Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator, Whitman Lab
Ophthalmologist, Department of Ophthalmology
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
Lab Members
 | Sampath Vemula, MS, PhD Staff Scientist Dr. Vemula obtained a Master’s degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), India, in 2011. After completing his master’s, he worked for a pharmaceutical company until 2013. He earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Germany, in 2018, where his research focused on investigating the role of neuroplastin during the early stages of synaptogenesis in hippocampal neurons. In 2018, at the Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Vemula studied the role of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in neuronal connectivity utilizing transgenic mouse models. He commenced his postdoctoral research training in Dr. Whitman’s laboratory in December 2020, where his work has focused on the development of extraocular muscles (EOMs) and their innervating motor neurons in a nystagmus mouse model, specifically albino mice. Currently, Dr. Vemula is investigating the underlying mechanisms and identifying therapeutic strategies to treat and ameliorate infantile nystagmus syndrome associated with motor neuron circuit deficits. |
 | Seoyoung (Audrey) Kim, BA Research Assistant Ms. Kim has been a Research Assistant in the Whitman Lab since July 2020. She graduated from Boston University in 2020 with a BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a minor in Psychology. She is currently studying how different receptors affect oculomotor neuron development and characterizing the pathology of nystagmus. She manages the mouse colony and collects, prepares, labels, and images samples. |
Alumni
 |
Jessica Bell, BS Ms. Bell received her BS in Neuroscience and Biology from Dickinson College in 2018. She originally worked for Dr. Mary Whitman in Dr. Elizabeth Engle’s Lab as a Research Assistant, studying genetic and environmental factors driving axon guidance in the developing oculomotor system. Jess was the first member of the Whitman Lab at Boston Children's and helped Mary during the transition to her own space. In 2021, she moved to North Carolina to contribute to research focused on understanding the genetic basis of various neuropsychiatric disorders. She is currently working as a Lab Manager/Research Technician and plans to pursue a career in medicine and public health. |