The Mohan lab studies the process of injury and disease-related fibrosis in both the cornea and retina that leads to blindness. The lab is especially interested in druggable targets that could be potential avenues for drug discovery and translated into ocular therapeutics.

Education

Degree	Institution	Major
B.Sc.	Loyola College	Chemistry
M.Sc.	Indian Institute of Technology	Chemistry
Ph.D.	The Ohio State University	Biochemistry

Post-Graduate Training

Training	Institution	Specialty
Postdoctoral	Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital	Rheumatology and Immunology
Postdoctoral	Tufts University School Medicine	Ophthalmology
Postdoctoral	New England Medical Center	Ophthalmology

Awards

Name of Award/Honor	Awarding Organization
Dean's Mentor Award	UConn School of Medicine
DEAN'S MENTOR AWARD	UCONN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
John A. and Florence Mattern Solomon Endowed Chair in Vision Biology and Eye Diseases	University of Connecticut Health Center
President's Award for Excellence in Research	Fight for Sight Foundation, Inc.
Travel Fellowship to Paris, France	International Society for Eye Research
National Eye Institute Fellowship, Woods Hole, MA	National Eye Institute, NIH
Monsanto Biotechnology Fellowship, Research in Chemical and Life Sciences	Monsanto, St. Louis, Missouri
Winner of 16th Annual ICSABER Graduate Research Forum in Basic Science	Ohio State University
MCM Scholarship for Chemistry, 1984-86	Indian Institute of Technology
Merit Certificate, Chemistry Quiz Competition	Royal Society of Chemists, London
B.S. Scholarship for Chemistry, India, 1981-84	Army Educational Fund

Name & Description	Category	Role	Type	Scope	Start Year	End Year
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Committee	Advisory Committee	Chair	UConn Health	University	2022
UCH Graduate School Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee	Advisory Committee	member	UConn Health	University	2021
Faculty recruitment and selection committee	Advisory Committee	member	UConn Health	University	2021	2022
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Committee	Advisory Committee	Vice Chair	UConn Health	University	2020	2022
Associate Editor, Journal of Neuroscience Research	Editorial Board	Manuscript review and management	External	International	2019
Medical Student Research Proposal Advisory Member	Advisory Committee	Scientific project assessment	UConn Health	University	2019
Neuroscience area of concentration	Education Committee	Assoc. Program Director	UConn Health	University	2018	2020
Medical School Item Writing & Review Committee	Education Committee	medical school exam assessment	UConn Health	University	2018	2020
Faculty Development Advisory Committee	Advisory Committee	Member	UConn Health	University	2016
Health Center Research Advisory Council (HCRAC)	Advisory Committee	member	UConn Health	University	2016
Graduate Student and MD-PhD Recruitment	Education Committee	Applicants interview and evaluation	UConn Health	University	2010

Study of Muller glia in retinal degeneration; myofibroblasts and Schwann cells in corneal nerve regeneration, pain and fibrosis; Novel in vivo imaging probes for type III intermediate filaments.

The Mohan lab is interested in how the human eye when subjected to injury or afflicted by disease can be healed. We study two aspects of the eye; the clear transparent cornea and the neurosensory retina that is an extension of the CNS. In the cornea, a current a focus of the lab is the study of myofibroblasts, a differentiated cell type that drives corneal fibrosis leading to blindness.  We discovered that overexpression of the type III intermediate filament protein vimentin drives corneal fibrosis, and our search of a potent inhibitor of fibrosis led to the discovery of the small molecule withaferin A that binds to vimentin. This small molecule is the first in class inhibitor for the IF proteins, and hence, we have developed fluorescent analogs as imaging probes to study vimentin and, its related protein glial fibrillary acidic protein in the retina. Mechanistic studies to unravel signaling mechanisms in corneal fibrosis are also currently being pursued. Another important cell type of the cornea is the Schwann cell that ensheaths and supports corneal axons. Following axonal lesions, such as after surgical procedures (e.g. LASIK or corneal transplants), corneal nerve regeneration becomes aberrant and often is incomplete. To understand the involvement of corneal Schwann cells in nerve repair, our lab has unraveled the global transcriptome of corneal Schwann cells and novel druggable targets that have been identified by bioinformatics are being studied.

