Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program at UC Davis

Yesica Mercado-Ayon completed a BS in Cell Molecular and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Riverside, in March 2018. Prior to joining PREP@UCD, she worked as a lab technician at UCR and studied the biogenesis of small RNAs in C. elegans.  At UC Davis, she works in Anna La Torre’s lab, where she studies the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that connect the retina to the brain. In diseases like glaucoma, these cells die and partial loss of vision or blindness can occur. The La Torre lab seeks better ways to culture RGCs with a higher yield and longevity for use as replacement in therapy. Yesica’s research interests include cellular and  molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and genetic basis of disease.