Research Training in Vision Science- NEI T32 Trainees

Current T32 Fellows

Genetics

Raela Ridley

Raela joined the Vision Science T32 in January 2023. Co-mentored by Cris Ildefonso and Clay Smith, Raela is elucidating the role of Stat3 and RelA in retinal microglia state transition in the presence of retinal stress as a means to control chronic inflammation that plays a role in neuronal cell death in the aging and degenerating retina.

Raela Ridley

Psychology

Julia Farrell

Julia joined the Vision Science T32 in January 2023. Under the mentorship of Dr. Lisa Scott, Julia is focused on parent-infant joint attention during book reading. Specifically, she is using dual, head-mounted eye tracking to analyze the synchronized moment-to-moment visual fixations occurring between an infant and their caregiver during a 5-minute book reading task.

Julia Farrell

Psychology

Jourdan Pouliot

Jourdan joined the Vision Science T32 in January 2023. Under the mentorship of Dr. Andreas Keil, Jourdan uses time-frequency based methods in electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the neural substrates of generalization learning in response to facial cues.

Jourdan Pouliot

Genetics

Valerie Hinsch

Valerie joined the Vision Science T32 in January 2023.  Under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Boye, Valerie is studying the role of various AAV interactions with AAVR (AAV receptor) in the retina for the development of improved gene therapies. AAVR is of interest as it has recently been identified as a nearly universal receptor for AAVs, but this still needs to be verified in specific tissues.

Valerie Hinsch

Former T32 Fellows

GENETICS

William Ruddick

Dr. Ruddick graduated in May 2023 under the mentorship of Dr. Astra Dinculescu. He is now a field application scientist for Bruker Cellular.

William Ruddick

BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Victoria Makal

Dr. Makal graduated in May 2020 under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Boye. She is now an assistant professor in biochemistry University of Virginia-Wise.

Victoria Makal

GENETICS

Russell Mellen

Dr. Mellen graduated in May 2022 under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Boye. He is now a field application scientist for Lumicks.

Russell Mellen

chemical engineering

Russell Macoon

Dr. Macoon graduated in May 2020 under the mentorship of Dr. W. Clay Smith. He is now a biomedical Engineer with the U.S. Food And Drug Administration.

Russell Macoon

genetics

Casey Keuthan

Dr. Calabro graduated in December 2019 under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Boye. She is now a research scientist at Atsena Therapeutics.

Casey Keuthan

genetics

Kaitlyn Calabro

Dr. McCullough graduated in May 2019 under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Boye. He is now a senior scientist at Life Edit Therapeutics.

Kaitlyn Calabro

genetics

Kevin McCullough

Dr. McCullough graduated in May 2019 under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Boye. He is a Postdoctoral Associate in Molecular & Genetic Engineering at Duke University.

Kevin McCullough

genetics

Marcus Hooper

Dr. Hooper graduated in May 2018 under the mentorship of Dr. Ash. He is now a scientist for the Allen Institute for Brain Science.

Marcus Hooper

genetics

Rachel Stupay

Dr. Stupay graduated in December 2017 under the mentorship of Drs Astra Dinculescu & William Hauswirth. She is currently a senior research scientist in product development at Abeona Therapeutics.

Rachel Stupay

genetics

Brian Rossmiller

Dr. Rossmiller graduated in August 2015 under the mentorship of Dr. Alfred Lewin. He is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Tokyo Medical Center, where he designs, produces & tests CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene correction

Brian Rossmiller

genetics

Miranda Scalabrino

Dr. Scalabrino graduated in May 2016 under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Boye. She is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Neurobiology Department at Duke University.

Miranda White

Physiology & Pharmacology

James Dominguez

Dr. Dominguez graduated in December 2015 under the mentorship of Dr. Maria Grant. After his Postdoctoral training at Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis, he remained on staff as a Research Analyst.

James Dominguez

Immunology & Microbiology

Ryan Chastain-Gross

Dr. Chastain-Gross graduated in May 2015 under the mentorship of Dr. Ann Progulske-Fox. He completed his Postdoctoral training at the University of Florida before becoming a freelance medical editor.

Ryan Chastain-Gross

Molecular Cell Biology

Renee Ryals

Dr. Ryals graduated in August 2014 under the mentorship of Dr. Hauswirth. After completing her Postdoctoral training in the Department of Ophthalmology at Oregon Health & Science University, she joined their staff as a Research Assistant Professor.

Renee Ryals

Genetics

Soo Seo

Dr. Seo graduated in August 2011 under the mentorship of Dr. Alfred Lewin. She completed her Postdoctoral training at the University of Florida in the Infectious Diseases & Immunology department. Now, Dr. Seo is a Medical Scientist in the Obstetrics & Gynecology Department at the University of Florida.

Soo Seo

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Daniel Gibson

Dr. Gibson graduated in August 2011 under the mentorship of Drs Susan Frost & Gregory Schultz. After completing his Postdoctoral training at the University of Florida’s Wound Research Center, he joined the Obstetrics & Gynecology Department as a Research Assistant Professor.

Daniel Gibson

PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY

Jennifer Kielczewski

Dr. Kielczewski graduated in May 2010 under the mentorship of Dr. Maria Grant. She completed her Postdoctoral training in Immunology & Immunoregulation at the NIH, then stayed on in the Biological Imaging Core Facility of the National Eye Institute as a Biological Scientist.

Jennifer Kielczewski

GENETICS

Lee Ferguson

Dr. Ferguson completed his MD-PhD training in May 2010, under the mentorship of Drs William Hauswirth & Alfred Lewin. After his residency at the John A. Moran Eye Center, he became a practicing Ophthalmologist.

Lee Ferguson

NEUROSCIENCE

Wilda Orisme

Dr. Orisme graduated in December 2008, under the mentorship of Dr. W. Clay Smith. She completed her Postdoctoral training at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and afterward stayed on as a Research Scientist in Pathology.

Wilda Orisme

Genetics

John Alexander

Dr. Alexander graduated in May 2007 under the mentorship of Dr. William Hauswirth. He completed his Postdoctoral training in Vision Science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and is now an Assistant Professor of Human Genetics at Emory University.

John Alexander

Neuroscience

Shannon Boye

Dr. Boye graduated in May 2006 under the mentorship of Dr. Sue Semple-Rowland. She completed her Postdoctoral training in the Ophthalmology Department at the University of Florida, and was recently promoted to Associate Professor in the Molecular Therapy Division of the Department of Pediatrics. She is also a mentor on this T32, and has mentored, to date, 5 of its fellows.

Shannon Boye

Physiology & Pharmacology

Nilanjana Caballerro

Dr. Caballero graduated in May 2005 under the mentorship of Dr. Maria Grant. She continued on as Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Florida, and is now a Professor & Department Chair for the Sciences for Health Programs at Santa Fe College.

Nilanjana Caballerro