The structural properties of the cornea make it strong to best protect the retina from damage while at the same time maintaining clarity and its curved shape so it can focus light properly. The epithelial cells that cover the cornea are maintained by a population of stem cells located within a specialized stem cell niche at a site called the limbus. Because of its clarity and strength, the cornea and its stem cell niche can be viewed using state of the art imaging methods to give us insight into how it is arranged in health and disease. In our lab, we are studying the cornea and its niche to understand is how corneal epithelial stem cells are maintained within their niche in normal tissue homeostasis and in during wound healing.