Suva Roy

The Roy Lab studies the neural circuit basis of vision and visual disorders.

 

The retina is one of the best understood parts of the brain, making it an ideal system for studying the cellular mechanisms and computations underlying sensory processing, as well as how these processes break down in disease and degeneration. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines electrophysiology, viral tools, imaging, molecular profiling, and computation within a comparative animal model framework, the lab studies how retinal cell types are wired, how they communicate, and how they degenerate in diseases such as glaucoma.

 

Different species have evolved under different natural constraints, forcing them to adopt behaviors that are uniquely suited to their environment. We use viral vectors, optogenetics, and large-scale electrophysiology to study anatomical and functional diversity of retinal ganglion cells, and their subcortical and cortical projections. By revealing cell-type specific functions and connectivity to the brain, we can answer how visual signaling in the retina differs across species and how they are aligned with specific behavioral needs.   

 

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease of the retina and the optic nerve that progressively cause loss of vision. Using models of ocular hypertension, we investigate the cellular and signaling pathways that drive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and the optic nerve. We also study the role of resident cells, including astrocytes and Müller glia, and the gene regulatory and expression programs involved in injury and cell death. We work with clinicians to identify marker genes and drugs to test their therapeutic potential. 

 

Visual experience during postnatal periods can significantly alter circuit maturation and function. Using large-animal models, we investigate the genetic and signaling cues that refine feature encoding in specific retinal circuits. We collaborate with cortical researchers to examine how these retinal circuit refinements relate to activity in higher visual areas and behavior.

 

The computations performed by retinal circuits are dynamic and change depending on the ambient light conditions. Using data from multi electrode array recordings from ex vivo retina, we test various encoding and decoding models to understand how retinal circuits implement and adapt their computations for processing visual input.