In the world of science, every researcher has a unique story of what drew them to their field of study. For Darwin Babino, PhD, new Assistant Professor at Upstate Medical University, it all began with a simple question-- that has turned into a mission to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into vision research and make strides in understanding the intricacies of vision and eye-related diseases.  

Darwin Babino, PhD, new Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Upstate Medical University.

“During high school, I was chosen for an innovative internship program at the University of Miami aimed at introducing underrepresented minorities to potential careers in medicine and medical research. This early immersion program was my gateway to the world of labs. My passion for ophthalmology grew from my initial curiosity about the properties of carotenoids and their integral role in vision and overall human health. My curiosity shifted from understanding the role of a single family of compounds to a broader exploration of the eye’s structure and function. Venturing into biochemistry and neuroscience was a natural progression as it takes a multidisciplinary approach to decode the complexities of vision.” 

During his studies at Florida International University, Babino developed high-performance liquid chromatography protocols and applied them across several disciplines, including a human pilot study comparing the effects on serum and macular pigment density to different lutein supplements. He then went on to his doctoral training at Case Western Reserve University where he learned about the impact mutations can have on mammalian vision, igniting his interest in developing treatments to prevent and reverse vision loss. This led him to complete his postdoctoral training in Vision Neuroscience at the University of Washington, where he focused on developing machine learning methods to test and develop vision restoration therapies. 

Now, as a member of the Center for Vision Research (CVR) at Upstate Medical University, Dr. Babino brings with him a wealth of knowledge and a vision for the future of vision research. One of his key goals is to harness the power of AI and machine learning to accelerate discoveries in neuroscience and eye-related sciences.  

Dr. Babino presenting the talk “Decoding the Eye: Machine Learning Approaches to Retinal Analysis and Vision Restoration” at the 23rd Annual Biosciences Medical Retreat, hosted by Upstate's College of Graduate Studies.

"What I’m trying to do is use AI to accelerate findings in vision neuroscience," he shares. “In our latest work, we developed a system that leverages AI and ML to analyze terabytes of electrophysiological data from normal, diseased, and therapeutically treated retinas within hours of running experiments. Our approach saves time and money by providing faster and newer insights about each retinal condition and different therapies aimed at restoring vision.” Among other efforts, Babino will be working to establish a multi-electrode array system to help study and answer questions not only about the retina but drugs on the market for retaining and restoring vision.  

CVR Director William Brunken, PhD understands how important integrating these fields into vision is. “What machine learning can do for us is look at data in an unbiased way,” he explains. “For instance, we’ve trained various machine algorithms to look at retinal images, and they were able to detect the gender and age of the owner of the fundus. That's something that no physician can do.”  

“The insights from this kind of research are exactly why we wanted Darwin; this is the future. Trying to understand the nervous system in an old-fashioned way is not going to solve the problem,” says Brunken. “We need more advanced algorithms to crack the neural code and Darwin has that expertise.” 

For Babino, his work in vision research has also become deeply personal. His wife's mother has a condition that will eventually lead to blindness. This personal connection has fueled his determination to make a difference. 

"It became even more personal for me," he shares. "Growing up, I used to volunteer at the hospitals, and for some reason, I always ended up in the ophthalmology department. Volunteering there and seeing what people are going through, it's an absolutely debilitating disease and I'd like to do my small part to help.” 

When asked about his decision to join Upstate, Dr. Babino points to the influence of Brunken and the collaborative atmosphere he found at the institution. 

"A big reason why I came to Upstate was Bill Brunken and the environment he leads here," Dr. Babino says. " I found that this is a very collaborative group. That really was the thing that I was looking forward to." 

The collaborative spirit at Upstate Medical University aligns perfectly with Dr. Babino's vision of integrating AI into vision research. Working together with like-minded researchers, he aims to unlock new frontiers in understanding the eye and ultimately contribute to the development of treatments for blinding diseases.