Happy to announce that our latest paper is now out! Have you ever wondered how neural tissues control their size? In this paper, we show that cell division orientation is critical in both the cortex and retina. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Join us in Toronto, July 13–16 for the inaugural International Conference on Neurogenesis & Repair! Featuring keynote Jeffrey Macklis (Harvard) + global speakers. 13 competitive short talks, poster sessions, and separate trainee awards. Early‑bird deadline: March 31.

I'm so excited that @christ3na.bsky.social 's paper describing temporal control of photoreceptor development in human organoids is out at Genes and Dev and we got the cover! genesdev.cshlp.org/content/40/1... genesdev.cshlp.org/content/40/1...

🧬👁️ Our Science Advances paper is published! snATAC-seq analysis across lamprey to human retina uncovers deeply conserved cis-regulatory codes in all six retinal cell types — even with extensive enhancer turnover. Immensely grateful to my coauthors and collaborators. 🙏 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Excited to announce that the newest paper from my lab on the Drosophila visual system is out today! Modulating the levels and activity of the retinal determination network is sufficient to induce the specification of distinct tissue fates in Drosophila url: journals.biologists.com/dev/article-...

Just a heads up: I just got a phishing attempt pretending to be from the #VisualSystemDevelopment #GRC. It looked pretty convincing at first glance, so be careful!

Our latest paper is out! While the circadian photoentrainment circuit has been extensively studied, the mechanisms regulating its development remain poorly understood. Here we show that retinal Müller glia play a key role in this process. Check it out! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

That merely being “under review” by a Nature family journal is offered as a quality proxy for a paper is a tragic illustration of the extent to which academia is addicted to brands and outsources evaluation

Turquoise killifish naturally develop hallmarks of age-related macular degeneration with advancing age https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.23.683644v1

It's #FluorescenceFriday!

Excited to share my PhD work! We characterize waves of cell death during human retinal development, and show how blocking apoptosis promotes RGC long-term survival and alters their developmental dynamics in organoids. These findings will improve future organoid design for retinal disease modeling‼️

🎉 New preprints from the lab! (1) www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

New preprints from the lab!! (2)

A big thanks to the NEI for supporting my new R01 and MCW for highlighting the research focus. We’ve already made some interesting discoveries and I’m excited to see how the research progresses for years to come. www.mcw.edu/mcwknowledge...

Our latest manuscript is out, and this one tackles the problem of cellular aging in the retina, using comparative multiomic analysis of zebrafish, mouse, and humans. What led us to work on aging after studying development and regeneration? Explainer follows./1 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Preprint! We localized polySia in the retina of 8 vertebrates, 2 cephalopods, human, and organoids. We determined that polySia is a useful surrogate marker for Müller glia, and that polySia distribution in fish Müller glia differs from all other vertebrates. 👀🧪 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

"Pat, why do you carry that ridiculous 600mm lens on long hikes?" Buddy, I can see mountains reflected in the eyes of a trailside pika.

Excited to share this study! We created a developmental atlas of the anterior segment of the eye and provide crucial molecular information that guides the development of Schlemm’s canal and trabecular meshwork cell subtypes. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Our work on the TET enzymes in retinal development is out. We identified that rod fate is inhibited when DNA demethylation is prevented by removal of the TET enzymes. Interestingly, photoreceptor numbers are normal. We utilized WGBS and bACE-seq to profile the precise localization of 5mC and 5hmC,…

My lab's newest research paper on the Drosophila eye is published in Development today. Thanks to the editorial staff for writing a research highlight and interviewing us about our work. journals.biologists.com/dev/article-...

Paper alert! With co-first authors Nick Tolman and @taiboli.bsky.social , we profile trabecular meshwork cells using single-cell RNA + ATAC seq, identify mitochondrial dysfunction in an early-onset glaucoma model, and use Vitamin B3 to protect against nerve damage. elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...

Hi all, we got a grant for a cool project that will follow up of our paper published a few months ago (see below). We will explore how light acts as a morphogen to instruct PCP. If you are looking for a postdoc position and interested in this topic, please reach out!

We recently wrote a review about neuroimmune interactions in retinal repair. We dive into the literature regarding immune influences in Muller glia reprogramming, cell transplantation, and axon regeneration. Hopefully its useful, free link: authors.elsevier.com/a/1k-FL4pAsj...

We recently wrote a review about neuroimmune interactions in retinal repair. We dive into the literature regarding immune influences in Muller glia reprogramming, cell transplantation, and axon regeneration. Hopefully its useful, free link: authors.elsevier.com/a/1k-FL4pAsj...

