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
Lab focus: Axonal local translation during axon outgrowth
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Hobbies: Photography, cooking, hiking, traveling
Heather Chang, BS
Life Science Research Professional 1
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Hobbies: Running, cooking, video games
Kathleen Heng, DVM, DACLAM
Postdoctoral Scholar, Neurosciences PhD Candidate
Lab focus: Interested in neuroprotection and regeneration in the visual system, and research focuses on advancing promising strategies towards safe and effective clinical treatments for optic pathway diseases
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Hobbies: Swimming, hiking, cooking, and baking
Emma Huie, BS
Life Science Research Professional
Lab focus: Axonal local translation during axon outgrowth
Hometown: California
Hobbies: Baking, kayaking, knitting, writing, and trying to keep succulents alive
Lab-based focus: Neuroprotective and regenerative strategies for glaucoma
Clinic-based focus: Non-invasive imaging of aqueous outflow; neuro-enhancement for glaucoma
Dr Khatib (Tas) is a fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist and clinician scientist. She qualified from Oxford University Medical School and completed her doctorate in gene therapy-based neurotrophin delivery for glaucoma neuroprotection at Cambridge University alongside her residency. She undertook a surgical glaucoma fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital London prior to joining Dr. Goldberg’s team as a postdoctoral scholar.
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
Michael Nahmou, BS
Life Science Research Professional 2
Lab focus: Astrocyte reactivity in disease and injury as well as retinal ganglion cell-targeted gene therapy
Hometown: Encino, California
Hobbies: Exploring new eats and spending time outdoors, especially with his dog Elvis
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)
Lab focus: I support lab research in various procedures such as intravitreal injections, optic nerve crush, and perfusion; and I assist in managing the mouse colony.
Hometown: Olympia, Washington
Hobbies: Reading, writing, trying out different restaurants, and exploring the Bay Area
Lab focus: I am developing an epigenetic gene editing system to help with future gene therapy and using this system to identify novel therapeutic targets to treat optic neuropathies.
Hometown: China
Hobbies: Kayaking and golfing
Santhoshi Varada, MBBS
Visiting Instructor
Hometown: Rajahmundry, India
Hobbies: Hiking, Camping, and Skiing
Lab focus: Retinal ganglion cell regeneration from endogenous progenitors
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Hobbies: Knitting, hiking, science outreach
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.