News
2024
- July 2024 – Sydney is awarded a travel fellowship to the XXVI Biennial Meeting of the International Society of Vision Research to be held in Argentina
- July 2024 – Aparna is appointed co-director of the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics graduate program Link: https://pspg.ucsf.edu/people/codirector-lakkaraju
- June 2024 – Our new manuscript on an unexpected culprit in the pathogenesis of frontotemporal dementia is on biorxiv! Please check it out!
- June 2024 – Sydney speaks at Lightning Talks in the lead up to the Grand Rounds presentation on Academic Leadership
- May 2024 – Nilsa and Colin attend commencement! Congratulations, Dr. La Cunza and Dr. Germer! Link: https://graduate.ucsf.edu/watch-graduate-division-2024-commencement
- May 2024 – Sydney wins first prize in the Department of Ophthalmology Annual Research Day! An’s and Yao’s poster presentations were very well attended. Congratulations, Sydney, An, and Yao!!
- May 2024 – Barry presents his exciting research at the PROPEL symposium! https://propel.ucsf.edu/propel-annual-symposium
- May 2024 – The lab makes a fine showing at the annual ARVO meeting in Seattle – FIVE presentations, FIVE hoarse voices, and a lot of fun!
- April 2024 – Sydney wins the people’s choice award and ties for 3rd place at the Annual UCSF Grad Slam! Here she is at ~26 min: https://graduate.ucsf.edu/watch-grad-slam-2024
- April 2024 – Valencia speaks about mitochondria in AMD at the BYRIC symposium at Stanford. Link: https://med.stanford.edu/ophthalmology/research/byirc.html
- April 2024 – Aparna co-chairs the task group on the role of mitochondria in age-related macular degeneration at the Ryan Initiative for Macular Research in Irvine, CA. Link: https://rimr.doheny.org/
- March 2024 – Sydney speaks about her research on Rab GTPases in a featured trainee talk during the National Eye Institute director’s visit to UCSF
- March 2024 – Aparna speaks at Duke University’s Cell and Molecular Biology Seminar Series.
- Feb 2024 – Our new 5-year R01 is funded!!
- January 2024 – An is awarded an All May See Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship! Congratulations, An!
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Image-scaled.jpeg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Image-1b-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/12EB1264-8F54-41D5-BE1B-2AEFDAD26909-1-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/38E7AE63-AAF1-4EDA-ACC0-2518A6F388A4-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/4abd1203-ed16-40f1-89c9-63a4530b5c8b.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_4952.jpg)
2023
- October 2023 – Sydney, Nilsa, and Colin present their research at the XXth International Symposium on Retinal Degeneration (http://rdmeeting.net/index.htm) in Torremolinos, Andalusia!
- October 2023 – Aparna gives a talk on “Cellular mechanisms that contribute to AMD” at the BrightFocus Foundation Macular FastTrack in Torremolinos, Andalusia.
- September 2023 – Li Xuan’s Current Biology paper is in print! Click to view
- September 2023 – Aparna speaks at the 6th Biennial Symposium on AMD at Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard University
- September 2023 – Barry Nguyen joins the lab as a Junior Specialist! Barry is also part of UCSF’s fantastic PROPEL program Welcome, Barry!
- September 2023 – Yao Tong joins the lab as our newest postdoctoral associate. She comes to us from Tulane University. Welcome, Yao!.
- September 2023 – Sydney is selected as an UCSF Discovery Fellow! Congratulations, Sydney!
- August 2023 – Sydney and Colin are awarded travel fellowships to the XXth International Symposium on Retinal Degeneration (http://rdmeeting.net/index.htm) in Torremolinos, Andalusia!
- August 2023 – Li Xuan’s paper is online at Current Biology on August 15 (India’s Independence Day!)
- July 2023 – After a decade that garnered a PhD, 11 papers, and several awards, we say goodbye to Li Xuan! She was the first graduate student to join the lab and stayed on as a postdoctoral associate. Now she’s off to set up her independent lab. Congratulations and all the best, Li Xuan!
- July 2023 – Nilsa is awarded the UCSF Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Fellowship! Congratulations, Nilsa!
- June 2023 – Aparna speaks at Tampere University, Finland.
