This Project Grant award from the National Institutes of Health's Trans-NIH Research Support program (CFDA 93.310) will provide $482,242 to The Medical College of Wisconsin, Inc. to conduct research on the mechanisms of mustard gas toxicity in the retina using a minipig model. The project aims to characterize the in vivo clinical, structural, and functional changes in the retina of a minipig model exposed to mustard gas, and identify molecular targets involved in retinal degenerative mechanisms initiated by innate immune responses and defective mitophagy. This research will fill a critical knowledge gap in understanding the biphasic damage to the retina from mustard gas exposure, involving both short-term immune responses and long-term neurodegeneration. The 1-year project starts on Sep 1, 2023 and will utilize state-of-the-art imaging tools and cellular/biochemical approaches to provide necessary insights to advance medical countermeasures against mustard gas-induced ocular injury.