Simon Kaja Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience and Ophthalmology

Assistant Dean, MD/PhD Program | Dr. John P. and Therese E. Mulcahy Endowed Professor in Ophthalmology

Education

B.Sc., Molecular Biology and Biochemistry with Industrial Placement, University of Durham, Durham, UK (2002)
Ph.D., Medicine, Subspeciality: Neuroscience, University of Leiden, Leiden, NL (2007)

Research Interests

Research Focus:

Ocular Pharmacology and Toxicology
Drug discovery and development for ocular surface disease
Ocular toxicity associated with airborne pollution and military toxic exposures
Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety

Ocular Drug Discovery Laboratory - Kaja Lab

Summary of Research Interests

Our laboratory is interested in drug discovery and drug delivery for ophthalmic disorders. In particular, we investigate intracellular signaling pathways that contribute to the generation of cellular oxidative and nitric stress in a variety of cell types, including neurons, glia, and epithelial cells. Employing a broad pharmacological approach that utilizes cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, microscopy and electrophysiology, we aim to identify new drug targets and delivery strategies for two disease indications: neurodegeneration (glaucoma) and ocular surface disease (dry eye disease). As part of our glaucoma program, we are investigating the biomechanical forces and neuron-glia interactions in the optic nerve head to advance gene therapy approaches for this debilitating disease. Our dry-eye disease program focuses on the development of novel topical nanoparticle formulations that exert potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

Professional/Community Affiliations

Institutional affiliations

Graduate Faculty
Burn Shock Trauma Research Center
Alcohol Research Program
Cardiovascular Research Institute
Program in Pharmacovigilance

Professional appointments

Associate Editor, Journal of Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology
Associate Editor, Ocular Surface
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Pharmacology, section: Neuropharmacology
Founding Editorial Board Member, Journal of Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industry

Professional memberships

Society of Toxicology
American College of Toxicology
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
International Society for Eye Research
Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Publications/Research Listings

2026

Katz EA, Yang Y, Surenkhuu B, Dabre Z, Dammak A, Rao VR, Mun C, Pradeep A, Kim C, Aref AA, Bhat P, de la Cruz J, Kaja S, Jain S. Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Components Are Present in the Aqueous Humor of Glaucoma Patients. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2026 Jan 5;15(1):29. doi: 10.1167/tvst.15.1.29. PMID: 41575444.
Li J, Wang T, Lu W, Jishkariani D, Tsourkas A, Kaja S, Vining KH, Thussananutiyakul J, Spence A, Nair RM, Dunaief JL, Mitchell CH. PLGA Nanoparticles Restore Acidic pH and Degradative Function to Compromised Lysosomes with Cy3-Labeling Providing Enhanced Tracking to Lysosomes. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2026 Jan 14. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00494.2025. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41533007.
Troughton LD, Iorio V, Shaw L, Sugden CJ, Chavda ND, Wilson P, Simoens D, Conway AE, Sala S, Kaja S, Yamamoto K, Hamill KJ. Laminin N-terminus α31 regulates corneal epithelial cell adhesion and migration through modifying the organization and proteolytic processing of laminin 332. PLoS One. 2026 Jan 13;21(1):e0338797. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0338797. PMID: 41528979; PMCID: PMC12798988.
Dabre Z, Mun C, Sheth T, Kim C, Sarwar M, Ungaretti N, Byrne K, Kaja S, Jain S. Corneal Fluorescein Staining in FDA-Reviewed Dry Eye Registrational Clinical Trials: Evidence of Limited Endpoint Responsiveness. Ophthalmic Res. 2026 Jan 6:1-31. doi: 10.1159/000550166. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41493896.