- June 2023 – Sydney is the recipient of the UCSF Chancellor’s Award for Martin Luther King, Jr., Leadership. Congratulations, Sydney!!
- May 2023 – As expected, Sydney nails her qualifying exam!!
- May 2023 – Colin wins a best presentation award at the 2023 Ophthalmology Research Day
- May 2023 – Li Xuan wins the best poster award at the 2023 Ophthalmology Research Day
- April 2023 – An Cheng joins the lab as a postdoctoral associate. He comes to us from Tohoku University, Japan. Welcome, An!
- April 2023 – Colin and Li Xuan present their research at the ARVO Annual Meeting in New Orleans
- March 2023 – Valencia Fernandes joins the lab as a postdoctoral associate. She comes to us from NIPER, India. Welcome, Valencia!
- March 2023 – Connor is awarded the Rose Hill Summer Research Award. Congratulations, Connor!
- February 2023 – Sydney, Colin, and Aparna present the lab’s research at the ISER biennial meeting in Gold Coast, Australia.
- February 2023 – Colin is awarded the Elizabeth Anderson Travel Award for ARVO
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Lavash-cropped.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_5505.jpeg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/SEP-Volunteering-with-Colin-and-Sydney-Silly-Version-CROP.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Connor-tries-Durian.mp4.00_00_02_14.Still001.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/The-Entire-Lab-Tries-Durian.mp4.00_00_47_23.Still001.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/The-Entire-Lab-Tries-Durian.mp4.00_01_42_05.Still003.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/The-Entire-Lab-Tries-Durian.mp4.00_00_25_01.Still002.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Li-xuans-Going-Away-Lunch-scaled.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Li-Xuans-Going-Away-Lunch-CROP.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Li-Xuan-Breaks-ARVO.mp4.00_00_10_21.Still001.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Colin-is-Good-at-Pool-ARVO.mp4.00_00_00_28.Still001.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Parnassus-terrace-2022.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/A-Mano-March-2023.jpeg)
2022
- November 2022 – Calling creative scientists!
- November 2022 – Li Xuan’s latest paper on advanced live imaging of mitochondrial dynamics in the living mouse retina is now online: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2022.1044672/full
- November 2022 – Sydney presents her work at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) in Anaheim
- October 2022 – Nilsa and Sydney attend the SACNAS National Diversity in STEM conference in Puerto Rico
- September 2022 – The lab welcomes Connor Tseng, a junior at UC-Berkeley!
- August 2022 – We are awarded a DEIA supplement for excellence in mentoring!
- August 2022 – Li Xuan’s paper is submitted!
- July 2022 – Sydney (PSPG graduate student) joins the lab! Welcome Sydney!!!
- July 2022 – We are awarded a grant from the Owen Locke Foundation for developing a small molecule therapeutic for AMD. More information here
- June 2022 – The lab says goodbye to Tania, as she completes the PROPEL program
- June 2022 – The lab wishes Thushara all the best as she heads back to India
- May – Li Xuan, Nilsa, and Colin are speaking at the 2022 Research Day!
- May – Nilsa is awarded the 2022 Copenhagen Award for the best paper in vision research. Congratulations, Nilsa!
- April – Nilsa passed her qualifying exam with flying colors! Congratulations, Nilsa!
- April – Welcome Sydney Williams (PSPG) as she begins her rotation in the lab!
- March 2022 – Colin is a finalist for the UCSF Grad Slam. Congratulations, Colin!
- March – we receive funding from the All May See Foundation to evaluate a new small molecule therapeutic for Stargardt disease and AMD!
2021
- December – Our grant application to the Reeves Foundation for Macular Degeneration Research to fund a super-resolution module for the spinning disk microscope is funded!
- September – Welcome Nav Lally (BMS) and Sigal Eini (PSPG) as they begin their rotations in the lab.
- August – Tania receives an NIH diversity supplement! Congratulations, Tania!
- July – Tania Mancilla Aceves, a postbac student and UCSF PROPEL scholar joins the lab. Welcome, Tania!
- June – Our JCI Insight paper is in print! Check out Li Xuan’s gorgeous cover image of 3D reconstruction of the mitochondria in the mouse RPE!
