Principal Investigator
Gianni M. Castiglione, Ph.D. (PI)
Dr. Castiglione is an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto, Department of Cell and Systems Biology, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital and University, School of Medicine.
Gianni in the main lab. Established Aug 2022
Gianni in the darkroom for visual pigments
Graduate Students
Nadir joined the lab in the Spring of 2023 in the Biological Sciences Ph.D. program. He graduated from Furman University with his bachelor’s in Biology and German Studies.
Nadir Dbouk, B.S.
Mika joined the lab in the Spring of 2024 in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Ph.D. program. She graduated from Wake Forest University with a bachelor’s in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and French Studies.
Anamika Bose, B.S.
Staff
Xin Chen, M.S.
Xin (Grace) is the lab manager of the Castiglione lab , joining in August 2022. She completed her Masters in Preventative Veterinary Medicine at the Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences (Beijing).
Eugene Chi, B.A.
Eugene joined the lab in 2023 as a Research Assistant. She graduated from Vanderbilt with a Bachelor's degree in Medicine, Health, and Society. She is from Los Angeles.
David Carmona-Berrio, B.S.
David joined the lab in October 2023 as Research Intern. He graduated from EAFIT University, Medellín, Colombia with a Bachelor's degree in Biology.
Undergraduates
Isabella Bautista
Isabella joined the lab in 2023 and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Mathematics with minors in Psychology and Biological Sciences. She is from Easton, PA.
Kaitlyn Russell
Kaitlyn joined the lab in 2024 and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Biological Sciences. She is from Conifer, Colorado.
Neena Praveen
Neena joined the lab in 2023 through the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV) program and is a recent graduate of Martin Luther King Jr. High School.
Lab Alumni
Jinger Hayes, M.Sc.
Jinger completed her Masters degree in Biomedical Sciences with us, and is now pursuing her M.D.