Linda McLoon, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Linda is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Neurosciences and the Department of Neuroscience. Her laboratory focuses on understanding the cell biology of the extraocular muscles in health and in disease. She specifically studies potential mechanisms and treatments for two types of eye movement disorders: strabismus and nystagmus. Her laboratory also studies populations of muscle stems cells that may play a role in the sparing of extraocular muscles in various forms of muscular dystrophy.
Dr. McLoon received her Ph.D. in Anatomy and Neurobiology from the University of Illinois at the Medical Center. She did her postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Ray Lund at the University of Washington and the Medical University of South Carolina. She has broad research interests that include the control of eye position and eye movements and what happens when they are no longer normal, why the extraocular muscles are spared in muscular dystrophy, and most recently, ferreting out the basis for sex differences in retinal function. She is currently an Associate Director for the Medical Sciences Training Program (MD/PhD) at the University of Minnesota. Fun fact about Linda: She now has perfect distance vision - thanks to brand new lenses.
Laura Johnson
Graduate Student
Laura graduated with her B.S. in Genetics and Applied Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017. She is a graduate student in Linda McLoon's lab, her primary research focus is on the molecular background of Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome (INS). She looks at the RNA expression levels in cranial neurons and extraocular muscles between different mouse models of INS. Laura is currently a trainee in the Muscle Training Grant at the University of Minnesota. Fun fact about Laura: she has 20/20 vision!
Austin Winker
Graduate Student
Austin graduated with his B.S. in Genetics from Iowa State University in 2020, and is a 2nd year graduate student in Dr. McLoon's lab. He is primarily interested in investigating the role of neurotrophic factors on the growth dynamics of satellite cells located in the extraocular muscles, and ultimately how neurotrophic factors could be used in the treatment and management of strabismus. Austin is a trainee in the NSF NRT Graduate Training Program in Sensory Science. Fun fact about Austin: his eyeglass prescription is -0.75 for his right eye and -1.25 for his left.
Liz Hitch
Graduate Student
Liz graduated with her B.S. in Molecular Biology from California State University, Fullerton in 2020. As a graduate student in Linda McLoon's lab, Liz is interested in why extraocular muscles are spared in muscle disease. Liz is currently a trainee on the Muscle Training Grant at the University of Minnesota. Fun fact about Liz: she had muscle eye surgery as a child to correct strabismus in her left eye!
Rachel Kueppers
Lab Technician
Rachel graduated with her B.A. in Biology and Nutrition from the College of Saint Benedict in May 2018. Her work involves performing flash-electroretinograms on a Schizophrenic mouse model and a Hurler Syndrome mouse model. She also performs immunohistochemical, immunofluorescent, and histological stains using light/dark, fluorescent, and confocal microscopy for imaging. Fun fact about Rachel: her eyeglass prescription is -5.75 for her right eye and -4.0 for her left!
Erin Shen
Undergraduate Student
Erin is in her fourth year of her undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota, majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Sustainability Studies. She joined the McLoon lab in November of 2018. One of the things she learned from her lab mentor, Laura, is the importance of persistence and perseverance in research. A fun fact about Erin, her eyeglass prescription is -3.75 and she has astigmatism!