Khyati Raina is a postdoctoral researcher at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She uses stem cell biology and organoid technology to decipher how human vision develops and identify the genetic mechanisms underlying congenital defects to eventually restore sight through regenerative medicine. In this Postdoc Portrait interview, she shares how her appreciation of nature motivates her to help people experiencing vision loss.
Exploring Vision Development
Q | What drew you to vision restoration?
My interest in this field comes from personal experience. I had to start wearing glasses when I was around 13 years old because I couldn’t clearly see the board in class, and that made me much more aware of how important vision is in everyday life. Over time, I became fascinated by colors, how they form, how they interact, and that curiosity grew into a deeper appreciation for natural phenomena like rainbows, sunsets, and even the northern lights. These are things many of us take for granted, but for people with visual impairments, they’re often only described, not experienced.
During my PhD, I worked with pluripotent stem cells and realized just how powerful they are and how they can develop into almost any cell type of the body. That realization shaped my path. Now, as a postdoc, I’m using these cells to better understand how human vision develops. I’m also studying what happens when certain genes are altered and how that affects this process. In addition, I’m also exploring whether we can eventually regenerate specific cells, like neurons, and transplant them to help restore vision. In the end, the goal is for everyone to be able to experience and appreciate the colors of nature and everyday life.
Q | What scientific problem are you trying to solve?
I’m trying to address vision loss caused by conditions people are born with or develop over time. Not everyone can see, and for those with congenital defects, treatment options are extremely limited, often relying on rare donor transplants. While the idea of growing organs in the lab is becoming more realistic, it’s still not fully achievable, especially for something as complex as the eye.
What makes this even more challenging is that vision isn’t just about the eye itself. The eye captures light, but the brain is responsible for processing what we see. So even if we could create a fully functional eye, it would still need to be properly connected to the brain to actually restore vision.
My work focuses on understanding the genetic causes behind these defects by recreating them in the lab. I study eye-brain organoids and mini, lab-grown tissues that mimic aspects of real organs. These models help us explore how vision develops and may eventually allow us to grow patient-specific cells for future therapies, including potential transplantation.
Understanding the Genetic Causes of Eye Defects
Q | What’s one thing you learned from about neurons that you didn’t expect?
One thing that really surprised me during this work was just how remarkable certain cells are, especially neurons. I had always thought of cells as tiny building blocks that come in different shapes and sizes. I knew neurons were longer than most cells, but I never really grasped just how long they could be.
That changed when I started studying retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). These are neurons that originate in the eye, and their axons grow along a very specific path all the way to the brain—a distance large enough to appreciate even without magnification. Seeing this made me realize how extraordinary they are. What struck me even more is that these cells don’t regenerate, which highlights how critical they are for vision.
I also had the chance to observe them under a microscope, and honestly, it was hard to believe their length until I saw it for myself. That moment really changed how I think about cells and their complexity.
Another unexpected realization was how much this work connects back to real people. When you study cells and genes every day, it’s easy to stay focused on the technical side. But over time, I started thinking more about what it means for someone to never have vision or lose vision over time. It made the research feel more personal and grounded. Its impact expanded from understanding biology to finding ways to make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.
Q | If your research succeeds, what could it change for science or society?
One major outcome would be the ability to generate patient-specific RGCs and test whether they can properly connect to the brain. This could open up new possibilities for treating people who have lost vision over time, in conditions where these cells are damaged, as they cannot be regenerated. At the same time, this work could deepen our understanding of congenital eye defects by revealing how specific genetic changes affect the development of the visual system. This would help develop more targeted and effective therapies.
Q | What question are you most excited to answer next?
I’m most excited to understand how two specific genes linked to congenital eye defects will function. We know they lead to strong phenotypes, even as strong as the absence of both eyes, but it’s still unclear which downstream pathways they affect. Answering that could help us piece together how disruptions at the genetic level translate into problems during eye development and potentially point toward new targets for intervention.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
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