2025

Marni M, Simoens D, Romero N, Jones WK, Kaja S. Disproportionality Analysis of Oral Toxicities Associated with PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway Inhibitors Using the FAERS Database. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025 Oct 19;18(10):1580. doi: 10.3390/ph18101580. PMID: 41155694; PMCID: PMC12567227.
Simoens D, Shravah V, Jones WK, Kaja S. Clinical and pharmacovigilance safety evaluation of LUXTURNA® (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl). Cutan Ocul Toxicol. 2025 Dec;44(4):361-373. doi: 10.1080/15569527.2025.2573463. Epub 2025 Oct 27. PMID: 41140124; PMCID: PMC12616891.
Iqbal S, Ramini A, Kaja S. Impact of particulate matter and air pollution on ocular surface disease: A systematic review of preclinical and clinical evidence. Ocul Surf. 2025 Jan;35:100-116. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2024.12.003. Epub 2024 Dec 12. PMID: 39672270; PMCID: PMC11811958.

2024

Rao VR, Iqbal S, Young BA, Mun C, Jain S, Kaja S. Attenuation of neutrophil adhesion and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps by pooled human immune globulins. Front Pharmacol. 2024 Dec 12;15:1465776. doi: 10.3389/fphar. 2024.1465776. PMID: 39734403.
Lelyte, I, Rao, VR, Kalesnykas, G, Ragauskas, S, Kaja, S, and Ahmed, Z, Prospects and limitations of cumate-inducible lentivirus as a tool for investigating VEGF-A-mediated pathology in diabetic retinopathy.Sci Rep, 2024. 14(1): p. 14325.
Iqbal S, Ramini A, Kaja S. Impact of particulate matter and air pollution on ocular surface disease: A systematic review of preclinical and clinical evidence. Ocul Surf. 2024 Dec 12;35:100-116. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2024.12.003. PMID: 39672270.
Kleinman D, Iqbal S, Ghosh AK, Ogle SD, Kaja S, Mitchnick M, Hakkarainen JJ. PLL-g-PEG Polymer Inhibits Antibody-Drug Conjugate Uptake into Human Corneal Epithelial Cells In Vitro. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2024 Sep;40(7):419-427. doi: 10.1089/jop.2024.0019. Epub 2024 Jun 27. PMID: 38935528.
Kaja S, Iqbal S, Pons Lopez B, Molina Zaragoza S, Mun C, Flavin MT, Jain S. Safety and tolerability of pooled human immune globulins after topical ophthalmic administration in New Zealand White rabbits.Cutan Ocul Toxicol. 2024 Sep;43(3):227-231. doi: 10.1080/15569527.2024.2381207. Epub 2024 Jul 31. PMID: 39086095; PMCID: PMC11383756.
Hariani HN, Ghosh AK, Rosen SM, Tso HY, Kessinger C, Zhang C, Jones WK, Sappington RM, Mitchell CH, Stubbs EB Jr, Rao VR, Kaja S. Lysyl oxidase like-1 deficiency in optic nerve head astrocytes elicits reactive astrocytosis and alters functional effects of astrocyte derived exosomes. Exp Eye Res. 2024 Feb 6;240:109813. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2024.109813. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38331016. This is the result of a multi-institution collaboration spearheaded by Kaja lab with the Jones lab, UPenn, and Wake Forest investigating exosome mediated neuron glia signaling in ophthalmic neurodegenerative disease.

2023

Manikandan SK, Logan A, Cerrada-Gimenez M, Fitzhenry L, Coffey L, Kaja S, Rani S. Immune System, Inflammation and Autoantigens in Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Pathological Significance and Therapeutic Importance. Life (Basel). 2023;13(12):2236.

Full Publication List

Awards

Alice B. Hayes Award for Advising and Mentoring (Runner Up), 🟥Instagram账户 | 注册1-2个月 | 美国名字 | 已设置2FA | 2FA轻松登陆 | 高质量 (2023)
Graduate Faculty of the Year, 🟥Instagram账户 | 注册1-2个月 | 美国名字 | 已设置2FA | 2FA轻松登陆 | 高质量 (2019)