Lab Members
Jacquelyn J. Bower, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Carolina Eye Research Institute
Department of Ophthalmology
B.S. Biology, University of Notre Dame, 2001
Ph.D. Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University, 2006
Post-doctoral Fellow, Cell cycle checkpoint/DNA repair signaling, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC – Chapel Hill 2010
Jackie is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at UNC Chapel Hill, where she studies the mechanisms of ocular tumorigenesis, the DNA-damage related causes of ocular pathogenesis, and elucidates potential therapeutic targets suitable for gene therapy applications.
Jackie is also a member of the Carolina Eye Research Institute and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center where she collaborates with members of the Gene Therapy Center, Hematology/Oncology, Nutrition Research Institute, and Epidemiology departments.
In her free time, Jackie enjoys hanging out with her German Shepherd, managing two co-ed indoor soccer teams, watching Notre Dame football, and pretending that she knows how to garden.
Trace McCall
Research Technician and Lab Manager
B.S. Biology and Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2023
Trace earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Political Science with a minor in P.P.E. (Philosophy, Politics, Economics) from UNC-Chapel Hill in May 2023. Trace previously volunteered as an Undergraduate Research Assistant under Dr. Bower beginning in July 2022. Trace plans to attend a graduate program in biological sciences, ultimately hoping to pursue a PhD to perform academic research. His broad research interests include gene therapeutics and cancer biology. In his free time, Trace enjoys hanging out with his cats, exploring local coffee shops, and listening to podcasts.
Eli Rector
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Eli graduated from Wake Forest High School in 2024 and is currently a rising sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Neuroscience and Biology. Having congenital nystagmus and developing a profound interest in the eyes, he plans to attend medical school and eventually find a career in ophthalmology. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, watching documentaries, annoying his pets, listening to music, experiencing nature, and sleeping too much.
Former Lab Members
Anna Ly
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Emma Sawyer
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Mahere Rezazade-Bazaz, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Research Associate
Fiona Chen
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Joshua Darnell
Undergraduate Research Assistant