Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Maggie Lin

Morphological Characterization of Microglia Under Glaucomatous Conditions

The lipoxin pathway, 5-lipoxygenases (5-LOX) and 12/15-LOX interaction, is an important paracrine signaling mechanism to maintain neuronal homeostasis and protect against retinal ganglion cell degeneration, a key feature of human glaucoma. Dysregulation of microglia responses to ocular hypertension is a key factor in the pathogenesis of retinal ganglion cell degeneration. Employing a morphological characterization methodology, I aim to analyze microglia functional-morphological responses in a mouse model of glaucoma using mice with a deleted lipoxin pathway or mice where the lipoxin pathway was amplified by gene therapy.

Message To Sponsor

Thank you to the donors of this program for supporting my project over the summer! I greatly appreciate the opportunity to fully experience the grueling yet rewarding nature of research and to continue learning in the Gronert Lab, where the research has important implications for developing future innovative therapeutics for glaucoma. I’m hopeful that the experience gained and skills learned will allow me to pursue my future research goals, so there are no words to describe my gratitude for your support and encouragement!