This Project Grant award, provided by the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867), supports research on retinal circuit integration and degeneration in neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF1). The $184,238 award to Stanford University will evaluate the functional impact of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss during NF1 disease progression and examine if transplanted RGCs can integrate into the remaining retinal circuitry. The goal is to develop strategies for RGC protection and replacement to address vision loss in NF1 patients, where optic glioma formation often results in early-life vision impairment with limited treatment options. The research will be conducted in Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg's laboratory at Stanford, leveraging the university's expertise in retinal circuitry, functional imaging, and visual assessment.