At the posterior end of the eye, we are interested in the process of retinal degeneration focusing on the disease known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the world’s most common form of CNS neurodegeneration affecting over 10 million people in the US alone. Investigating Muller glial cells to the generalized stress response known as reactive gliosis, we have discovered a novel druggable target, peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) that is associated with retinal pathology. PAD4 catalyzes a posttranslational modification of proteins known as citrullination. We are now investigating the role of PAD4 in AMD and its functional deficiency induced by genetic and pharmacological means is being tested in animal models. Ultimately, we would like to illuminate targets such as PAD4 for drug development towards our overarching goal of developing a treatment for AMD patients.

Research opportunities to study corneal Schwann cells in animal models of injury and regeneration

Research opportunities to study the retina in age-related macular degeneration animal models of fibrosis 

Accepting Lab Rotation Students: Fall 2022 and Spring 2023

Journal Articles

Book Chapters

Abstracts

Other

Reviews

Title or Abstract	Type	Sponsor/Event	Date/Year	Location
Targeting Citrullination in Ocular Chemical Injury	Talk		2023	(August 21-23) Bethesda, MD
Elias Mullane, Sarah I. Palko, Hui Sun, Paola Bargagna-Mohan, Royce Mohan. Hypercitrullination in a Genetic Model of Spontaneous Retinal Degeneration and Laser Injury Model of Gliosis. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. June 2022, Vol.63, 1943 – F0361	Poster	Associationa for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2022	May 1-4, 2022, Denver, CO
Ricky Paramo, Royce Mohan, Paola Bargagna-Mohan. Unraveling how Corneal Schwann cells Affect Axonal Regeneration. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. June 2022, Vol.63, 114 – A0212.	Poster	Associationa for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2022	May 1-4, 2022, Denver, CO
Royce Mohan, Ezigbobiara Umejiego and Paola Bargagna-Mohan. Targeting citrullination in ocular chemical injury.	Talk	15th Annual NIH Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats Symposium	2022	June 21-23, 2022. New Orleans, LA
E. Umejiego, P. Bargagna-Mohan, R. Mohan. Retinal Gliosis and Hypercitrullination in a Novel Nitrogen Mustard Corneal Injury Model. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. June 2022, Vol.63, 685 – F0139. doi:	Poster	Associationa for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2022	May 1-4, 2022, Denver, CO
E. Mullane, S.I. Palko, H. Sun, P. Bargagna-Mohan, R. Mohan. Hypercitrullination in a Genetic Model of Spontaneous Retinal Degeneration and Laser Injury Model of Gliosis. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. June 2022, Vol.63, 1943 – F0361. doi:	Poster	Associationa for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2022	May 1-4, 2022, Denver, CO
R. Paramo, R. Mohan, P. Bargagna-Mohan. Unraveling how Corneal Schwann cells Affect Axonal Regeneration. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. June 2022, Vol.63, 114 – A0212. doi:	Poster	Associationa for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2022	May 1-4, 2022, Denver, CO
Royce Mohan, E. Umejiego, Paola Bargagna-Mohan. Targeting citrullination in ocular chemical injury.	Talk	15th Annual NIH Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats Symposium	2022	June 21-23, 2022; New Orleans, LA
Ezigbobiara Umejiego, Paola Bargagna-Mohan, Royce Mohan. Retinal Gliosis and Hypercitrullination in a Novel Nitrogen Mustard Corneal Injury Model.Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. June 2022, Vol.63, 685 – F0139	Poster	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2022	May 1-4, 2022, Denver, CO
Gwendolyn Schultz, Royce Mohan, Paola Bargagna-Mohan. A glial point of view: investigating corneal Schwann cells in ex vivo murine organ and whole-eye cultures.Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2021, Vol.62, 926.	Talk	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2021	virtual; May 1-7, 2021
