Piyush Kothary, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Email: kotha@umich.edu




Piyush graduated from the University of Bombay with a B.Sc. in Chemistry and an M.Sc. in Physical Chemistry.  He earned his Ph.D. from La Salle University in Mandeville, LA. His doctoral thesis investigated the somatostatin receptors on isolated rat hepatocytes.

Prior to joining the Kellogg Eye Center, Piyush taught Chemistry at the University of Bombay and then worked as a researcher in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Michigan.  His research examined the anti-proliferate effect of somatostatin on the liver and the mechanisms of impaired regeneration in a cirrhotic liver.  Prior to the development of gene technology, he developed region-specific radioimmunoassays to study molecular variation in benign and metastasized neuroendocrine tumors. This research led to the development of the concept that benign and metastatic gastrinomas differ at the molecular level even though they present a similar clinical history.

Piyush joined the Del Monte lab in 1994.  Currently, his research focuses on the biochemistry of growth factors that may influence human retinal pigment epithelial cell proliferation in diabetes and retinal detachment.  Piyush is also involved in the research training of undergraduate and medical students, as well as ophthalmology residents.

In his spare time, Piyush enjoys reading, traveling, outdoor photography, and writing poems.