For the past three years, I have studied the degeneration mechanism of cone photoreceptors in conditions like AMD and retinitis pigmentosa. I identified a novel mechanism of cone death and characterized it by inducing the process in primary pig cone photoreceptors, pig retina explants, and rats undergoing retinal surgery. To better understand the human condition, colleagues worked with non-human primates showing similar clinical signs of retinal degeneration. I developed a medium-throughput screening platform to identify neuroprotective molecules targeting the identified death pathway in primary cone photoreceptor cells. The successful candidates were then tested on retinal explants with mutation-induced degeneration and injected in vivo.

I did a 6-month internship as a biological engineer, focusing on the formulation of a therapeutic vaccine and investigating the effects of adjuvants on the activation of CD8 T lymphocytes in murine models

I did a 4-month internship, subsequently extended, as an assistant engineer, where my primary task was optimizing immunofluorescence protocols for labeling cones in pig retinas. This involved dissecting pig eyes, culturing retinas, preparing cryostat cross-sections, performing microscopic expansion, and conducting microscopy.

"I did a 2-month internship as a technician in a research laboratory. My responsibilities included cell culture, dissection, and data analysis."