I received a bachelor's degree from North Dakota State University with majors in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology and Biological Sciences, with a minor in Chemistry. While at NDSU I worked as a research assistant for the United States Department of Agriculture studying fungal pathogens of wheat and barley. My thesis research in Dr. Mullins' lab is focused on the molecular mechanisms of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss in adults over 60. In the late stage, AMD results in macular atrophy, neovascularization, or both. AMD is a complex genetic and environmental disease, and there are limited prevention and treatment methods available despite a high prevalence. Our lab specifically focuses on the choroid, which is the vascular layer behind the retina. I study human donor eyes with varying stages of AMD, and model disease mechanisms in immortalized and iPSC derived endothelial cells. I am interested in the biological reasons behind differential progression from early to late AMD, as well as the divergence between the two types of late AMD. I am also generally interested in the role of senescence in a variety of age related conditions.

Publications:

Voigt AP, Mullin NK, Navratil EM, Flamme-Wiese MJ, Lin LC, Scheetz TE, Han IC, Stone EM, Tucker BA, Mullins RF. Gene Expression Within a Human Choroidal Neovascular Membrane Using Spatial Transcriptomics. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2023 Oct 3;64(13):40. doi: 10.1167/iovs.64.13.40. PMID: 37878301; PMCID: PMC10615143.

Honors/Awards:

Genetics T32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant (2023-2024) 

Genetics T32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant (2022-2023) 

Knights Templar Eye Foundation ARVO Travel Grant (2023) 

Keystone Symposia Travel Scholarship (2024)