The cornea can become opaque due to a variety of reasons, making it difficult to see. Dr. Swamynathan is interested in learning how the timely production of different proteins that make up our cornea, are regulated during development and what goes wrong in disease conditions that affect the ocular surface. Dr. Swamynathan’s research is focused on the role of two transcription factors that essentially control the time and placement of protein development in our cells, which, as he has recently discovered, are required for proper maturation and maintenance of a healthy cornea, conjunctiva and eyelids. Further research in this field is expected to provide new opportunities for diagnosis, prevention, and therapy of severe ocular surface disorders such as dry eye and ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.