Vision Research Training Program

T32 Grant

T32 Vision Research Training Grant Renewed

We are excited to announce that our T32 Vision Research Training Grant has been renewed for another five years, from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2029. Under the leadership of Program Director Robert Nickells and Assistant Director David Gamm, our program has expanded to support three predoctoral slots and one postdoctoral slot.

Accelerating Vision Research Training at UW–Madison

The T32 Training Grant significantly enhances vision research training at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. This prestigious grant, awarded by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health, was the first of its kind for a vision research training program (VRTP-T32).

Comprehensive and Cutting-Edge Curriculum

Our program offers students an intensive and comprehensive curriculum focused on the understanding and exploration of the visual system and its diseases. Participants will engage in in-depth discussions and lectures on topics such as:

Molecular and cell biology of the photo-transduction pathway (the process that converts light into a neurological signal)
Networks of neuronal connections in the retina and the brain
Clinical management of major ophthalmic diseases

As part of their training, students will complete a specialized course titled “Ocular Diseases of the Mammalian Visual System.” This competitive grant supports the training of three graduate students and one postdoctoral student every one to two years, ensuring a continuous influx of talented researchers dedicated to advancing the field of vision science.

Please contact Research Administrator Inna Larsen to learn more about our research training program.

“We are looking forward to students conducting their own projects in the tradition of ‘bench-to-bedside’ that has been a mainstay of the outstanding research training that makes the University of Wisconsin–Madison famous.”
Dr. Nickells, Professor and Principal Investigator for the T32 Grant

Meet the Trainees

Current Trainees

- Jenna Nagy · Predoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (1/23 – Present) – Trainer: Raunak Sinha, PhD
- Mason Shipley · Predoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (7/24 – Present) – Trainer: Donna Neumann, PhD
- Virginia Mathu · Predoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (7/24 – Present) – Trainer: Gillian McLellan, BVMS, PhD
- Celia Bisbach, PhD · Postdoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (7/24 – Present) – Trainer: David Gamm, MD, PhD

Past Trainees

- Kim Edwards · Predoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (1/21 – 12/21; 6/23 – 6/24) – Trainer: David Gamm, MD, PhD
- Jacob Khoussine · Predoctoral Dual Degree T32 Vision Research Trainee (1/22 – 6/23) – Trainer: Mrinalini Hoon, PhD
- Philip Mzyk, PhD · Postdoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (6/21 – 4/23) – Trainer: Colleen McDowell, PhD
- Ray Doudlah · Predoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (1/21-12/22) – Trainer: Ari Rosenberg, PhD
- Michael Landowski · Postdoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (1/20 – 4/21) – Trainer: Akihiro Ikeda, PhD
- Ryan Donahue · Predoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (1/19 – 12/20) – Trainer: Robert Nickells, PhD
- Sarah Rempel · Predoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (1/19 – 12/20) – Trainer: Timothy Gomez, PhD
- Kara Vogel · Postdoctoral T32 Vision Research Trainee (1/19 – 12/19) – Trainer: Gillian McLellan, PhD, BVMS

Program Details

Steering Committee

Curtis R. Brandt, PhD UW Medical Foundation Professor; Vice Chair of Research Ad Hoc Member, Steering Committee	David M. Gamm, MD, PhD Professor, Director of the McPherson Eye Research Institute	Ronald E. Gangnon, PhD Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences and the Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics
Gillian McLellan, BVMS, DACVO, DECVO, PhD Professor	Robert W. Nickells, PhD Frederick A. Davis Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Professor	Donna M. Neumann, PhD Associate Professor
Donna Peters, PhD Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Ad Hoc Member, Steering Committee	Terri L. Young, MD, MBA, FARVO Chair, Peter A. Duehr Professor of Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, and Medical Genetics Ad Hoc Member, Steering Committee	Inna V. Larsen Multi-Functional Research Administrator, Vision Core & T32 Administrator

Trainers and Training Areas

Development and Diseases of the Anterior Segment

- - Colleen McDowell
  - Donna Neumann
  - Robert Nickells

Development and Diseases of the Posterior Segment

- - David Gamm
  - Timothy Gomez
  - Sarah Gong
  - Mrinalini Hoon
  - Akihiro Ikeda
  - Colleen McDowell
  - Gillian McLellan
  - Freya Mowat
  - Bikash Pattnaik
  - Nader Sheibani
  - Raunak Sinha

Ocular Epidemiology and Genetics

- - Ronald Gangnon
  - Natascha Merten

Higher Order Processing Cognition

- - Bilge Mutlu
  - Ari Rosenberg

Admission

The Vision Research Training Program (VTRP) is open to pre- and post-doctoral students at UW–Madison who are interested in vision research and whose mentors are trainers (listed above). Please direct inquiries about the program to Inna Larsen. The VRTP is not a degree-granting program but is recognized as a core learning program by a number of biomedical graduate programs on campus.

Considering UW-Madison for graduate or post-graduate training?

- Information for prospective graduate students from the UW–Madison Graduate School.
- Information for prospective postdoctoral fellows from the UW–Madison Office of Postdoctoral Studies.

Additionally, the Bioscience Initiative for Recruiting and Networking (BIRN) program has a YouTube channel that showcases UW–Madison’s strength in research, its welcoming and collaborative environment, and virtual tours of the university and the city. The channel also emphasizes diversity and highlights the SciMed Graduate Research Scholars Program for graduate students from underrepresented groups.

— Training graduate and postdoctoral students lie at the core of research programs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. —

Vision Research Update Seminar

The Vision Research Update Seminar provides a dynamic forum for trainees to present their research and learn about the diverse vision research projects at UW–Madison. These seminars take place on the first Tuesday of each month from September through May at 10 AM. The sessions are offered in a hybrid format, allowing for both virtual participation and in-person attendance at 585 Medical Sciences Building. Please check the DOVS events calendar for details.

For more information, please contact:

Inna Larsen
Research, Vision Core, and T32 Administrator
ivlarsen@wisc.edu
(608) 265-2572