Education
B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, 2020
Ph.D. Student, Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University
Research Interests
Retina, Laptm4b, genetic engineering, drug delivery, autophagy.
Research Summary
Retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa, are some of the leading causes for visual impairment and blindness. Currently, there are no cures available for these diseases, only treatments intended to slow the progression. Recently, our lab has identified Laptm4b as a novel gene expressed in the retina. My research focuses on determining the mechanism in which Laptm4b is involved in retinal development, maintenance, and degeneration. Specifically looking into the autophagy pathway, I am investigating how Laptm4b plays a role in autophagic function, which is critical for retinal development and maintenance. Additionally, loss of autophagic function has been linked to the progression of retinal degeneration. The findings of this work will aid in determining the correlation between Laptm4b and retinal development, maintenance, and degeneration, which will provide novel insight for retinal research, and may be utilized for the development of cures for retinal degenerative diseases.
Awards & Honors
NIH Biotechnology Fellowship, 2022-Present
SMDP Biotech Training Fellow, 2022
Shreiber Endowed BME Fellowship, 2021
NIH Rutgers IMSD Training Fellowship, 2020-2022
Service Award in Biomedical Engineering, 2020
Publications
Rodriguez B, Vazquez M, Cai L. A newly anticipated role for Laptm4b in retinal outer segment development. Eye 36, 1342–1343 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-022-01996-6
Finkel Z, Esteban F, Rodriguez B, Fu T, Ai X, Cai L. Diversity of Adult Neural Stem and Progenitor Cells in Physiology and Disease. Cells. 2021 Aug 10;10(8):2045. doi: 10.3390/cells10082045. PMID: 34440814; PMCID: PMC8392301
Patel M, Li Y, Anderson J, Castro-Pedrido S, Skinner R, Lei S, Finkel Z, Rodriguez B, Esteban F, Lee KB, Lyu YL, Cai L. Gsx1 promotes locomotor functional recovery after spinal cord injury. Mol Ther. 2021 Aug 4;29(8):2469-2482. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.04.027. Epub 2021 Apr 23. PMID: 33895323.
Patel M, Anderson J, Lei S, Finkel Z, Rodriguez B, Esteban F, Risman R, Li Y, Lee KB, Lyu YL, Cai L. Nkx6.1 enhances neural stem cell activation and attenuates glial scar formation and neuroinflammation in the adult injured spinal cord. Exp Neurol. 2021 Jul 31:113826. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113826. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34343529.
Representative Graduate Courses Taken
Industrial Applications for Medical Devices
Molecular & Cellular Bioengineering
Biomaterials & Biomechanics
Bioimaging Methods
Biocontrol, Modeling and Computation
Adult & Stem Cell Dynamics
Mathematical Modeling
Current Trends in Neural Engineering
Interdisciplinary Biostatistics
Leadership & Outreach
Events Media Chair, Biomedical Engineering Student Society (BESS), 2022-Present
President, Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), 2019-2020
Secretary, Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), 2018-2019