David G. Walsh Research Travel Award Recipients, Spring 2020

McPherson ERI/David G. Walsh Research Travel Awards provide funds for graduate students and postdocs from McPherson ERI members’ research groups to attend conferences to present vision-related work and to advance educational and professional development opportunities.  The McPherson ERI Research Committee is pleased to announce two trainee award recipients from among the spring semester 2020 applicants.

Steven Mayerl, graduate student (Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; David Gamm, mentor), had planned to attend the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in Baltimore, MD, from May 3-7, 2020 (which was recently canceled). His presentation is titled Assessing hPSC-derived retinal neuron synapse formation in vitro via monosynaptic retrograde tracing.

Natascha Merten, Ph.D. postdoctoral researcher (Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences; Karen J Cruickshanks, PhD, mentor), will attend the Gerontological Society of America’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, from November 4-8, 2020. Her presentation is titled Macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer as a marker of cognitive and sensory function in midlife.

Congratulations to both award recipients, who will be invited to speak in the McPherson ERI seminar series during the 2020-21 academic year.