As a Genetics PhD student in Dr. Rob Mullins’ lab, I have an interest in developing cell replacement strategies as therapeutics for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a leading cause of irreversible blindness that decreases visual acuity. The disease is a progressive retinal disorder that damages the macula, the central region of the retina that contains a high concentration of cone photoreceptors. My lab has a particular interest in the choroid, the vascular bed that supports the cells of the outer retina by supplying them with oxygen and essential nutrients as well as carrying away waste. AMD has been associated with the loss of endothelial cells within the choroid, so in my research I aim to rescue endothelial cell populations in damaged choroids and restore their native function. I am working to elucidate the factors in the choroid responsible for increasing recellularization potential. I employ iPSC-derived endothelial cells and human donor choroid tissue in my work, and I have begun to culture primary human choroid endothelial cells from individuals with a variety of ocular diseases for future experiments.

Publications

Navratil EM, Wenzel PA, Flamme-Wiese MJ, Miller JEB, Wiley LA, Stone EM, Tucker BA, Mullins RF. 2025. Sialoglycoconjugate profiling of human choroid, retinal pigment epithelium, and basal laminar deposits. Experimental Eye Research. 260:110618. doi:10.1016/j.exer.2025.110618. 

Honors and Awards

Harvard International Symposium on AMD Travel Award (2025)
Genetics T-32 Pre-doctoral Training Grant (2025 - 2026)
Iowa Pathways to Graduate Excellence Award (2024)