Posts by Janey L. Wiggs, MD, PhD
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Genetic Risk Factor for Alzheimer's Disease Linked to Reduced Glaucoma Risk
Milica A. Margeta, MD, PhD, and Janey L. Wiggs, MD, PhD, of the Mass Eye and Ear/Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Ophthalmology have demonstrated that the APOE ε4 allele, the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease, has a protective effect against primary open-angle glaucoma.
Biography
Dr. Janey Wiggs is a clinician scientist specializing in the genetics of glaucoma with particular interest in complex and advanced glaucoma, and inherited ocular disorders. She directs the CLIA-certified clinical diagnostic laboratory where patients are tested for mutations in genes that can cause inherited retinal disorders, early-onset glaucoma or primary optic neuropathy. She also is associate director of the Howe Laboratory and associate chief for Clinical Research at Mass Eye and Ear. Among her leadership roles in the Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology, she serves as Vice Chair for Clinical Research, Co-Director of the Glaucoma Center of Excellence, and leader of the Genetic Diagnostics Section of the Ocular Genomics Institute.
Dr. Wiggs attended Harvard Medical School (HMS), and completed her residency in the HMS Department of Ophthalmology Residency Training Program. She then completed fellowships in Glaucoma and Medical Genetics at Mass Eye and Ear and Tufts University School of Medicine, respectively. She is board-certified in both Ophthalmology and Medical Genetics.
Using a uniquely collaborative and multidisciplinary approach, Dr. Wiggs aims to identify genetic factors that underlie various forms of glaucoma, including adult onset primary open angle glaucoma, pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, juvenile open angle glaucoma and others. Her research, which has been continuously funded by the National Eye Institute for over 20 years, has provided critical information regarding the biology of the disease. Ongoing studies may greatly improve current methods of diagnosis, and lead to more effective and specific therapies.
Mass Eye and Ear/Mass General Ophthalmology
An international center for ophthalmology treatment and research, Mass Eye and Ear/Massachusetts General Hospital is the primary teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School’s Department of Ophthalmology, and is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s top hospitals for eye care. Led by Chief and Chair Joan W. Miller, MD, the department provides seamless access to the most innovative care available anywhere in the world.
