Danilo Macalinao
Only a month out of college, I joined the John lab in 2008 as a research assistant after having graduated with a BA in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Wesleyan University. I have always had an interest in learning about diseases; working in the John lab provides me the unique experience of understanding the complex disease of glaucoma through a variety of clinical and molecular approaches. Time spent in the John lab will provide me valuable experience in tackling graduate school, which I intend to do after a few years of working here. Currently, I am working on a neurobiology project to understand how changes in different cell types impact retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma. Additionally, I am investigating the effects of genetic context on intraocular pressure and disease in a new mouse model with direct relevance relevance to human glaucoma. The ultimate aim of this project is to better understand molecular pathophysiology through the identification and mechanistic characterization of modifier genes.
Living in Bar Harbor gives me a lot of access to the outdoors- a nice change from living in a city (I grew up in the Philippines). Some of my interests include hiking, swimming, playing golf and singing.
