Nicholas Oesch, PhD (noesch@ucsd.edu) -Principal Investigator
Nick received his BS in Biology at Oregon State University, and his PhD in neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University. He did his graduate research in the lab of Dr. Rowland Taylor, studying mechanisms underlying the computation of direction in direction selective ganglion cells in the retina. After completing his doctoral work he began a post doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in the lab of Dr. Jeffrey Diamond, where he studied contrast computation at the rod bipolar cell synapse. In 2015, he traveled back to the West Coast to join the Department of Psychology, Shiley Eye Center and Jacobs Retina Center at the University of California, San Diego.
Lillian McCormick, PhD (lrmccorm@ucsd.edu) -Postdoctoral Fellow, SIO
Lilly received her BS in Marine Science from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL, and her PhD from Scripps Institute of Oceanography at UCSD. Lilly splits her time between the lab of Dr. Lisa Levin at SIO and the Oesch Lab. Lilly is interested in understanding the effects of ocean deoxygenation and low oxygen conditions on the sensory physiology of marine organisms. She has brought species diversity to the lab where she has developed techniques to record visual responses from squid, octopus, crab, tuna crab, and fish. Lilly spends most of her free time cycling and running and has raced with the UCSD Triathlon Team, UCSD cycling team, and San Diego Bicycle Club
Samir Damle, BS (sdamle@ucsd.edu) -Graduate Student, Bioengineering
Samir received his BS in Bioengineering and his masters in Electrical Engineering from UCSD. Samir’s research in the lab of Dr. Yu-Hwa Lo focuses on combining neural engineering principles and semiconductor photonics to develop next generation retinal prostheses. Samir’s work with the Oesch Lab involves testing and validation of retinal prosthesis prototypes using scanning electrochemical microscopy and in vitro models of retinal prosthetic neural stimulation. In his free time Samir enjoys travel, running marathons, and is a fan of the Lakers.
Maya Carelton, BS (mcarleto@ucsd.edu) -Research Assistant
Maya received her BS in Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience from UCSD. During her undergraduate science career she focused on hippocampal concept cells in the common marmoset. Maya joined the Oesch lab after completing her bachelor’s degree in hopes of gaining more experience with electrophysiology. Her research in the Oesch lab focuses on characterizing cellular thresholds in the mouse retina in order to benefit formulation of prosthetic devices for patients with retinitis pigmentosa and age related macular degeneration. Maya is planning on attending graduate school in the near future and hopefully continue to do research that directly affects a clinical population.
Theo Kapogianis, BS (tkapogia@ucsd.edu) -Research Assistant
Theo received BS in Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience from UCSD. He is interested so many scientific questions its unfair to make him choose. He enjoys slacklining and escaping into the woods in his free time.
Talon Cantrell (tcantrel@ucsd.edu) -Undergraduate Volunteer
Talon is receiving his BS from UCSD in winter 2019 and plans to go to medical school.
Alum:
Oscar Arroyo, BS (oarroyoj@ucsd.edu) -Post-Baccalaureate
Oscar received his BS in Psychology from UCSD. Oscar joined the Oesch lab as an undergraduate researcher after honing his skills in visual psychophysics in the lab of Dr. Don Macleod. In addition to getting some experience with the “wet” end of visual neuroscience and helping out with the e-phys, Oscar has been instrumental in developing our behavioral paradigm for visual psychophysics. Oscar now works full time as a Research Assistant in the Komiyama lab at UCSD, but still sometimes moonlights as a visual neuroscientist in his spare time. Aside from doing science, Oscar enjoys travel and studying the the history of the Americas in his free time.
Annie Gorges -Undergraduate Research Assistant
Annie received her BS in Physiology and Neuroscience from UCSD. Annie was one of the first researchers to join the lab, and kept the recordings ticking moving along in the early days. After graduating from UCSD she joined the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute on her way to Veterinary School.