I've got a new chapter out, Insights Into Retinal Remodeling In Retinal Degenerative Disease: bryanwjones.com/2026/07/insi...
Rob Mullins (he/him)
@choroidlab.bsky.social
Cell biology, aging, vasculature, choroid, retina, just enough omics to be dangerous. Peace and love, friends.
Remembering the great Jerry Lutty, fantastic mentor to so many of us, pioneer in the study of the choroid, and warm and wonderful human being.
Does anybody ever go on a web site and click "Oh yeah, give me ALL the cookies!"
Tipping etiquette/ golden rule question. I’m invited to give a talk and the sponsoring department pays a driver to lug me from airport to hotel. It’s usually like 20 minutes or something. Assume the department has it covered or tip (which probably has to be cash). If tip, how much?
I wish I had a dollar for every time I corrected "stained" to "labeled"
Retina folks, I had this baked potato and... I don't know... it reminds me of something
Trying to find some protocols for cone isolation from frogs that don't involve transgenics or freezing. There is a surprising dearth of information out there for cone isolation? Seems to be mostly rods. Is anyone familiar with any simple-ish protocols? 🧪 👀 #xenopus
I'm hiring! Come and work with me at UCL to try and understand how the brain's blood vessels go wrong and promote dementia: www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
ucl.ac.uk
Do not miss your opportunity to share your groundbreaking new #VisionResearch to a global audience at #ARVO2026 in Denver, Colo. (May 3 - 7)! Ensure your @arvoinfo.bsky.social membership is active for 2026 and submit your abstract(s) by Dec. 5 (5pm ET). https://bit.ly/4mJ2aRV #ophthalmology
I was born around the time of the release of the Sgt. Pepper's album. Then about 30 years ago my brother bought me this cap celebrating the 1967 NHL expansion (including my hometown St Louis Blues!) and with my birth year. Now suddenly this hat has found its moment in the Gen alpha Zeitgeist.
Yo hoping to get some calibration. People who organize meetings, and you use an app, how much should that cost?
My AI Qualtrics survey answer: OK, I'm a dinosaur, but look. I am very concerned about how ChatGTP etc are going to affect classroom assignments. If the students are going to write their reports with AI, why should I have to use my actual brain to grade that stuff?...
Thinking we should make some monoclonal antibodies so wondering what experiences people have had with different companies, as it's not going to be cheap so want to get our moneys worth?
New paper from the lab! In collaboration with Patrice Tankam lab at Indiana University, we evaluated changes in the Descemet's membrane thickness in the double mutant FECD mice. Congrats to the co-first authors Hadiya Pattan and Subashree Murugan! iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx...
Enabling In Vivo Longitudinal Evaluation of Descemet's Membrane Thickness in Wild-type and FECD Mice Using Self-Referenced Optical Coherence Microscopy | IOVS | ARVO Journals
iovs.arvojournals.org
Vision Science Folks! Time is running out to nominate a worthy colleague for an @iser.bsky.social International Prize! Deadline for the Balasz, Bárány, and Kayser awards is September 8! Get nominatin'! iser.org/page/Awards_...
Awards & Prizes - International Society for Eye Research ISER
The 2025 nomination period for the von Sallmann Prize will open October 1, 2025.
iser.org
So the lab now has 7 big freezers (mostly tissue storage). When I had 4 they were named after the Beatles, but once I got past 4 I named them after kaiju in the Godzillaverse - Godzilla (obvs), Rodan, Mothra, etc. Well we got a new small one which we named Minilla and he is so disturbing.
Started using Fiji to estimate apartment sizes from Zillow images. Being a tall fella, you gotta prep for these things. I am told this is "On Brand"
It’s incredibly hard to express what Professor Pete Coffey meant to so many of us. The Macular Society has written a beautiful tribute to Pete and I'm honoured to have contributed a few words. Thank you, my friend, for so many happy days. www.macularsociety.org/about/media/...
Tributes paid to pioneering eye researcher Professor Pete Coffey
Tributes have been paid to one of the world’s top eye researchers, Professor Pete Coffey, who has sadly passed away after a long illness.
macularsociety.org
High altitude species have reduced olfactory receptor repertoires! The reduction has happened repeatedly throughout mammals. Why? We're not sure, but perhaps because there are fewer things to smell above the tree line! authors.elsevier.com/c/1lJxH3QW8S...
Here is a cool post for #MicroscopyMonday. Here's a 3D visualization from my recent project using #SP8 confocal #microscopy. Red = DAPI nuclear staining Green = Photoreceptor transduction via AAV serotypes with reporter/ #biosensor genes This image shows successful targeting of photoreceptors.
It’s been a weird, unproductive week at the lab and I’m feeling a little down. So here are 10 cool facts about vision:
On Sunday I will cycle 50 km to raise money to support research to prevent blindness. If you can, please sponsor me! fightingblindness.akaraisin.com/ui/MOVEFORSI...
fightingblindness.akaraisin.com
Now that it is official, I am pleased to announce that the Shyam lab will relocate to the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Iowa, effective August 2025. I cannot remember ever being this excited about a new chapter in my professional life!
For those using Notion. What are the pros and cons? Seems a lot of labs use Notion for lab and project management.
Happy to share our collaborative work showing a switch in integrin signaling in young versus old primary human trabecular meshwork cells. a5 integrin expression is lost in old cells, while avb5 becomes activated. iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx...
Age-Related Dysregulation of α5β1 and αvβ3 Integrin Activity Alters Contractile Properties of Trabecular Meshwork Cells | IOVS | ARVO Journals
iovs.arvojournals.org
Don’t Miss Out! Submit your abstract before NEXT TUESDAY MAY 27th to ISER/BrightFocus Glaucoma Symposium and be part of an inspiring research community. At least 30 TRAVEL FELLOWSHIPS guaranteed. Can’t get it if you don’t apply! Submission: https://iserbrightfocusglaucoma.org/abstract-submission/
📣 TRAVEL GRANTS AVAILABLE for trainees and young investigators! Deadline: May 26 Don’t miss the opportunity to attend the ISER/BrightFocus Glaucoma Symposium & Fast Track with the support of a travel grant! @iser.bsky.social @brightfocus.bsky.social 👉 iserbrightfocusglaucoma.org/abstract-sub...
Abstract Submission – Iser/Bright Focus Glaucoma Symposium
iserbrightfocusglaucoma.org
Vision science students/early-career faculty: Get yer @iser.bsky.social travel awards for the 5th ISER/ @brightfocus.bsky.social Foundation Glaucoma Symposium (October 8-11th at the Emory Conference Center and Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia, USA). iserbrightfocusglaucoma.org
Iser/Bright Focus Glaucoma Symposium – Iser/Bright Focus Glaucoma Symposium – Atlanta, October 2025
iserbrightfocusglaucoma.org