Philip Kiser

Philip Kiser, PhD, PharmD is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine, holding appointments in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, and the Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice within the College of Health Sciences. His research focuses on retinal degeneration, pharmacology, and genetic disorders.

Research Interests: Dr. Kiser investigates disease-modifying therapies for inherited retinopathies, emphasizing GPCR modulation with drug combinations like tamsulosin, metoprolol, and bromocriptine. His work explores systems pharmacology strategies to suppress intracellular cAMP and Ca²⁺ activity, aiming to protect photoreceptor function and slow retinal degeneration across multiple models (mice, dogs). RNA-sequencing studies highlight improved metabolic function in treated models, with a focus on mutation-agnostic approaches.

Article Trends: His publications span visual cycle modulation, retinal degeneration, and pharmacological interventions. Key themes include GPCR-targeted therapies, enzymatic mechanisms in retinal diseases, and advanced drug delivery systems. Recent works address carotenoid oxygenases, ceramide modulation, and genome editing applications for retinal health.

Grants: Dr. Kiser has received funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (I01 BX004939), NIH (R01 EY034501, P30 EY034070, R01 EY009339), the Academy of Finland (346295), and NIH Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA062203).

Labs & Collaborations: His work involves collaborations with the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences and the College of Health Sciences, focusing on interdisciplinary approaches to retinal diseases. He also contributes to studies on lipid metabolism, nanotechnology in ocular therapy, and structural biology of vision-related enzymes.