CAROT

Joan O'Brien, MD
Professor Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology Director, Scheie Eye Institute
 Joan.O'Brien@uphs.upenn.edu

Dr. Joan O'Brien received her medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School in 1986.  She completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston in 1987, followed by research fellowships in Immunology and Ophthalmic Pathology from 1987-1989.  Dr. O'Brien subsequently completed a residency in ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in 1992 and a fellowship in ocular oncology at the University of California at San Francisco in 1993. In 1993, Dr. O’Brien was appointed as an Assistant Professor at UCSF, where she remained for 17 years.  Dr. O’Brien’s clinical and research career grew tremendously at UCSF, and by 1998, she received tenure. During this time, Dr. O’Brien began directing her NEI-funded CLIA laboratory, which focused on ocular genetics research. In 2010, Dr. O’Brien was named the Chairman of the Ophthalmology Department at the University of Pennsylvania.  In addition to her duties as a Chairman and ocular oncologist, Dr. O’Brien also serves as the Principal Investigator of a $11.5 million five-year glaucoma genetics study in African Americans. Today, Dr. O'Brien specializes in the treatment of ocular tumors. Her research focuses on the genetics of eye disease, including retinoblastoma, melanoma, and glaucoma Her achievements have been recognized by a number of awards, including the Women in Ophthalmology Suzanne Veronneau-Troutman Award; American Academy of Ophthalmology Senior Achievement and Secretariat Awards; Laureate Award; induction into the American Ophthalmological Society; and election to the National Academy of Medicine.

Teja Alapati
Medical Student at Perelman
 teja.alapati@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

​​​​​​Teja hails from Alabama and completed his undergraduate degree in biology at Penn, whereupon he proceeded to join the ranks of the 250th class at the Perelman School of Medicine. After crystallizing his interest in ophthalmology, Teja has now undertaken a research year in between his third and fourth years of medical school to work in Dr. Joan O'Brien's lab on the POAAGG study. Teja is an avid fan of racquet sports as well as Indian dance and music.

Venkata R. Murthy Chavali Ph.D
Assistant Professor
 vchavali@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Venkata R. (Murthy) Chavali, is a Research Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, in the Scheie Eye Center. Murthy has strong background in molecular biology, genetics, proteomics and vast experience in conducting functional genetics studies. Dr. Chavali’s has been actively involved in the understanding the molecular pathophysiology of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG) in African Americans. Murthy is currently mentoring and conducting studies on molecular characterization of POAG associated genes using invitro and in vivo approaches in ocular cell lines and in relevant model systems. He also has strong expertise in transcriptome sequencing studies, induced pluripotent stem cell derivation into retinal ganglion cells, and understanding disease pathobiology by modeling disease in a dish. Murthy also has an NIH –funded R21 grant, to understand the role of cholesterol metabolism in age-related macular degeneration research.

Venkata H Gudiseva (Harini) M.Sc, M.S, ASCP(MB)
Research Project Manager
 gudiseva@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Harini has a master’s in Biotechnology and a second master’s in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Harini has a CLIA certified molecular biologist license (California) and she has an ASCP Molecular Biologist certification.  She has a strong molecular biology background and has experience in the field of ophthalmic genetics for over 12 years. She has an extensive expertise in the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) using various platforms. From past 8 years in O’Brien lab, Harini is managing the bio bank and conducting targeted sequencing projects in POAAGG study and currently the Research lab Director for this study. She is deciphering the genetic data obtained from African American GWAS study to arrive at critical genomic regions associated with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma. On her spare time, Harini enjoys spending time with her two lovely girls, reading novels and cooking.

Jie He M.D
Research Specialist
 jhe2@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Jie is a research specialist work for the Primary Open-Angle African American Glaucoma Genetics (POAAGG) Study. Jie got her MD in China. In the lab, she is working on extracting DNA from samples of glaucoma case , control and suspects. Jie is also working on cell culture of RGC differentiation from iPSC. Jie enjoys cooking and traveling.

Roy Lee MS
Database Manager
 Roy.Lee@uphs.upenn.edu

​​​​​I have a MS in Computer Science from Drexel University. I have worked at the Scheie Eye Institute since August 2015, supporting the Primary Open-Angle African-American Glaucoma Genetics Study (POAAGG), as the database manager. On the side, I have been studying statistics and research design.

Mark S. Pyfer
Medical Student
 mark.pyfer@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Mark S. Pyfer is a Philadelphia native who completed his undergraduate training at the University of Pennsylvania in Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience and a minor in Italian Studies. Upon graduation, he spent a year working with Dr. Jeannie Chin investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease. In 2015, he enrolled as a student in the Perelman School of Medicine. Currently, he is conducting an additional year of research in the laboratory of Dr. Joan O’Brien where he is involved in the POAAGG study and investigating novel therapeutic targets in glaucoma. Outside of the lab, Mark enjoys playing soccer, exploring Philadelphia restaurants, and mentoring local high school students interested in careers in healthcare.

Sonika Rathi Ph.D
Post-doctoral Fellow
 Sonika.Rathi@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Sonika Rathi pursuing her  Postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. OBrien/Chavali's lab at the University of Pennsylvania. Sonika has done her PhD   on ocular diseases from L V Prasad Eye Institute, India. Her research interest lies in understanding the pathogenesis of complex ocular diseases and takes this knowledge from bench to bedside. Apart from research, She enjoys music, dance and traveling.

Kyra Sagal
Clinical Research Coordinator
 kyra.sagal@uphs.upenn.edu

​​​​​​Kyra Sagal is a clinical research coordinator for the Primary Open-Angle African American Glaucoma Genetics (POAAGG) Study. Kyra received her BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2017 from Bryn Mawr College. In the lab, she is analyzing potential biomarkers associated with primary open-angle glaucoma in African Americans. Kyra has danced since she was young and enjoys cooking, running, and finding new coffee shops in Philadelphia.

Rebecca Salowe MSE
Project Manager / Scientific Writer
 Rebecca.Salowe@uphs.upenn.edu

Rebecca Salowe graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BSE and MSE in Bioengineering. She has more than five years of experience writing research manuscripts, grants, and abstracts and serving as the Project Manager for the Primary Open-Angle African American Glaucoma Genetics study. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys running races, exploring Philly, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.