clinician scientists & medical student Mentees

Qing Wang, M.D., Ph.D.  Glaucoma Specialist and Assistant Professor

I am an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and a clinician-scientist (MD-PhD) receiving early career mentorship in the John lab since late 2021. My surgical expertise includes cataract and both traditional and minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries. My research focuses on understanding why retinal ganglion cells are lost in glaucoma as well as the development of new treatments to protect and restore these cells.  I earned my MD and PhD from Columbia University through the Medical Scientist Training Program. I completed my ophthalmology residency and postdoctoral research fellowship on optic nerve regeneration at the Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles.  Before returning to Columbia, I completed a glaucoma clinical fellowship at Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University. My current research focus is on astrocytes and the optic nerve head. I am conducting single-cell level omic analyses and working to develop new gene therapy viral vectors with improved tropisms. I collaborate closely with Chi Zhang in our lab. I am a practicing clinician scientist and surgeon and so I work as a bridge to our human studies. For example, I am part of our vitamin B3 clinical trial and will lead the characterization of patient samples and metabolic assays related to this trial. NCBI Publications Link 

Mariam Gbadamosi, B.A.

I am a Medical Student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. I graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Human Biology. I am completing a Dean’s Research Fellowship with the John Lab since May 2023. I am working on projects to better understand mechanosensory mechanisms that govern intraocular pressure homeostasis in the eye. I hope to pursue a clinical career in Ophthalmology with a focus on bringing research from bench to bedside.