Current Members: in the Lab
Kristina Russano, MS
Lab Manager
Lab focus: Safety, compliance, facilities/operations, lab development
Hometown: Miami Beach, Florida
Hobbies: Camping, reading, gardening, exploring this beautiful state with my husband and puppers
Sydney Adcook, BS
Research Staff
Lab focus: Neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis
Hobbies: Reading, skiing, swimming, and hanging out with my guinea pig
Lab focus: Axonal local translation during axon outgrowth
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Hobbies: Photography, cooking, hiking, traveling
Lab focus: Differentiating and transplanting human stem cell-derived RGCs and retinal organoids
Hometown: Guangzhou, China
Hobbies: Hiking, trail running, painting, cooking
Jax Maya, BS
Life Science Research Professional 1
Hometown: Ventura, California
Hobbies: Chess
Savana Maxfield, BS
Research Staff
Lab focus: Molecular mechanisms of ocular conditions, particularly optic neuropathies.
Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA
Hobbies: Tidepooling, hunting for seaglass, or walking my family's Basset hound along the ocean cliffs
Ayame Misaki Bluebell
Research Staff
Lab focus: Applying stem cell research and regenerative medicine to aging-related diseases.
Mishal Rao, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar
Lab focus: Developing regenerative and stem cell–based therapies for vision restoration using retinal organoids
Carola Rutigliani, MD
Postdoctoral Scholar
Lab focus: Neuroprotection and regeneration in the visual system.
Sahil Shah, MD, PhD
Ophthalmology Resident, Stanford
Anna Bettina Toth, MD, PhD
Ophthalmology Resident, Stanford
Lab focus: Astrocyte reactivity in the pathogenesis of optic neuropathies like glaucoma
Hometown: Midland, Michigan
Hobbies: Yoga, traveling, growing plants (especially succulents)
Santhoshi Varada, MBBS
Visiting Instructor
Hometown: Rajahmundry, India
Hobbies: Hiking, Camping, and Skiing
Zheng Wu, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar
Hometown: Shanxi, China
Hobbies: Reading and Skiing
Xin Xia, MD, PhD
Research Scientist
Lab focus: RGC survival and axon regeneration
Hometown: China
Hobbies: Cycling and running
Brent Young, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Lab focus: I work on retinal ganglion cell functional light-response modulations and regeneration in neurofibromatosis Type-1.
Hometown: Orem, Utah
Hobbies: Running, biking, and video games
Ziyu Yu, MD, PhD Candidate
Rotating Scholar
Lab focus: I focus on neuroprotection in the visual system and retinal ganglion cell functional light-response in neurofibromatosis Type-1 mice.
Hometown: Hunan, China
Hobbies: Badminton, climbing, and cooking
Thank You
We also thank our other collaborators and staff on the clinical research team.
Current Members: in the Clinic
Lab focus: Neuroprotective and neurorestorative clinical trials in glaucoma
Hometown: Jerusalem, Israel
Hobbies: Cycling and running
Elena De Loizaga
Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator
Hometown: Madrid, Spain
Hobbies: yoga, traveling, and hiking
Sachin Iyer
Assistant Clinical Research Coordinator
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Hobbies: Hiking, Basketball, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Mariana Nunez
Clinical Research Manager and Director of the Stanford Ophthalmology Clinical Research Unit
Hometown: Mexico City
Hobbies: Hiking, reading.
Thank You
We also thank our other collaborators and staff on the clinical research team.