2nd Floor, Room 205
2500 W North Ave
Baltimore, MD 21216
Dr. Kavita Hegde is a Physician Scientist with experience in clinical ophthalmology and vision research. She holds an M.D. in Ophthalmology, and earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is a Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at Coppin State University. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in human anatomy and physiology, neuroscience, and biochemistry, she also serves as the Director of Ophthalmic Research Laboratory which she established in 2015, her research focus being oxidative stress in ocular tissues and discovery of novel antioxidants as potential treatments for oxidative stress-induced retinal diseases viz. age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), etc. Undergraduate and graduate students are actively engaged in her research lab. She has published ~40 research articles and has presented her research at numerous vision research conferences. Dr. Hegde is a 2-time recipient of the University System of Maryland’s Wilson H. Elkins Professorship award, and has received grants from the National Eye Institute, NIH. Dr. Hegde has ongoing collaborative research projects with the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, UMSOM, pertaining to early detection of age-related macular degeneration, a blinding eye disease.
Professional Publications (total 39, only showing 21 onwards):
21. Hegde KR, Kovtun S, Varma SD. Intraocular penetration of pyruvate following its topical administration in mice. Mol Cell Biochem (2010) 338(1-2):87-90
22. Varma SD, Hegde KR. Prevention of oxidative damage to lens by caffeine. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther (2010) 26(1):73-7
23. Varma SD, Hegde KR. Kynurenine-induced photo oxidative damage to lens in vitro: protective effect of caffeine. Mol Cell Biochem 2010; 340(1-2):49-54
24. Varma SD, Hegde KR, Kovtun S. Oxidative stress in lens in vivo: inhibitory effect of caffeine. A preliminary report. Mol Vis (2010) 16:501-5
25. Hegde KR, Kovtun S and Varma SD. Inhibition of glycolysis in the retina by oxidative stress. Prevention by pyruvate. Mol Cell Biochem 2010; 343(1-2):101-5
26. Varma SD, Hegde KR and Kovtun S. Inhibition of selenite-induced cataract by caffeine. Acta Ophthalmol 2010; 88(7):245-9.
27. Hegde KR, Kowluru RA, Mohr S, Nagaraj RH, Petrash JM. New horizons in research on diabetic complications of the eye: special emphasis on diabetic cataracts and retinopathy. J Ophthalmol. (2010) 2010:979040
28. Varma SD, Kovtun S, Hegde K. Effectiveness of topical caffeine in cataract prevention: studies with galactose cataract. Mol Vis. (2010) 16:2626-33
29. Varma SD, Kovtun S, Hegde KR. Role of ultraviolet irradiation and oxidative stress in cataract formation-medical prevention by nutritional antioxidants and metabolic agonists. Eye Contact Lens. (2011) 37(4):233-45
30. Varma SD, Kovtun S, Hegde K. UV-Induced Apoptosis in Lens. Prevention by Caffeine. Journal of Caffeine Research (2011) 1(2): 131-136
31. Hegde KR, Kovtun S and Varma SD. Prevention of cataracts in diabetic mice by topical pyruvate. Clin Ophthalmol. (2011) 5:1141-5.
32. Varma SD, Kovtun S, Hegde K, Yin J, Ramnath J. Effect of high sugar levels on miRNA expression. Studies with galactosemic mice lenses. Mol Vis. (2012); 18:1609-18.
33. Hegde KR, Varma SD Stimulation of Glycolysis in the Lens by Pyruvate. Implications in Protection against Oxidative Stress. J Metabolic Synd (2015) 4:179.