So you want to study the optic nerve head. You’re thinking a Pax2-Cre driver should work, right? Well, think again: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40300047/

The final version of our eLife manuscript on viral Oct4-mediated neurogenic reprogramming of retinal Muller glia is now out, with all reviewer comments addressed. elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...

Excited to share our latest (and first from the lab) preprint where we investigated the molecular mechanisms that drive Nestin-expression progenitor differentiation in the developing cerebellum. 🧠 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Our latest manuscript on glia-to-neuron conversion in retina is out in @elife.bsky.social. We show that AAV-mediated overexpression of Oct4 induces glia-to-bipolar cell conversion in wildtype retina, and that this is greatly enhanced by loss of function of Rbpj. elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...

Check out this tour de force work from @christ3na.bsky.social in my lab! Her studies reveal how developmental timing in the retina is controlled like an hourglass. The progenitor:neuron ratio shifts to control signaling levels and trigger photoreceptor development over time. Check it out!!

Very excited to share (most of) my PhD work, in which we use human retinal organoids to understand how thyroid hormone signaling is regulated in the developing retina to promote robust and accurate photoreceptor subtype specification. Turns out, it's a lot more complicated than we expected. 1/n

During the 2008-09 recession when Harvard had massively over-leveraged its endowment, we were told we could no longer get toppings on our pizza for journal club--cheese only. Maybe they should try that again before cancelling searches.

Fresh off the press! We found that degeneration in one retina causes astrocytes to respond retinotopically across *both* hemispheres of the brain. Perhaps astrocytes across the CNS are able to coordinate their responses more than we anticipated... www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Shining new light on retinal repair: The inflammatory S1P signalling pathway suppresses the ability of the retina to regenerate.

Maybe we weren’t meant to wake up and read 20 terrible things immediately.

Well, the Biology and Development of the Eye (BDE) study section has been postponed (previously scheduled for Thurs/Fri). I’m very disappointed on behalf of the applicants and reviewers, who all want this meeting to happen. I’m also grateful to the NIH staff who work so hard to make science happen.

After injury some RGCs survive but do they thrive? In this collaboration with Jonathan Demb's lab (Yale), we looked into the physiology of resilient RGCs after axon injury. Their visual responses largely remain intact but they exhibit reduced intrinsic excitability, coincident with AIS disassembly.

ICYMI our latest paper is now out officially in print (is there still such thing?). And since Dev Cell @cellpress.bsky.social did not select our submission for cover, I post it here. A really cool illustration from my son Zack. www.cell.com/developmenta...

First post on this platform is to announce that our preprint is posted to bioRxiv: bioRxiv 2025.02.03.636318; doi: doi.org/10.1101/2025...

MCW Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences is looking for a new chair! We have a great clinical and research environment in a very fun city. (Thanks @icanhasmiranda.bsky.social for already posting) Confidential nominations & inquiries to [email protected]

The correct version of our paper in ScienceAdvances is now live on PubMed! (Yes, our entire Figure 3 had been mysteriously swapped… but it's all fixed now!) It is about the complex role of inflammation in Müller glia response to injury. science.org/doi/10.1126/... @neuropsi.bsky.social

Excited to share that our lab website is live! nicholassilvalab.org Please reach out if you are interested in studying neuroimmune mechanisms using the zebrafish model. 🐟🧠🥼🔬

As my first bsky post, I'm excited to share our recent new mini review on the "Age-dependent regenerative mechanisms in the brain" published in #BiochemSocTrans. Led by @giada_vanacore and with @JensBagerChris1's help. Great job team. portlandpress.com/biochemsoctr...

Second paper is here. This is the main research project done by Sujay Shah in my lab, and I think he's done a really nice study. The paper is again about how chromatin remodelling affects developmental timing during retinal neurogenesis. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Excited to begin a new adventure as an Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa. Grateful to my mentors @choroidlab.bsky.social, @stemcellseh.bsky.social and Sarah Doyle for training and supporting me. Looking forward to studying choroidal immunology.

I succeeded in collecting some original observations that were not without value - Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1917). 
 Truly inspirational and is going right into my next submission’s cover letter.

Thrilled to announce that my lab has been awarded the Research to Prevent Blindness Career Development Award! Now the lab has a *funded* opening for a post-doctoral fellow interested in studying neurodevelopmental disorders in the retina. More info here! www.vlasitslab.org/joinus

New preprint! A wonderful collaboration of our @FellerMarla lab with Matthew Po, and @shekharlab. Here, we dive into the impact of spontaneous activity on the transcriptome of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the sole output neurons of the retina. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

My lab has an opening for a technician! It would be a great 1-2yr opportunity for someone interested in memory mechanisms, looking for ephys/rodent behavior experience before grad or med school. Please share with anyone you think might be interested! uwhires.admin.washington.edu/ENG/candidat...