Sarah Ilona Palko; Nicholas Saba; Benjamin D Nicholas; Yosuke Nagasaka; Jayakrishna Ambati; Bradley D Gelfand; Akihito Ishigami; Paola Bargagna-Mohan; Royce Mohan.Genetic ablation of PAD4 in the Accelerated Mouse Model of AMD Results in Reduced Citrullinated Products.Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2021, Vol.62, 2726.	Talk	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2021	virtual; May 1-7, 2021
Royce Mohan; Gwendolyn Schultz; Connor Treadwell; Paul Robson; Paola Bargagna-Mohan. The Nerve of Corneal Schwann Cells! Illuminated by Single Cell RNA Transcriptomics. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.. 2020; 61(7):2928	Poster	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2020	Baltimore, MD - virtual May 3-7, 2020
Royce Mohan, John Wizeman and Paola Bargagna-Mohan. One-Two Punch to Corneal Fibrosis and Retinal Gliosis in Alkali InjuryDevelopment of Medical Countermeasures to Treat Acute and Chronic Effects of Ocular Chemical Toxicity (Bethesda, MD) Feb 25-26, 2020	Talk	Develop Med Countermeasures: Acute and Chronic Effects of Ocular Chemical	2020	Bethesda, MD (in person) Feb 25-26, 2020
Gwendolyn Schultz, Paola Bargagna-Mohan, Bruce Rheaume, Paul Robson, and Royce Mohan. An Eye for Detail: Examining the Role of Corneal Schwann cells.New England Ophthalmological Society Annual Conference. NEOS abstract June 5, 2020.	Poster	NEOS	2020	Boston, MA - virtual June 5, 2020
Paola Bargagna-Mohan, Connor Treadwell, Katherine S. Given, Wendy B. Macklin, and Royce Mohan. The Proteolipid Protein 1 Promoter Drives Reporter Gene Expression in Corneal Schwann Cells. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.. 2020; 61(7):3554	Poster	ARVO	2020	Baltimore, MD - virtual May 3-7, 2020
Sarah Ilona Palko, Nicholas Saba, Humza Zaidi, Benjamin D. Nicholas, Yosuke Nagasaka, Jayakrishna Ambati, Bradley D. Gelfand, Paola Bargagna-Mohan, and Royce Mohan. PAD4 is Upregulated in the Accelerated Mouse Model of AMD and Human AMD. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.. 2020; 61(7):3689.	Poster	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2020	Baltimore, MD - virtual May 3-7, 2020
PAD4 in the Accelerated Mouse Model of AMD and Human AMD.	Poster	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2020	MD
The Proteolipid Protein 1 Promoter Drives Reporter Gene Expression in Corneal Schwann Cells.	Poster	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.	2020	MD
Gwendolyn Schultz, Maria Lopez, Royce MOHAN and Paola Bargagna-Mohan. Corneal Schwann Cells Differentiate into Myofibroblasts After Injury	Poster	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2019	Vancuver, Canada
Paola Bargagna-Mohan, Akihiro Ishii, Gwendolyn Schultz, Maria Lopez, Rashmi Bansal and Royce MOHAN. mTOR Regulates the Differentiation of Corneal Schwann cells into Myofibroblasts	Talk	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2019	Vancuver, Canada
Sarah IIona Palko, Nicholas Saba, Megan Rouillard, Paola Bargagna-Mohan and Royce MOHAN. PAD4: A Potential Target for Gliosis in Age Related Macular Degeneration	Poster	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2019	Vancuver, Canada
Paola Bargagna-Mohan, Sarah I. Palko, Shaan Kamal, and Royce MOHAN*. Corneal Myofibroblasts: Evidence of Differentiation from Adult Schwann Cells in Injury	Talk	Gordon Conference on Cornea and Ocular Surface Biology and Pathology	2018	Ventura, CA
Paola Bargagna-Mohan, Sarah I. Palko, Shaan Kamal, and Royce MOHAN*. Corneal Myofibroblasts: Evidence of Differentiation from Adult Schwann Cells in Injury	Poster	Gordon Conference on Cornea and Ocular Surface Biology and Pathology	2018	Ventura, CA
Differential Corneal Fibrosis in Desmin Deficiency	Poster	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2017	Baltimore, MD
A Novel Vimentin Probe Illuminates Mitochondrial Dynamics	Talk	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2017	Baltimore, MD
Expression and Inhibition of Peptidyl Arginine Deiminase (PAD) Enzymes in Eye Injury	Talk	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2017	Baltimore, MD
Vimentin Phosphorylation Patterns Differentiate Corneal Fibroblasts from Myofibroblasts In Vitro and During Fibrosis	Talk	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2015	Denver, CO
A Novel Mouse Model of Corneal Neurofibroma in NF-1	Talk	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology	2014	Orlando, FL