Vladimir J. Kefalov
Biography
Vladimir J. Kefalov, Ph.D., is Allergan Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology, Vice Chair for Research, and Professor of Ophthalmology and Physiology and Biophysics at the University of California, Irvine. Before joining UCI in 2021, he held the Dr. Bernard Becker and Janet R. Becker Distinguished Professor in Ophthalmology chair at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he directed his own laboratory and served as Vice Chair for Research. He received his Ph.D. in Cellular Biophysics from Boston University School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine under King-Wai Yau. His research focuses on the physiology of retinal rod and cone photoreceptors, with particular emphasis on phototransduction and visual cycle mechanisms underlying dark adaptation and photoreceptor degeneration.
Kefalov has secured 14 NIH grants and 7 research grants from private foundations over the course of his career. He has published more than 110 peer-reviewed research articles, with work appearing in Nature, Neuron, Nature Neuroscience, Current Biology, PNAS, the Journal of Clinical Investigation, and the Journal of Neuroscience, among other journals. He has served as a Regular Member of the Biology and Development of the Eye Study Section at the NIH and as an Editor for Scientific Reports, and he has delivered over 80 invited talks at institutions and conferences across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America.
Kefalov is a recipient of the Bressler Prize in Vision Science from the Lighthouse Guild and was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award from Boston University School of Medicine in 2025. He is a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology. Four of his former trainees have gone on to establish independent research laboratories.
Return to topEducation
- Ph.D. in Cellular Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 1999
- M.Sc. in Physics, Sofia University, 1993
Distinctions
- Bressler Prize in Vision Science, Lighthouse Guild, 2019
- Allergan Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology, University of California, Irvine, 2022-present
- Distinguished Alumni Award, Boston University School of Medicine, 2025
- Research to Prevent Blindness International Collaboration, 2023
- Superbrands Award, Bulgaria, 2020
- Dr. Bernard Becker and Janet R. Becker Distinguished Professor in Ophthalmology, Washington University School of Medicine, 2019-2021
- Young Investigator Award, Alcon Research Institute, 2013
- Career Development Award, Research to Prevent Blindness, 2006
- FASEB Award for talk presentation, Biology and Chemistry of Vision research conference, 2005
- Boston University Student Achievement Day - First Prize, 1999
- Boston University Student Research Fellowship - First Prize, 1998
Areas of Expertise
- Retinal Photoreceptor Physiology
- Rod and Cone Phototransduction
- Visual Pigment Regeneration
- Dark Adaptation Mechanisms
- Dark Adaptometry
- Photoreceptor Degeneration Therapy
- Retinal Visual Cycle Chromophore Supply
- Calcium Homeostasis in Photoreceptors
Recent Publications
- Kolesnikov A.V., Aeschimann W., Cullity J., Halabi M., Kiser P.D., Stocker A., Kefalov V.J., “Chromophore-loaded CRALBP mutant proteins restore rod function in chromophore-deficient mice” (opens in new tab), Molecular Therapy Advances, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 201701, 2026.
- Sato S., Peshenko I.V., Olshevskaya E.V., Kefalov V.J., Dizhoor A.M., “Protein Inhibitor of Retinal Membrane Guanylyl Cyclase Rescues Mouse Rod Photoreceptors from GUCY2D Retinal Dystrophy” (opens in new tab), Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 46, no. 20, pp. e0164262026, 2026.
- Wang F., Kolesnikov A.V., Sato S., Singh A., Makino C.L., Garriga P., Kefalov V.J., “Rhodopsin molecular evolution from mouse to human phenylalanine 88 to leucine substitution enhances thermal stability and post-activation decay” (opens in new tab), Scientific Reports, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 3500, 2026.
- Sato S., Kefalov V.J., “Characterization of zebrafish rod and cone photoresponses” (opens in new tab), Scientific Reports, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 13413, 2025.
- Dizhoor A.M., Sato S., Luo Z., Tan L., Levin F.E., Olshevskaya E.V., Peshenko I.V., Kefalov V.J., “Phosphodiesterase 5 expression in photoreceptors rescues retinal degeneration induced by deregulation of membrane guanylyl cyclase” (opens in new tab), Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 301, no. 3, pp. 108265, 2025.
- Sato S., Kefalov V.J., “The Retina-Based Visual Cycle” (opens in new tab), Annual Review of Vision Science, vol. 10, pp. 293-321, 2024.
- Kolesnikov A.V., Murphy D.P., Corbo J.C., Kefalov V.J., “Germline knockout of Nr2e3 protects photoreceptors in three distinct mouse models of retinal degeneration” (opens in new tab), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 121, no. 11, pp. e2316118121, 2024.
