Prof. Kazuichi Maruyama from Toyama Visits the Department of Ophthalmology

On June 11 and 12, 2026, the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Hospital of Cologne welcomed the internationally renowned ophthalmologist and scientist Prof. Kazuichi Maruyama from the University of Toyama (Japan) as an SFB 1607 visiting scholar.

During his visit, Prof. Maruyama delivered two scientific lectures on current issues in ocular immunology and inflammation research. In his first lecture, “Beyond Mesoderm: Discovery of Ectoderm-Derived Microglia in the Retina,” he presented new findings on the origin of retinal microglial cells. The second lecture, “Beyond Sterility: Microbial Signatures in the Vitreous of Ocular Sarcoidosis,” focused on microbial signatures in the vitreous of patients with ocular sarcoidosis.

In addition to the lectures, the visit focused in particular on scientific exchange with the research groups of the Cornea and Retina Laboratory. Furthermore, Prof. Maruyama met with uveitis experts from the Department of Ophthalmology to discuss current developments in the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory eye diseases and to explore common research interests.

Prof. Maruyama is an ophthalmologist, vitreoretinal surgeon, and clinician-scientist with a special focus on uveitis, ocular immunology, and retinal diseases. With more than 170 scientific publications and an h-index of 39, he is among the internationally recognized researchers in this field.

“We are pleased to further advance international exchange in ophthalmic research through SFB 1607,” said Prof. Dr. Claus Cursiefen, spokesperson for SFB 1607 at the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Cologne.