Kellogg Post-Doc Receives Prestigious NIH Grant

Molly Thorson, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Kellogg, has received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA), or F32, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Eye Institute (NEI). Dr. Thorson has been part of the lab of investigator Jillian Pearring, Ph.D., since 2020, focusing on retinal cell biology.

This fellowship provides postdoctoral scientists with three years of funding for research and professional development to maximize their potential for success as investigators in their chosen health specialty.

The F32 is among the most highly sought after government awards in academic medicine. By some estimates, as few as 500 to 700 individuals across all NIH medical specialties receive support from an F32 fellowship each year. The NEI awards only 14 to 16 F32 grants each year.

The projects funded by Dr. Thorson’s F32 involve the study of the outer segment of rod photoreceptors within retinal cells.

“The outer segment is highly organized to maximize light capture,” she explains. “It’s within that tiny architectural marvel that vision originates, yet we still have much to learn about how it’s built and maintained through the life of the cell.”

The outer segment is constructed of stacks of flattened membranous disks. Using a mouse model, Dr. Thorson has identified several proteins involved in that specialized architecture. Her work will provide a more detailed blueprint of how those proteins form the disk architecture in a healthy cell, laying the foundation for studies of how changes in specific proteins might alter the architecture, possibly contributing to retinal degeneration.

The F32 award recognizes not only the potential impact of Dr. Thorson’s work, but the depth and breadth of resources and support available at Kellogg. “In addition to a rigorous evaluation of my proposed research, the reviewers considered the many ways Kellogg makes projects like mine possible,” Dr. Thorson says. That includes the impressive track record of Dr. Pearring and her lab, and the training, research cores and data analysis capabilities available here.

“This award is really a testament to Kellogg’s commitment to and leadership in basic science eye research,” she adds. “It’s a win for us all.”

Header image caption: Molly Thorson, Ph.D.