Since 1990 Olaf Strauss is investigating the function and the regulation of function of the retinal pigment epithelium in health and disease.  In focus are ion channels and their regulation and how the activity of these ion channels is involved the regulation of cell function.

From this base he broadened the spectrum to the analysis of extracellular and intracellular signalling involving growth-factors, intracellular Ca2+and analysis of the protein/protein interaction underlying these key-events.