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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.