 08/24/2011.
Harder JM, Libby RT
Molecular neurodegeneration.. 2011 July 156 :50. Epub 07/15/2011.
Lopes VS, Gibbs D, Libby RT, Aleman TS, Welch DL, Lillo C, Jacobson SG, Radu RA, Steel KP, Williams DS
Human molecular genetics.. 2011 July 120 (13):2560-70. Epub 04/14/2011.
Xi X, McMillan DH, Lehmann GM, Sime PJ, Libby RT, Huxlin KR, Feldon SE, Phipps RP
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2011 July 152 (7):4859-65. Epub 07/01/2011.
Yin L, Greenberg K, Hunter JJ, Dalkara D, Kolstad KD, Masella BD, Wolfe R, Visel M, Stone D, Libby RT, Diloreto D, Schaffer D, Flannery J, Williams DR, Merigan WH
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2011 April 2552 (5):2775-83. Epub 04/25/2011.
Howell GR, Macalinao DG, Sousa GL, Walden M, Soto I, Kneeland SC, Barbay JM, King BL, Marchant JK, Hibbs M, Stevens B, Barres BA, Clark AF, Libby RT, John SW
The Journal of clinical investigation.. 2011 April 121 (4):1429-44. Epub 03/07/2011.
Geng Y, Schery LA, Sharma R, Dubra A, Ahmad K, Libby RT, Williams DR
Biomedical optics express.. 2011 February 282 (4):717-38. Epub 02/28/2011.
Feng L, Xie ZH, Ding Q, Xie X, Libby RT, Gan L
Molecular brain.. 2010 November 183 :36. Epub 11/18/2010.
Libby RT, Gould DB
Advances in experimental medicine and biology.. 2010 664 :403-9. Epub 1900 01 01.
Bertram KM, Baglole CJ, Phipps RP, Libby RT
American journal of physiology. Cell physiology.. 2009 November 297 (5):C1200-10. Epub 09/16/2009.
Scoles D, Gray DC, Hunter JJ, Wolfe R, Gee BP, Geng Y, Masella BD, Libby RT, Russell S, Williams DR, Merigan WH
BMC ophthalmology.. 2009 August 239 :9. Epub 08/23/2009.
Ding Q, Chen H, Xie X, Libby RT, Tian N, Gan L
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 2009 April 129 (13):3992-4003. Epub 1900 01 01.
Howell GR, Libby RT, John SW
Progress in brain research.. 2008 173 :303-21. Epub 1900 01 01.
Howell GR, Libby RT, Jakobs TC, Smith RS, Phalan FC, Barter JW, Barbay JM, Marchant JK, Mahesh N, Porciatti V, Whitmore AV, Masland RH, John SW
The Journal of cell biology.. 2007 December 31179 (7):1523-37. Epub 12/24/2007.
Libby RT, Howell GR, Pang IH, Savinova OV, Mehalow AK, Barter JW, Smith RS, Clark AF, John SW
BMC neuroscience.. 2007 December 198 :108. Epub 12/19/2007.
Howell GR, Libby RT, Marchant JK, Wilson LA, Cosma IM, Smith RS, Anderson MG, John SW
BMC genetics.. 2007 July 38 :45. Epub 07/03/2007.
Anderson MG, Libby RT, Mao M, Cosma IM, Wilson LA, Smith RS, John SW
BMC biology.. 2006 July 74 :20. Epub 07/07/2006.
Whitmore AV, Libby RT, John SW
Progress in retinal and eye research.. 2005 November 24 (6):639-62. Epub 1900 01 01.
Jakobs TC, Libby RT, Ben Y, John SW, Masland RH
The Journal of cell biology.. 2005 October 24171 (2):313-25. Epub 1900 01 01.
Kitamoto J, Libby RT, Gibbs D, Steel KP, Williams DS
Experimental eye research.. 2005 July 81 (1):116-20. Epub 1900 01 01.
Libby RT, Li Y, Savinova OV, Barter J, Smith RS, Nickells RW, John SW
PLoS genetics.. 2005 July 1 (1):17-26. Epub 07/25/2005.
Anderson MG, Libby RT, Gould DB, Smith RS, John SW
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2005 March 22102 (12):4566-71. Epub 03/09/2005.
Libby RT, Gould DB, Anderson MG, John SW
Annual review of genomics and human genetics. 2005 6 :15-44. Epub 1900 01 01.
Libby RT, Anderson MG, Pang IH, Robinson ZH, Savinova OV, Cosma IM, Snow A, Wilson LA, Smith RS, Clark AF, John SW
Visual neuroscience.. 2005 22 (5):637-48. Epub 1900 01 01.
Gibbs D, Azarian SM, Lillo C, Kitamoto J, Klomp AE, Steel KP, Libby RT, Williams DS
Journal of cell science.. 2004 December 15117 (Pt 26):6473-83. Epub 11/30/2004.
Libby RT, Lillo C, Kitamoto J, Williams DS, Steel KP
Journal of cell science.. 2004 September 1117 (Pt 19):4509-15. Epub 08/17/2004.
Libby RT, Kitamoto J, Holme RH, Williams DS, Steel KP
Experimental eye research.. 2003 December 77 (6):731-9. Epub 1900 01 01.
Libby RT, Smith RS, Savinova OV, Zabaleta A, Martin JE, Gonzalez FJ, John SW
Science.. 2003 March 7299 (5612):1578-81. Epub 1900 01 01.
Warner CL, Stewart A, Luzio JP, Steel KP, Libby RT, Kendrick-Jones J, Buss F
The EMBO journal.. 2003 February 322 (3):569-79. Epub 1900 01 01.
Kros CJ, Marcotti W, van Netten SM, Self TJ, Libby RT, Brown SD, Richardson GP, Steel KP
Nature neuroscience.. 2002 January 5 (1):41-7. Epub 1900 01 01.
Libby RT, Steel KP
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2001 March 42 (3):770-8. Epub 1900 01 01.
Libby RT, Champliaud MF, Claudepierre T, Xu Y, Gibbons EP, Koch M, Burgeson RE, Hunter DD, Brunken WJ
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 2000 September 120 (17):6517-28. Epub 1900 01 01.
Libby RT, Brunken WJ, Hunter DD
Results and problems in cell differentiation.. 2000 31 :115-40. Epub 1900 01 01.
Libby RT, Steel KP
Essays in biochemistry.. 2000 35 :159-74. Epub 1900 01 01.
Libby RT, Lavallee CR, Balkema GW, Brunken WJ, Hunter DD
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 1999 November 119 (21):9399-411. Epub 1900 01 01.
Libby RT, Xu Y, Selfors LM, Brunken WJ, Hunter DD
The Journal of comparative neurology.. 1997 December 29389 (4):655-67. Epub 1900 01 01.
Libby RT, Hunter DD, Brunken WJ
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 1996 July 37 (8):1651-61. Epub 1900 01 01.