- May – Colin gives a talk at the RPE Cell Biology and Metabolism Virtual Seminar Series
- May – We receive the 2021 Lorraine Maresca Innovative Research Award for AMD from the BrightFocus Foundation
- April – Neuroscience student Katerina Radermacher is rotating in the lab. Welcome, Katie!
- April – Our latest manuscript is accepted in JCI Insight! Available online here: https://insight.jci.org/articles/view/142254 Congratulations, Nilsa and Li Xuan!
- April – Colin passes his qualifying exam! Congratulations, Colin!
- March – Thushara gives a talk at the RPE Cell Biology and Metabolism Seminar Series
- March – Li Xuan speaks at the RPE Cell Biology and Metabolism Seminar Series
- February – Li Xuan is awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from That Man May See! Congratulations, Li Xuan!!
- February – Aparna gives a talk at the University of Colorado Department of Ophthalmology Seminar series
- February – Aparna speaks at the Research to Prevent Blindness Lunch and Learn series on AMD. Video link here: https://bit.ly/RPBLLAMD
- January – Aparna speaks at the National Eye Institute (NEI) Intramural Seminar Series at the NIH
2020
- December – Lakkaraju lab zoom holiday party! Two truths and a Lie!
- October – New review out in Redox Biology! (link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231720309861?via%3Dihub)
- September – Aparna speaks at the University of Utah seminar series and grand rounds
- August – New postdoctoral associate Renuka Chaphalkar joins the lab! Welcome, Renuka!
- July – The preprint of Nilsa’s paper is now on biorxiv! (link: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.15.201723v1)
- June – Nilsa is awarded a Diversity Supplement Fellowship by the NEI!
- May – The lab is now back at 25%!
- May – Our new R01 on intracellular complement activation in AMD is funded!
- May – Li Xuan gives a lightning talk at the Virtual Ophthalmology Research Day
- March – Covid-19 and lab lockdown
- February – New review out in Progress in Retinal and Eye Research: “The cell biology of the retinal pigment epithelium”
- January – New collaborative paper with the Burkhard lab on centrosome amplification and autophagy in cancer published in Molecular Cancer Research
2019
- November – New postdoctoral associate Thushara Thamban joins the lab! Welcome, Thushara!
- October – Aparna speaks at Columbia University
- August – We are awarded the Catalyst Award for Innovative Approaches to AMD by the Research to Prevent Blindness/American Macular Degeneration Foundation (RPB/AMDF)
- June – Aparna presents at the BrightFocus Foundation “Mind Sight Cure” Gala. Video here: https://www.brightfocus.org/macular/video/interview-aparna-lakkaraju-phd
- June – Aparna speaks at the FASEB Summer Research Conference on the Biology and Chemistry of Vision
- May – Gul’s commencement in Madison – fun to catch up with friends from the Midwest!
- May – Aparna speaks at the ARVO Annual Meeting in Vancouver
- May – Li Xuan speaks at the Ophthalmology Research Day!
- March – Li Xuan is awarded the Copenhagen Award for the Best Paper in Vision Research in 2018.
2018
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Home-Lab-at-ferry-buildingcrop2.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/5-Lab-fun-Sept-2018.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/5-Lab-fun-LX-graduation-May-2018.jpg)
- December – Lakkaraju lab holiday party at Dosa!
- October – Aparna speaks at the Harvard Medical School 5th Biennial Symposium on AMD
- October – Gul successfully defends her thesis – another newly minted PhD from the lab! Congratulations, Dr. Kaur!
- September – We are awarded a patent on the use of acid sphingomyelinase inhibitors to treat inherited and age-related macular degenerations!
- September – Nilsa gives a talk and Colin presents a poster at the RD2018 meeting in Killarney.
- September – Colin and Nilsa win travel awards to the XVIII international symposium on retinal degenerations in Killarney, Ireland.
- August – Our latest paper in PNAS showing a link between organelle biogenesis and complement activation in aging and macular degeneration is online.
- July – The Lakkaraju lab relocates to the University of California, San Francisco!
The University of Wisconsin-Madison
- May 2018 – Li Xuan successfully defends her PhD thesis. Congratulations, Dr. Tan!!!
- May 2018 – Girijha, Li Xuan and Gul win travel awards to attend the ARVO annual meeting in Hawaii – congratulations!!
