The Research Team

PI

Juan Angueyra, M.D., Ph.D. (Assistant Professor)

Angueyra
monsterAngueyra

I am interested in how retinal circuits are built and designed, to be able to use information relayed by photoreceptors and, to support vision.
I have studied photoreceptors in many species including scallop and amphioxus (with Enrico Nasi and Maria Gomez at the MBL in Woods Hole), primate and mouse (with Fred Rieke at UW in Seattle), squirrel and zebrafish (with Wei Li and Katie Kindt at NIH), and hope to keep this list growing.


Graduate Students

Carinna M. Householder (BISI - MOCB)

Pic
Monster

I earned my bachelors degree in Biology from Roanoke College in 2021. In undergrad, I studied how light conditons influence monolignol synthesis in the Arabidopsis thaliana. I became fascinated by how the environment influences epigenetic networks of genes and further pursued this at UMD. In the Visual System Development lab, I am interested in exploring how transcription factors infuence the generation of the final cellular identity of photoreceptors in the developing retina.


Autumn S. Lee (BISI - BEES)

Pic
Monster

I am a PhD student in Biological Sciences, in the BEES program. I graduated from Mount Holyoke College, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behavior as well as a certificate in Coastal and Marine Sciences. Currently, I’m working on a project investigating the cone-specific pathways that underlie shoaling behavior in zebrafish. In addition to contributing to knowledge about retinal development, I am passionate about addressing climate change and other anthropogenic issues using zebrafish models. I’m PADI SCUBA certified, enjoy exploring and drawing in art museums, and crocheting.


Iris (Yirong) Liang (NACS)

Pic
Monster

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology from the University of California, Davis, in 2023. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I investigated the firing profiles of neurons in the primary visual cortex, analyzing their responses to various stimulus patterns in their receptive fields. As a member of the Visual System Development Lab, my research centers on understanding the development of visual circuits. My primary focus is on discerning how different genes influence synaptic activity, which is a pivotal factor in the communication and evolution of photoreceptors.


Undergraduate Students

Meghan Hnilo (Biology Honors)

Pic
Monster

I am a current undergraduate student studying neuroscience at the University of Maryland, set to graduate in the Spring of 2025. I have recently been studying horizontal cells in the retina of zebrafish at the Angueyra lab, specifically how synaptic connectivity influences the cell fate of photoreceptors. During my time at the Visual System Development lab, I am excited to explore how different transgenic lines vary in cellular development in the retina.


Leah Kwak (Gemstone Honors)

Pic
Monster

I am an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park majoring in the biological sciences with a concentration in neurobiology and physiology as well as a member in the Gemstone Honors program. I am interested in exploring how the fundamental components of biological processes are correlated and synergize with one another to sustain living systems. I believe that this is the first step in working towards further investigating complex issues such as biological disorders that impact many lives today.


Staff

Usuy D. León Tolosa (Technician)

Pic
Monster

I was born in Colombia. An early exposure to a lot of fly bits and a rich biodiversity stirred a deep-seated passion for the biological sciences. During my undergraduate studies at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, I used electrophysiology to study the phototrasduction pathway in the understudied eye of Planaria, a small and primitive flatworm. Now I aim to understand retinal development in zebrafish, using in vivo imaging.


Lab Alumni

Jared

Pic
Monster