How does something as complex, beautiful, and functional as an eye develop? How do neurons become precisely aligned and connected in intricate networks that allow vision and thought? And what goes awry in the case of neurodegenerative diseases? Finally, can stem cells be applied in novel therapies to treat such diseases, especially age-related macular degeneration? These are the principal questions that drive our current efforts in human stem cell research, as part of the UCSB Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering.