Agustin obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the Institute of Cellular Physiology at the National University of Mexico. His research began with a focus on gene therapy for retinal diseases during his graduate studies and later expanded to include retina regeneration and cell reprogramming during his postdoctoral research at the University of Dayton and Miami University in Ohio. After completing his postdoc, he gained significant experience working with human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to generate organoids in vitro at the Center for Stem Cell & Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM) at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Later, he joined Professor David Gamm’s laboratory at the Waisman Center, UW-Madison, focusing on generating retinal organoids for modeling retinal diseases and exploring cell replacement therapies using hPSCs and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Currently, in the Hoon Lab, Agustin is working on retinal circuits and the underlying molecular components.
- Favorite retina cell: Photoreceptors
- Thoughts on the retina: The retina is a layer of cells lining the back of the eye, responsible for sensing light and transmitting those signals to the brain. It’s remarkable how this tissue processes visual information. Understanding how retinal cells interact to relay accurate signals to the brain is crucial for understanding vision and addressing visual diseases that affect millions of people.
- Hobbies: Photography, reading, hiking, traveling, cooking.