Ales Cvekl

Ales Cvekl is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and the Department of Genetics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He holds the Max Berger Chair in Ophthalmology and serves as Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences.

Research Interests: Dr. Cvekl’s work focuses on molecular mechanisms of eye development, specifically lens induction and differentiation. His lab investigates transcription factors (e.g., Pax6, c-Maf), chromatin remodeling (e.g., Brg1, Snf2h), and nuclear organization. Key areas include:

• Epigenetic regulation of crystallin genes
• 3D nuclear architecture and chromatin remodeling
• Autophagy and organelle degradation in lens fiber cells
• Human embryonic stem cell differentiation into lens organoids
• Eye evolution and gene duplication mechanisms

Techniques: ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, RNA-seq, CRISPR-Cas9, single-molecule RNA FISH, and 3D tissue engineering.

Labs/Teams: His research integrates cell biology, genetics, and computational approaches to study ocular diseases such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Collaborations include projects on retinal organoid formation and drug screening platforms using ES cells.

Grants/Recognition: While no awards are explicitly listed, his sustained research output and leadership roles highlight contributions to ocular developmental biology.