Dr. Brian S. McKay received his Bachelor’s degree in biology from University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee then completed his PhD at the Medical College of Wisconsin where he studied cell biology related to retinal diseases. Dr. McKay conducted his postdoctoral training in protein chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, CA. Upon finishing his training, Dr. McKay joined the faculty at Duke University in Durham, NC, where he developed his laboratory around projects addressing the biology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Dr. McKay conducts basic research towards understanding retinal degenerations and the molecular origins of glaucoma, asking the key questions necessary for successful development of cell based therapies. His collaborations with the vitreoretinal surgical staff are central to the project’s success. Research is conducted in RPE transplantation methods for AMD therapy, and protein expression in glaucoma. In collaboration with W. Daniel Stamer, PhD, he is examining the structure and function of the myocilin to determine why the specific trait of glaucomatous disease is passed on through a nearly ubiquitous protein.

Research interest of Brian S. McKay include Retinal degenerations and the Molecular origins of glaucoma.