Robert F. Cooper

Dr. Robert F. Cooper is an Assistant Professor in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, with a dual appointment in MCW's Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. He directs the Ocular & Computer Vision Laboratory (OCVL) and collaborates with the Advanced Ocular Imaging Program (AOIP).

His research focuses on non-invasive retinal imaging techniques, particularly adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy for assessing photoreceptor structure/function. Key interests include:

• Development of image processing pipelines for automated retinal analysis
• Cellular-scale functional assessment in degenerative diseases
• Clinical translation of optical imaging technologies
• Establishing normative databases for retinal morphology

Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate methodological innovations in adaptive optics resolution enhancement, optoretinography for subclinical disease detection, and reproducibility studies for clinical applications. Research consistently targets quantitative biomarkers for retinal pathologies.

Significant grants include:

• NIH R01: 'Non-Invasive Functional Assessments for Translational Retinal Therapeutics' (2023-2026)
• NIH U01: 'Retinal Contributions to Vision Loss in Albinism' (2022-2026)
• Foundation Fighting Blindness Award: 'Assessing Function of Individual Cells in Inherited Retinal Degenerations' (2020-2023)

Holds a patent for 'Non-invasive Assessment of Human Cone Photoreceptor Function' (US Patent, 2023). Leads the OCVL lab developing novel ophthalmic imaging solutions.