The Whitman Lab Meet Our Team

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 PhD 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.

Mayra Martinez Sanchez, MS, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Martinez obtained her Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in 2016. Since then, she has concentrated her research efforts on understanding the genetic, cellular and molecular events that take place during the development of eye diseases. During her PhD training in Interdisciplinary Sciences at the Institute of Physics in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, her work focused on identifying genes involved in retinoblastoma development, searching for potential biomarkers, and providing genetic counseling to parents. In December of 2020 she received her PhD degree and continued to expand her project in the same laboratory. In June 2021, Mayra joined Dr. Mary Whitman’s lab as a postdoctoral researcher to investigate transcriptional mechanisms and genetics involved in the development of Strabismus. Her current research transitions from patient samples to pluripotent stem cell models, enabling the study of molecular mechanisms of differentiation and neuronal development in strabismus.

Xiguang Yang, MS, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Yang earned his bachelor's degree in Minzu University of China, majoring in Biotechnology, in 2015, and his master's degree in University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Bioengineering, in 2017. After one year in industry, Xiguang was accepted to a doctorate program in SUNY Upstate Medical University in 2018, and earned the PhD degree in Biomedical Science in 2024. Xiguang started his postdoctoral journey at Dr. Whitman's laboratory in May 2024. His main research focus is on determining the early onset of infantile nystagmus syndrome in a mouse model, and their underlying pathology of neuronal circuits in the brain.

Kathleen Ohman, MS, CGC

Genetic Counselor

Katie obtained her Master’s in Genetic Counseling from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2025, where she gained experience at the Mass Eye and Ear Institute’s Inherited Retinal Disorders clinic and the Broad Institute’s Rare Genomes Project. Prior to graduate school, she worked for three years as a research scientist in cell-based assays at a contract research organization. She previously earned bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and Psychology, along with a minor in Public Health, from SUNY University at Buffalo. Katie joined the Whitman lab in 2025 to support the clinical genetic studies of strabismus and nystagmus through the Children’s Rare Disease Collaborative (CRDC) at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her work focuses on genomic analysis, variant interpretation, and communication of clinically relevant results to participating families.

Kayleen Cremin, BS

Research Assistant

Kayleen earned a BS in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Philosophy from Oregon State University. After graduating, she gained valuable experience in patient-facing positions within clinical settings, which prepared her for the task of clinical research coordinating. Kayleen joined the Whitman Lab in June 2025. Her responsibilities include recruiting new participants for clinical research studies, supporting the postdoctoral fellows and staff scientists in advancing their research projects, and managing the mouse colony.

Sarah Thomas

Sarah is an undergraduate student at Harvard College, where she is studying Neuroscience. She has been with the Whitman Lab since late 2023. Working under Dr. Martinez Sanchez, Sarah works with cerebral organoid models to examine mechanisms of neuronal differentiation and development implicated in strabismus. After graduation, she hopes to attend medical school and ultimately become a pediatric neurologist.

Viola Lee

Viola received her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Biostatistics from the Yale School of Public Health in 2023, and Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology from Yale College in 2021. She is currently a second-year medical student at the University of South Florida interested in pursuing residency in ophthalmology or neurology. Her current research interests are in the genetics of pediatric ophthalmology disorders including strabismus and amblyopia, as well as the developmental biology and neuroscience of ocular development.

In the Whitman Lab, Viola has published genome-wide and rare variant association studies of strabismus and amblyopia. She is currently studying structural variants in strabismus and amblyopia and developing machine learning models to analyze optical coherence tomography and fundus photography images of amblyopia patients. During her MPH, she was a biostatistician for the Yale Center for Analytical Sciences, where she developed statistical analysis models (survival analysis and longitudinal data analysis) for clinical trial outcome data, and conducted analyses of metabolomics data using Ingenuity Pathway Analyses to study the impact of circadian rhythm disruption on the metabolome. Her MPH coursework included machine learning for biomedical data, linear models, survival analysis, longitudinal data analysis, probability theory, theory of statistics, and statistical programming. During her undergrad years, Viola conducted research focusing on the analysis of single cell RNA-seq datasets of immune cells using computational techniques, and her undergraduate thesis applied machine learning techniques to analyze T cell receptor repertoires of COVID-19 patients to predict disease severity. Her undergraduate coursework included genomic methods for genetic analysis, single cell biology, modeling biological systems, and biomedical data science.

Seoyoung (Audrey) Kim, BA

Research Assistant, July 2020-August 2022

Ms. Kim graduated from Boston University in 2020 with a BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a minor in Psychology. During her time in the lab, she studied how different receptors affect oculomotor neuron development relating to the pathology of nystagmus. She is currently attending the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida.

Jessica Bell

Research Assistant, June 2018-August 2020

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 2024, she began working on her PhD in Cellular, Molecular and Genetic Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Tapiwa Muavarirwa, BS

Mr. Muavarirwa worked as both a clinical and laboratory research assistant in the Whitman Lab. A highlight of this role was the opportunity to speak directly with patients and families affected by eye movement disorders. Tapiwa is now working at Boston University Medical School in Dr. Maria Trojanowska’s laboratory, within the Section of Rheumatology at the Arthritis & Autoimmune Diseases Center, as a lab technician and lab manager. This lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathological manifestations of scleroderma (SSc). Specifically, he investigates lymphatic ERG signaling in lung fibrosis using human skin biopsies, lung tissue from patients with SSc, and mouse models. Tapiwa also serves as the lab manager for two other laboratories within the department. He is preparing to pursue his PhD in the fall of 2026.

Nafiza Meher, BS

Research Assistant, June 2024-June 2025

Nafiza earned her BS in Biosciences with a concentration in Cell Biology and Genetics from Rice University in Houston, Texas. As a research assistant in the Whitman Lab, she managed mouse colonies, coordinated genetic breeding programs, collected and analyzed data, and prepared biological samples. She also contributed to clinical research by enrolling pediatric patients and collecting genomic data to investigate the genetic basis of strabismus and nystagmus. Fascinated by the challenge of uncovering the genetic roots of disease, she particularly enjoyed analyzing family pedigrees and identifying pathogenic mutations that explained patients’ ophthalmological presentations. Nafiza is currently pursuing her MD at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.

Abdikheyre Osman

Undergraduate Student Researcher, March 2022-May 2024

Fleur Doornbos

Undergraduate Student Researcher, 2023-2026

Fleur graduated from Emmanuel College, she received her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in Biology in May of 2026. She had been in the Whitman Lab since 2023, working under Dr. Vemula. She investigated the effects of aging on albinism-associated Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome. After graduation, she plans to apply her background in neuroscience and ophthalmology research to pursue PA school and a career in pediatric medicine.

Gabriel Aronchik

Undergraduate Student Research, 2023-2026

Gabriel graduated from UMass Boston, majoring in Biology. He received his Bachelor of Science (BS) in May of 2026. He started with the Whitman Lab since 2023, initially working with the research assistants including tasks such as genotyping, mouse care, and helping out with other projects. He worked with Dr. Yang to investigate the onset of infantile nystagmus in Albino mice, exploring the potential role of vision in this condition. He hopes to attend medical school and is keeping an open mind into what path to pursue but is currently interested in neurology.