Photoacoustic Retinal Prosthesis

Non-contact, high-resolution stimulation of retinal ganglion cells for vision restoration

Senior Researcher · SURPASS Initiative, Johns Hopkins University ($2M)

Degenerative retinal diseases destroy photoreceptors but often leave the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) intact. If those cells can be stimulated precisely — without implanted electrode arrays — higher-resolution vision restoration becomes possible. I work on photoacoustic stimulation: light absorbed by a biocompatible polymer nanocomposite generates focused ultrasound that activates RGCs in a non-contact, dynamically configurable manner, with spatial resolution set by the acoustic focus rather than an electrode pitch.

This line of work was recognized with the Robertson Translational Research Grant at ARVO 2024, and the stimulation platform is now being characterized toward a high-resolution, configurable visual prosthesis.

Key publications