- Lamb T.D., Kefalov V.J., “Light Adaptation in Photoreceptors” (opens in new tab), Adler S Physiology of the Eye, pp. 451-463, 2024.
- Poria D., Kolesnikov A.V., Lee T.J., Salom D., Palczewski K., Kefalov V.J., “Investigating the Role of Rhodopsin F45L Mutation in Mouse Rod Photoreceptor Signaling and Survival” (opens in new tab), eNeuro, vol. 10, 2023.
- Kolesnikov A.V., Lobysheva E., Gnana-Prakasam J.P., Kefalov V.J., Kisselev O.G., “Regulation of rod photoreceptor function by farnesylated G-protein γ-subunits” (opens in new tab), PLoS One, vol. 17, pp. e0272506, 2022.
- Kolesnikov A.V., Luu J., Jin H., Palczewski K., Kefalov V.J., “Deletion of Protein Phosphatase 2A Accelerates Retinal Degeneration in GRK1- and Arr1-Deficient Mice” (opens in new tab), Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, vol. 63, pp. 18, 2022.
- Poria D., Sun C., Santeford A., Kielar M., Apte R.S., Kisselev O.G., Chen S., Kefalov V.J., “EML1 is essential for retinal photoreceptor migration and survival” (opens in new tab), Scientific Reports, vol. 12, pp. 2897, 2022.
- Laradji A., Karakocak B.B., Kolesnikov A.V., Kefalov V.J., Ravi N., “Hyaluronic acid-based Gold Nanoparticles for the Topical Delivery of Therapeutics to the Retina and the Retinal Pigment Epithelium” (opens in new tab), Polymers, vol. 13, pp. 3324, 2021.
- Genovese F., Reisert J., Kefalov V.J., “Sensory transduction in photoreceptors and olfactory sensory neurons: common features and distinct characteristics” (opens in new tab), Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, vol. 15, 2021.
- Laradji A.M., Kolesnikov A.V., Karakoçak B.B., Kefalov V.J., Ravi N., “Redox-Responsive Hyaluronic Acid-Based Nanogels for the Topical Delivery of the Visual Chromophore to Retinal Photoreceptors” (opens in new tab), ACS Omega, vol. 6, pp. 6172-6184, 2021.
- Kolesnikov A.V., Kiser P.D., Palczewski K., Kefalov V.J., “Function of mammalian M-cones depends on the level of CRALBP in Müller cells” (opens in new tab), Journal of General Physiology, vol. 153, pp. e202012675, 2021.
Most Cited Publications
- Wang J., Kefalov V.J., “An alternative pathway mediates the mouse and human cone visual cycle” (opens in new tab), Current Biology, vol. 19, pp. 1665-1669, 2009.
- Wang J., Estevez M.E., Cornwall M.C., Kefalov V.J., “Intra-retinal visual cycle required for rapid and complete cone dark adaptation” (opens in new tab), Nature Neuroscience, vol. 12, pp. 295-302, 2009.
- Xue Y., Shen S.Q., Jui J., Rupp A.C., Byrne L.C., Hattar S., Flannery J.G., Corbo J.C., Kefalov V.J., “CRALBP supports the mammalian retina visual cycle and cone vision” (opens in new tab), Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 125, pp. 727-738, 2015.
- Kefalov V.J., Estevez M.E., Kono M., Goletz P.W., Crouch R.K., Cornwall M.C., Yau K.-W., “Breaking the Covalent Bond- A Pigment Property that Contributes to Desensitization in Cones” (opens in new tab), Neuron, vol. 46, pp. 879-890, 2005.
- Sakami, S., Kolesnikov, A.V., Kefalov, V.J., Palczewski, K., “P23H opsin knock-in mice reveal a novel step in retinal rod disc morphogenesis” (opens in new tab), Human Molecular Genetics, vol. 23, pp. 1723-1741, 2014.
- Kolesnikov, A.V., Fan, J., Crouch, R.K., Kefalov, V.J., “Age-related deterioration of rod vision in mice” (opens in new tab), Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 30, pp. 11222-11231, 2010.
- Kefalov, V.J., “Rod and cone visual pigments and phototransduction through pharmacological, genetic, and physiological approaches” (opens in new tab), Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 287, pp. 1635-1641, 2012.
- Shi G., Yau K.-W., Chen J., Kefalov V.J., “Signaling properties of a short-wave cone visual pigment and its role in phototransduction” (opens in new tab), Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 27, pp. 10084-93, 2007.
- Vinberg, F., Kolesnikov, A.V., Kefalov, V.J., “Ex Vivo ERG analysis of photoreceptors using an In Vivo ERG system” (opens in new tab), Vision Research, vol. 101C, pp. 108-117, 2014.
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Last updated on 10/28/2026.