RPE65-mediated inherited retinal dystrophy leads to severe deterioration of vision and complete blindness in early adulthood. A small subgroup of patients, approximately 1000 people in the United States, have mutations in both paternal and maternal copies of the RPE65 gene that encodes retinoid isomerohydrolase.

At the Centre for Blood Research, my research typically embraces out-of-the-box thinking, addressing biological problems from an open-minded standpoint to gain novel insights. However, recently, I was forced to focus on what’s inside the box, namely the Canadian Blood Services box for transporting human blood products.