34. Hegde KR and Brown DD*. Prevention of peroxide-induced biochemical damage to the neural retina by caffeine: A preliminary report. Biochem Physiol (2019) 8(1):250
35. Hegde KR and Deacon K*. Prevention of oxidative stress-induced metabolic aberrations in the neural retina by Caffeine. Biochem Mol Biol (2019) 4(4): 53-58
36. Rajapandi T, Ackie K* and Hegde KR. Antiplasmodial activity of a non-protein amino acid taurine. Biomedical Sciences (2019) 5(3): 34-
37. Szmacinski H, Hegde K, Zeng H-H, Eslami K, Puche A, Lengyel I, and Thompson RB. Imaging hydroxyapatite in sub-retinal pigment epithelial deposits by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy with tetracycline staining. J Biomed Opt (2020) 25(4), 047001
38. Hegde KR, Puche AC, Szmacinski H, Fuller K, Ray K, Patel N**, Leng I, Thompson RB. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Human Sub-RPE Calcification in vitro following Chlortetracycline Infusion. Int. J Mol Sci (2023), 24, 6421.
39. Hegde KR, Ray K, Szmacinski H, Sorto S, Puche AC, Leng I, Thompson RB. Two-Photon Excited Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of Tetracycline-Stained Retinal Calcification. Sensors, (July, 2023) 23(14), 6626. doi: 10.3390/s23146626.
[*undergraduate student; **medical student]
Biology Program Coordinator
Anatomy & Physiology Course Lead
Director and Lead Investigator, Ophthalmic Research Laboratory
1984-1991 M.B.B.S. (~M.D.), Baroda Medical College, Maharaja Sayajirao University, India
1991-1994 Master of Surgery (M.S., Ophthalmology), Baroda Medical College, Maharaja Sayajirao University, India
2000-2004 Ph. D. in Medical Biochemistry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; Title of thesis: “Glycemic & oxidative stress in lens: Implications in cataract formation”
Professional Society Memberships:
2001-present Member, Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology
2004-2006 Member, International Society for Eye Research
2004-2006 Member, European Vision and Eye Research Organization
Reviewer for Journals:
2007-present: Ad Hoc Reviewer (overall frequency: 5/year)
Molecular Vision
Ophthalmic Research
Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavia.
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
Current Eye Research
Diabetes Obesity & Metabolism
International Journal of Obesity
Reviewer of grant proposals:
2007-present: Ad Hoc Reviewer: Israel Science Foundation, Fight for Sight
Service on Editorial Board:
2009-2010: Lead Guest Editor: Special Issue, Journal of Ophthalmology
2012-2014: Member of the Editorial Board of the journal Ophthalmic Research
2020-present: Member of Editorial Board: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Journal
Reviewer of Books/book chapters:
2021: Chapter review of 7th edition of Neuroscience, Oxford University Press
2023: Chapter review of the 1st edition of Lehninger Interactions in Biochemistry, Macmillan Learning
Professional activities in the Community:
2010-present: Consultant, and conduct Health Information Sessions, Zeta Center for Health Aging Partnership (ZHAP), and BDS Health Aging Networks, Inc.
Pre-med seminars:
Howard County Public School Systems
Ophthalmic biochemistry and molecular biology, oxidative stress, metabolism
Grants, Awards, Inventions:
• Co-PI: Oxidative stress and cataract formation. NEI, NIH. #EY0 1292. (Awarded 2005-2010)
• PI: Instructional Technology mini grant: Coppin State University, 2011
• PI: Mini-research grant: Coppin State University, 2014
• Wilson H. Elkins Professorship awarded by the University System of Maryland AY 2016-2017.
• Wilson H. Elkins Professorship awarded by the University System of Maryland AY 2017-2018.
• PI-Coppin State University subaward; collaboration with Dr. Richard Thompson, PI University of Maryland School of Medicine. Awarded by National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. Grant # RO1 EY030443. Project title: “Imaging of hydroxyapatite as an early screen for AMD” June 1st, 2020-May 31st, 2024, (continuing on no cost extension).
• Project coordinator: NSF CREST planning grant 2020-2021
• Co-inventor: “Repurposing Tetracyclines and Related Compounds for Improved Early Detection of AMD”; Provisional Patent application filed on 2/26/2021; Appl No. 63/154,061.
• Co-PI: CREST Center for Emerging Contaminants: Proposal submitted to NSF in Dec 2022.
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