News

2025

April 2025 – Valencia Fernandes is awarded the Helen Juanita Reed postdoctoral fellowship from the BrightFocus Foundation! Congratulations, Valencia!
April 2025 – Barry Nguyen gives a talk on his exciting data at the 2025 Ophthalmology Research Day. Great job, Barry!
March 2025 – Yao Tong is awarded the 2025 Career Starter Grant from the Knight’s Templar Eye Foundation. Congratulations, Yao!!

2024

November 2024 – Samir Ranjan Panda joins the lab as our newest postdoc. Welcome, Samir!!
October 2024 – Sydney and Aparna give talks at the Biennial ISER meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
October 2024 – Colin is off on his next adventure – a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA. Congratulations and all the best, Colin!
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

Group photo of colleagues smiling at a pier, Ou Lab Research Publications UCSF Yvonne.

A group of nine people posing on a pier with a clear blue sky, Ou Lab Research Publications UCSF Yvonne.

Group celebrating with signs and flowers.

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

Group photo of researchers outdoors at UCSF.

Diverse group dining together at a formal event.

Group of friends dining together, smiling.

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!

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

A group enjoying lunch at a restaurant with various dishes on the table. Ou Lab Research Publications UCSF Yvonne. — Lunch at Lavash

Group photo in front of colorful graffiti, Ou Lab Research Publications UCSF Yvonne.

Group of students posing together in a classroom for a photo. Ou Lab Research Publications UCSF Yvonne.

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!.

Person eating outside in a casual setting. — The Entire Lab Tries Durian!

Person smiling with a spoon outdoors, near a glass door. Keywords: Ou Lab Research Publications UCSF Yvonne. — The Entire Lab Tries Durian!

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!

Three women at a round table sharing food and drinks.

A group of eight people dining at a round table in a restaurant. — Li Xuan’s Going Away Lunch – July 2023

A woman playing billiards on an orange pool table. — Li Xuan breaks – ARVO

Man playing billiards at Aloft hotel. — Colin is good at pool!

Group photo of researchers standing outside, Ou Lab Research Publications UCSF Yvonne. — Parnassus Terrace

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 – 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!

Group photo of colleagues outdoors, smiling together. Ou Lab Research Publications UCSF Yvonne. — March 2023

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

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

Group of six people sitting at a restaurant table.

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!

Four friends toasting with wine glasses at an outdoor table.

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

Group of friends by the bay with bridge in background, Lakkaraju Lab UCSF Aparna. — August 2018

Group of five people in front of a red and white Japanese-style structure. — Lab in SF – Sept 2018

Graduates in caps and gowns at a commencement ceremony holding diploma, Lakkaraju Lab UCSF Aparna. — LX graduation May 2018

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

Group photo at a dining table, Lakkaraju Lab UCSF Aparna.

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!!

Group of six people in a meeting room, smiling and holding drinks, Lakkaraju Lab UCSF Aparna. — Jan 2018

Group dining at a restaurant table, Lakkaraju Lab UCSF Aparna. — Tenure celebration – Feb 2017

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!

Four colleagues posing with drinks, smiling in an office setting. Lakkaraju Lab UCSF Aparna. — Kim farewell – Aug 2016

People chatting and enjoying food in a kitchen. — Kim farewell – Aug 2016

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!