NIU Department of
Chemistry & Biochemistry Where the study of matter...matters!
(Joint appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences)
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 1991
B.S., Florida State University, 1984
Research Fellow, Center for Photoinduced Charge Transfer, 1995-1996
Research Fellow, Center for Fast Kinetics Research, 1992-1994
Visiting Assistant Professor, Southwest Texas State University, 1991-1992
Photochemistry, chemical kinetics, time-resolved spectroscopy, photooxidative damage to biological tissue.
Structure prediction of the RPE65 protein. Guo, H.; Zheng, C.; Gaillard, E. R. (2006) J. Theor. Biol., in press.
Antioxidant properties of melanin in RPE cells. Wang, Z.; Dillon, J.; Gaillard, E. R. (2006) Photochem. Photobiol., 82: 474–479.
Action spectrum for singlet oxygen production by human retinal lipofuscin. Avalle, L. B.; Dillon, J.; Gaillard, E. R. (2005) Photochem. Photobiol., 81: 1347-1350.
Non-enzymatic nitration of extracellular matrix proteins deleteriously affects retinal pigment epithelial cell function and viability: A comparison study with non-enzymatic glycation mechanisms. Wang, Z.; Paik, D. C.; del Priore, L. V.; Gaillard, E. R. (2005) Curr. Eye Res., 30: 691-702.
A mechanistic study of the photooxidation of A2E, a component of human retinal lipofuscin. Gaillard, E. R.; Avalle, L. B.; Keller, L. M. M.; Wang, Z.; Reszka, K.; Dillon, J. (2004) Exp. Eye Res., 79: 313-319.
The photochemical oxidation of A2E results in the formation of a 5,8,5’,8’-bisfuranoid oxide. Dillon, J.; Wang, Z.; Avalle, L. B.; Gaillard, E. R. (2004) Exp. Eye Res., 79: 537-542.
In vivo measurement of time resolved auto-fluorescence at the human ocular fundus. Schweitzer, D.; Hammer, M.; Schweitzer, F.; Anders, R.; Doebbecke, T.; Schenke, S.; Gaillard, E. R. (2004) J. Biomed. Optics, 9: 1214-1222.
The general topic of interest in our research group is the study of the mechanisms involved in photooxidative damage to biological systems, particularly in the human eye. Photooxidative damage is implicated in a number of ocular disorders such as age-related cataract formation and age-related macular degeneration (AMD; the leading cause of blindness in older adults). Light damage to biological systems may not manifest itself on a macroscopic level for decades, but the damage is initiated by short-lived, electronically excited species that participate in Type I or Type II oxidative chemistry. We use a wide variety of experimental methods to study these systems, including laser-based time-resolved spectroscopy. By determining the sequence of events that leads to tissue injury, and identifying the reactive species along the reaction pathway, we may be able to develop methods to slow down or stop these processes.

The laser-based flash photolysis system we use in my research group.
Currently, we are pursuing three major projects: