Dr. Tawfik’s overarching research interests revolve around nutritional deficiencies, specifically folic acid and vitamin B12, and their relationship with amino acid homocysteine in the impairment of vision. She uses basic research techniques to enhance the understanding of how elevated levels of homocysteine contribute to the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common causes of blindness worldwide. Over the last ten years, her research has led to the now widely accepted notion which states that homocysteine, serves as a possible biomarker/risk factor for the development/progression of DR and AMD