Teresa Puthussery, an associate professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science at the University of California, Berkeley, has been named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow. The award, announced by the MacArthur Foundation on October 8, recognizes individuals for exceptional originality in their creative pursuits and comes with an $800,000 stipend.
Puthussery’s research focuses on understanding how different types of cells in the retina function and how neurodegenerative diseases disrupt visual signaling. Her work aims to develop better diagnostic tests and therapies for vision loss caused by conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Millions of people worldwide are affected by these degenerative retinal diseases, which can lead to partial or complete loss of sight and currently have limited treatment options after vision loss occurs.
Puthussery described her reaction upon receiving the news: “It wasn’t until they started reading out a description of my work that I was convinced that they had called the right person,” she said. “It’s certainly just really unexpected, and so humbling and gratifying.”
Chancellor Rich Lyons commented on Puthussery’s recognition: “Dr. Puthussery’s work embodies the spirit of discovery and innovation that is at the core of Berkeley’s research mission and showcases how the work we do here has a transformative impact on human health and well-being. This prestigious award is richly deserved, a source of great pride across our campus community and a perfect example of why Berkeley is one of society’s most valuable assets.”
Sharon Bentley, dean of UC Berkeley’s Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, added: “This extraordinary honor reflects not only Dr. Puthussery’s brilliance and creativity but also the profound impact of her work. All of us at the school are incredibly proud to celebrate this recognition of her visionary contributions.”
Puthussery uses molecular analyses and functional imaging in her research to study retinal cell functions. She recently discovered a rare type of ganglion cell that helps stabilize gaze, which is important for maintaining clear vision. She is also investigating other ganglion cell types involved in detecting motion in peripheral vision.
“In the human retina, there are still many ganglion cell types whose functions remain unclear. We’d like to better understand what these different cell types are doing and how they’re contributing to our visual perception and behavior,” Puthussery said. “Not only will this provide a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of how we see and navigate the world, but it will also help in creating better tests to diagnose and monitor different retinal diseases, and in developing therapies to restore naturalistic sight after vision loss.”
Her laboratory collaborates with researchers from institutions including the University of Rochester and University Of Wisconsin, Madison on projects aiming to generate new photoreceptors from stem cells for transplantation into damaged retinas.
“We’ve developed an experimental approach that allows us to resolve the functions of sparse but important cell types that we know very little about,” Puthussery said. “And so, going forward, we’re interested in using this same approach to understand how different retinal cell types contribute to our overall visual function.”
Puthussery grew up in Warragul, Australia. Inspired by her parents—both teachers—she pursued studies in biology before focusing on optometry due to her interest in sensory systems. Encounters with patients experiencing untreatable vision loss motivated her transition into research.
“He had an inherited blinding disease called retinitis pigmentosa and he was gradually losing his vision. For me, this was kind of a turning point because I thought, ‘Wow, how is it that we have people in the prime of their lives, my age, progressively losing their vision and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.’” Puthussery said. “I think seeing that in the clinic made me realize that we’ve got some really big problems to solve, and that spurred me in the direction of doing a Ph.D. in vision research.”
After earning her Ph.D., she completed postdoctoral work at Oregon Health & Science University before joining UC Berkeley.
The 2025 MacArthur Fellows cohort also includes two UC Berkeley alumni: William Tarpeh—a chemical engineer recognized for sustainable wastewater treatment solutions—and Kareem El-Badry—an astrophysicist known for his work on binary star systems and black holes.
Reflecting on progress within her field over recent decades, Puthussery stated: “Twenty years ago, many of the discoveries that we’ve made as a field, and even the methods we use in my lab, would have seemed like science fiction,” she said. “I really hope that this recognition from the MacArthur Foundation will not only bring attention to the importance of basic vision research and the study of retinal diseases that we’re conducting in my own lab, but also highlight the work of the many talented scientists all over the world whose efforts continue to have a big impact on human health.”
