Biography
Victor Leverenz received his undergraduate education at Michigan State University, graduating summa cum laude with a B.S. in biology in 1968. After one tour in the Army, he came to work at the Eye Research Institute in 1972 as a research technician in the laboratory of Dr. V. Everett Kinsey, a pioneer in retrolental fibroplasia (RFP) and the founder of the Eye Research Institute. His research in Kinsey's laboratory consisted of studying lens ion transport and electrophysiology.
After Kinsey's death in 1978, and briefly working in the laboratories of Drs. Kenneth Hightower (Dr. Kinsey's post-doc) and Venkat Reddy (a former director of the institute), Leverenz spent the next eight years in Dr. Hitoshi Shichi's laboratory working on retinal S-antigen. Upon Dr. Shichi's departure from the university, Leverenz stayed in the Eye Research Institute. He now works for Dr. Frank Giblin (the current director) where the research involves efforts to understand and prevent oxidative damage, aging and cataract development.
Even though Leverenz has been at the Eye Research Institute for many years, gaining valuable research experience on various tissues of the eye, he finds the work stimulating, since generally when a particular question is answered, it leads to another unsolved mystery. Leverenz also is the self-taught computer expert in the institute, assisting with technical and programming problems.
Recent Publications
Reddan, J.R., Giblin, F.J., Sevilla, M., Padgaonkar, V., Dziedzic, D.C., Leverenz, V.R., Misra, I.C. and Pena, J.T. Propyl gallate is a superoxide dismutase mimic and protects cultured lens epithelial cells from H2O2 insult. Exp. Eye Res. (submitted, under revision).
Giblin, F.J., Leverenz, V.R., Padgaonkar, V.A., Unakar, N.J., Dang, L., Lin, L.R., Lou, M.F., Reddy, V.N., Borchman, D. and Dillon, J.P. UVA light in vivo reaches the nucleus of the guinea pig lens and produces deleterious, oxidative effects. Exp. Eye Res. (in press).
Padgaonkar, V.A., Leverenz, V.R., Fowler, K.E., Reddy, V.N. and Giblin, F.J. The effects of hyperbaric oxygen on the crystallins of cultured rabbit lenses: a possible catalytic role for copper. Exp. Eye Res. 71:371-383, (2000).
Borchman, D., Giblin, F.J., Leverenz, V.R., Reddy, V.N., Lin, L.-R., Yappert, M.C., and Li, L. Impact of aging and hyperbaric oxygen in vivo on guinea pig lens lipids and nuclear light scatter. Invest. Ophth. Vis. Sci 41:3061-3073 (2000).
Cappiello, M., Vilardo, P.G., Banditelli, S., Jacomelli,, G., Leverenz, V., Giblin, F.J., DelCorso, A. and Mura, U. Thiol-disulfide exchange modulates the activity of aldose reductase in intact bovine lens as a response to oxidative stree. Exp. Eye Res. 70:795-803, 2000.
Padgaonkar, V.A., Leverenz, V.R., Fowler, K.E., Reddy, V.N. and Giblin, F.J.: The effects of hyperbaric oxygen on the crystallins of cultured rabbit lenses: a possible catalytic role for copper. Exp. Eye Res. 71:371-383, 2000.
Borchman, D., Giblin, F.J., Leverenz, V.R., Reddy, V.N., Lin, L.-R., Yappert, M.C., Tang, D., and Li, L. Impact of aging and hyperbaric oxygen in vivo on guinea pig lens lipids and nuclear light scatter. Invest. Ophthal. Vis Sci. 41:3061-3071, 2000.
Padgaonkar, V.A., Lin, L-R., Leverenz, V.R., Rinke, A., Reddy, V.N. and Giblin, F.J. Hyperbaric oxygen in vivo accelerates the loss of cytoskeletal proteins and MIP26 in guinea pig lens nucleus. Exp. Eye Res. 68:493-504 1999.
Reddan JR, Giblin FJ, Kadry R, Leverenz VR, Pena JT, Dziedzic DC. Protection from oxidative insult in glutathione depleted lens epithelial cells. Exp Eye Res. 1999 Jan;68(1):117-27.
Padgaonkar, V.A., Giblin, F.J., Fowler, K.F., Leverenz, V.R., Reddan, J.R. and Dziedzic, D.C. Heme oxygenase synthesis is induced in cultured lens epithelium by hyperbaric oxygen or puromycin. Exp. Eye Res. 65, 435-43 (1997).
Giblin FJ, et al. Nuclear light scattering, disulfide formation and membrane damage in lenses of older guinea pigs treated with hyperbaric oxygen. Exp Eye Res. 1995 Mar;60(3):219-35.