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/5-Lab-fun-Jan-2018.jpg)
- December 2017 – Colin and Girijha join the lab as graduate students! Welcome back!
- June 2017 – Girijha wins the Walsh Travel Award from MERI!
- February 2017 – Aparna is promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure!
- August 2016 – The PNAS paper on how the RPE protects itself from complement attack is published!
- August 2016 – Kim is onto a new adventure with Zeiss Microscopy after 5 years in the lab as a post-doctoral associate and an assistant scientist. Congratulations and all the best, Kim!
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/5-lab-fun-aug-2016.jpg)
![](https://ophthalmology.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/5-lab-fun-Aug-2016-2.jpg)
- July 2016 – The popular press takes note of Li Xuan’s PNAS paper: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/uow-mdi071516.php http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3695795/Leading-cause-blindness-elderly-cured-anti-depressants-sale.html
- July 2016 – Gulpreet Kaur from the CMB graduate program joins the lab. Welcome, Gul!
- June 2016 – Li Xuan’s PNAS paper is accepted!!
- April 2016 – Girijha Rathnasamy from the National University of Singapore joins the lab as a post-doctoral associate. Welcome, Girijha!
- March 2016 – Kim’s Retinal Research All-Stars wins the Cycle for Sight fundraiser for MERI!
- October 2015 – Li Xuan wins the MERI Research Day poster award!
- September 2015 – Li Xuan wins the Vilas Travel Award for a dissertator to attend the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting in Seattle!
- August 2015 – Nilsa La Cunza joins the lab as a Research Intern. Welcome, Nilsa!
- August 2015 –Kim wins the Best Presentation Award at the Midwest Eye Research Symposium!!
- July 2015 – Colin Germer joins the lab as a Research Intern. Welcome, Colin!
- July 2015 – Our grant application to the Macular Society UK is funded for three years! Their first ever award outside the United Kingdom!
- June 2015 – Sara Amirahmadi joins the lab as a Research Specialist. Welcome, Sara!
- May 2015 – Aparna receives the The Charlotte and Alexander Danilevsky Memorial Award from the BrightFocus Foundation at their ARVO breakfast.
- March 2015 – Kim wins the Walsh Travel Award from the McPherson Eye Research Institute to attend the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting in Denver!
- March 2015 – Kim’s Retinal Research All-Stars wins the Cycle for Sight fundraiser for MERI!
- March 2015 – Our BrightFocus Foundation grant application for macular degeneration research is funded!
- January 2015 – Our Molecular Biology of the Cell paper is in press!
- December 2014 – The Wisconsin Partnership Program awards us a New Investigator grant to identify FDA-approved drugs that can be repurposed for age-related macular degeneration.
- June 2014 – Kim is awarded a National Eye Institute travel award to attend the XIV International Retinal Degeneration Symposium in Asilomar!
- April 2014 – Our Methods in Eye Research paper is accepted by Experimental Eye Research!
- March 2014 – Li Xuan wins the Walsh Travel Award from the McPherson Eye Research Institute to attend the American Society of Cell Biology Annual Meeting!
- November 2013 – We are awarded a grant from the Reeves Foundation for Macular Degeneration Research!
- June 2013 – Our American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) grant application is funded!
- June 2013 – Charles is awarded a Fight for Sight Summer Fellowship!
- June 2013 – Jin leaves for her residency program in Pathology at UW-Madison and Max is off to Optometry School in Memphis. Our first lab alumni!
- December 2012 – Xu et al J Cell Science paper is in print and is featured in the journal’s “In this issue” write-up.
- July 2012 – Kim wins a best presentation award at the Midwest Eye Research Symposium!
- May 2012 – Aparna is named the Retina Research Foundation Rebecca Meyer Brown Professor.
- October 2011 – Kimberly A. Toops joins the lab as a post-doctoral associate. Welcome, Kim!
- June 2011 – Aparna speaks at the Wednesday nite @ the lab. “Eyeing cells to understand age-related macular degeneration.”
- April 2011 – Aparna speaks at the Women’s Health Series Initiative. “Seeing clearly: exploring age-related macular degeneration.”
- October 2010 – Jin Xu joins the lab as an associate research specialist. Welcome, Jin!