Vision Research Seminar

Uncovering the Oculomotor System's Role in Motor Skill Learning

Virtual Speaker

Dr. Cristina Rubino
Postdoctoral Fellow, Crawford Lab
Department of Psychology
York University

Biography

Dr. Rubino holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences and an MSc in Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on cognitive, behavioural, and clinical neuroscience, with recent work examining the role of the oculomotor system in: 

• Motor skill learning 
• Motor function after stroke 

Using eye-tracking, robotics, and neuroimaging, she investigates how neuroplasticity shapes human behaviour and supports motor function after stroke. As a Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Rubino is expanding this research to explore the fundamental mechanisms of eye-hand coordination. She is currently designing a neuroimaging study to uncover the specific neural processes underlying eye, hand, and eye-hand movements while also examining how whole-brain networks interact across different phases of eye-hand coordination. Her extensive basic and clinical research aims to improve our understanding of the brain to advance treatment strategies and enhance stroke recovery. 

Beyond research, Dr. Rubino is an accomplished Ultimate Frisbee player, having competed on national and international stages. She dedicates her time to coaching at various levels and is a strong advocate and mentor for women in sports.  

Characterization of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)-Associated Rhodopsin Missense Mutations Using Transgenic Xenopus laevis

Live Speaker

Dr. Aaron Loewen
Recent PhD Graduate, Moritz Lab
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
University of British Columbia

Biography

Aaron Loewen has experience in retinal cell biology, retinal degeneration, and with investigating the G-protein-coupled receptor RHO. His work is investigating the various mutations of the gene RHO that are associated with an inherited retinal disease, retinitis pigmentosa, and characterizing them through the use of an animal model (Xenopus laevis). Aaron approaches the question of "what do these mutations do?" by expressing the mutated RHO in these animal models and then furthering our understanding of what these mutations do in the retina, particularly in the rod photoreceptors, using microscopy and protein analysis techniques. If he could collaborate with another researcher, Aaron would work with an ophthalmologist that sees patients with retinitis pigmentosa caused by the underlying RHO variants that he studies, in particular, those that are less common. This would allow for comparisons between his research team's animal model and human patients. 

Aaron's hobbies include hiking every chance he gets as well as soccer, whether that is playing, watching, or coaching!

Moderator

Dr. Yuki (Weng Sut) Sio
Research Coordinator, Lynd Lab
Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science
University of British Columbia

Biography

Dr. Sio holds a Master of Public Health from Simon Fraser University and a Doctor of Medicine from National Taiwan University. She is a board-certified ophthalmologist in Taiwan with over 10 years of clinical experience in various eye diseases.
During her MPH program, she became interested in health economics and clinical trials. In 2023, she joined the Lynd Lab and is recently working on:

1. Early Health Technology Assessment (eHTA): A platform using health economics methods to evaluate new health technology in the early product life cycle and estimate the potential value of proposed health technology (e.g. siRNA technology for inherited retinal diseases and HER-2 companion diagnostics);
2. CanProCo study: A 5-year prospective cohort study to understand the progression of multiple sclerosis by using data from epidemiology, health outcomes, health economics, health service utilization, neuroimaging and neuroimmunology; and
3. RADAR study: A 4-year study to evaluate the effectiveness of ICD codes for identifying rare diseases (RD), describe healthcare utilization and costs for patients with known RDs, and investigate patient experiences and the challenges related to rare disease registries.

Beyond ophthalmology and health economics, Dr. Sio enjoys weight training, cooking and learning more about nutrition!