KIRK HOU

OPTHALMOLOGY Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology Doheny Eye Center UCLA

Dr. Kirk Hou MD, PhD’s PhD research was focused on devising a method to deliver siRNA into cells. Small interfering RNA, or siRNA, can stop cells from making specific proteins. But cells are very good at blocking siRNA before it can do its job. Hou developed a strategy to sneak siRNA into cells by creating a nanoparticle – think Trojan horse – derived from melittin, a peptide found in bee venom. Now conducting research at Doheny and UCLA Stein Eye Institutes, Dr. Hou’s areas of interest revolve around nanoparticles and drug delivery as related to retinal diseases.