Haojie Fu joined the lab in 2017 after receiving a Ph.D. in Ophthalmology from Wenzhou Medical University in China, where he also earned his M.D. and Master's degree. While there, he conducted research in collaboration with Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Here at Boston Children's,  Dr. Fu leads our glaucoma project.  He is committed to understanding of the mechanisms for glaucoma, ocular angiogenesis/lymphangiogenesis, as well as tumor angiogenesis. Though the majority of his work takes place in our lab, it extends nationally and internationally through his collaborations with worldwide leaders in the field of ophthalmology. One of his groundbreaking findings in ophthalmology is the discovery of a novel mutation in Thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) that causes congenital glaucoma, which is the leading cause of blindeness in newborns. He is the first scientist to elucidate the role of the THBS1 and the mechanism by which the abnormally accumulated protein causes the disease. Dr. Fu is lead author on the study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, a top journal in Web of Science's “Medicine, Research & Experimental” category (Impact factor, 19.456). This work can enable clinical screening of glaucoma-causing mutations in newborns to achieve early interventions, which are critical in preventing blindness. His work has been recognized internationally and reported by press across the world. Please use the links below to access the publication as well as associated press. Dr. Fu will continue to work on the glaucoma project to find treatments that can be translated into patients. Additionally, he is leading other projects investigating the genetic markers that control lymphangiogenesis through genome-wide association studies (GWAS); identifying the mechanism of resistance to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cancer patients; and searching for novel therapies for age-realted macular degeneration (AMD) and corneal neovascularization.