Indiana University School of Optometry
800 E Atwater Ave
Room 511
Bloomington, IN 47405-3635
800 E Atwater Ave
Room 511
Bloomington, IN 47405-3635
Education
- Ph.D. in Neuroscience, University of Southern California
- M.S in Biology, California State University Northridge
- B.A in Biology, California State University Northridge
Biography
Dr. Joo Yeun “JL” Lee received her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Southern California and completed her postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco. She joined the Indiana University School of Optometry as an Assistant Professor in 2025.Dr. Lee’s research program focuses on elucidating the mechanisms of vision restoration by examining the structural and functional properties of retinal neurons following gene therapy. While emerging therapies that restore photoreceptor function hold great promise for reversing blindness, challenges remain in clinical translation due to limited mechanistic understanding of how retinal circuits respond to these treatments.
The retina is one of the most well-characterized neural circuits of the visual system. Based on evidence of its ability to compensate for photoreceptor loss, Dr. Lee investigates how retinal plasticity contributes to vision restoration therapies. To understand how individual retinal pathways respond to gene therapy, her lab combines single-cell electrophysiological recordings from retinal ganglion cells with two-photon imaging system and high-resolution imaging. The goal is to advance understanding of how surviving retinal neurons respond to gene therapy and how retinal plasticity shapes the restoration of functional connections.
Dr. Lee is the recipient of the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award (2023–2028).