Students | Advanced Ocular Imaging Program | Medical College of Wisconsin

Students in the Advanced Ocular Imaging Program are given the opportunity to develop strong research skills in a multidisciplinary environment. Involved in every aspect of the program, students play a vital role in the ongoing development of innovative imaging research. Inquire Now

Learn With the AOIP

Our students come to us from a variety of programs, and with varied expertise, including medicine, cell biology, engineering, neuroscience, image processing and computer programming. Medical students at Medical College of Wisconsin typically participate via the Clinical and Translational Research Pathway. We also accept undergraduate students through both the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE) and Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) programs offered through the MCW Graduate School, as well as high school students participating in the Research Opportunity for Academic Development in Science (ROADS) program. In addition, we have numerous other research opportunities for local students from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, UW Milwaukee, or Marquette University.

If you are interested in our program, please contact Joseph Carroll to discuss current research opportunities. Get to know our current students on this page or view our graduates on our alumni page.

Get to Know Our Current Students

Gelique Ayala

Medical Student; Clinician Educator Pathway

gayala@mcw.edu

(414) 955-2078

I am primarily interested in studying ocular development. Specifically, I am working to identify factors that could explain foveal pit variation within a healthy population.

Heather Heitkotter

Graduate Student

hheitkotter@mcw.edu

My general focus is neuroscience; I enjoy investigating the underlying mechanisms of behavior and neurological function. I have a particular interest in neurological development and related disorders, which I hope to explore via cellular activities and phenotypic expression.

Tammi Holle

Medical Student; Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Pathway

tholle@mcw.edu

I have joined Dr. Carroll's lab for the summer through MSSRP, and I will be focusing on reliability and repeatability of cone counts in subjects with retinitis pigmentosa and Usher's syndrome.

Alison Huckenpahler

G4 Student

ahuckenpahle@mcw.edu

(414) 955-2051

I am currently working using adaptive optics to characterize a transgenic pig model of retinitis pigmentosa. This disease is caused by a mutation in rhodopsin which results in a loss of rod photoreceptors, eventually leading to blindness. This model will allow us to look in depth at the pathophysiology of the disease and hopefully lead to possible gene therapies to restore/preserve vision.

Rachel Linderman

Graduate Student

rlinderman@mcw.edu

My research interests include retinal vasculature imaging and changes with disease.

Alexander Salmon

Graduate Student

asalmon@mcw.edu

My research interests include software, hardware, and biological solutions to improve adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging in animals as well as developing animal models of retinal disease and developing contrast agents for OCT.

Abigail Scheidt

Medical Student; Clinical and Translational Research

ascheidt@mcw.edu

I am primarily interested in the quantification of melanin using Near-Infrared Autofluorescence techniques.

Jacob Szpernal

Medical Student; Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Pathway

jszpernal@mcw.edu

My primary research focus is on human subject safety in ophthalmic research. Currently, I am looking to characterize safety measures that are in place for human subjects among institutions.

Ruth Woehlke

Doctoral Student

rwoehlke@mcw.edu

My research interests primarily lie in studying the uses of Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopes (AOSLO). Specifically, I am interested in the advantages of velocity spiral scanning techniques to improve the clinical utility of AOSLO imaging systems.