Susanne Mohr

Susanne Mohr is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology at Michigan State University since 2009. She previously served as an Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University from 2000 to 2009. Her academic background includes an MS in Chemistry from the University of Konstanz (1992), a PhD in Biology (1996), and postdoctoral training at Case Western Reserve University.

• Education: MS (University of Konstanz, 1992), PhD (University of Konstanz, 1996), PostDoc (Case Western Reserve University, 1996-1999)
• Prior Employment: Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University, 2000-2009

Research Interests: Dr. Mohr’s research focuses on identifying mechanisms underlying diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of acquired blindness among young adults. Her work explores how hyperglycemia activates the caspase-1/IL-1β pathway in retinal Müller cells, triggering autoinflammatory feedback loops and nuclear translocation of GAPDH, which contributes to retinal microvasculature damage. Current projects aim to inhibit this pathway to prevent or treat the disease.

Labs and Teams: Dr. Mohr’s laboratory investigates the role of chronic inflammation, cytokine signaling, and cross-talk between Müller and endothelial cells in diabetic retinopathy progression.