Linda McLoon, PhD

Professor, Basic Science Division

[email protected]

Office Phone

(612) 626-0777

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Professor, Basic Science Division

Address

374 Lions Res
2001 6th St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Biography

Dr. McLoon received her PhD from the Department of Anatomy at the University of Illinois Medical Center, followed by postdoctoral studies with Dr. Ray Lund at the University of Washington and Medical University of South Carolina. She is a tenured Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences. She studies pharmacologic approaches to the treatment of eye movement disorders in children, specifically strabismus and nystagmus. She is focused on the cell biology and muscle stem cell populations within the muscles that move the eyes in the orbit, the extraocular muscles, to understand their sparing in diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and what goes awry in eye movement disorders. Recently she has added an interest in sex differences in retinal function and how this relates to neuropsychiatric disease.

Expertise
Strabismus, nystagmus, muscle stem cells, muscle injury, muscle regeneration, craniofacial muscles, neurotrophic factors

Specialty

Neuro - SCI

Vision - SCI

Education

Fellowships

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC

Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Washington, Seattle WA

Additional Details

PhD, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Illinois at the Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Undergraduate

BS State University of New York, Binghamton NY

Publications

Selected Publications

Selected out of 123 peer-reviewed publication:

Johnson LL, Hebert S, Kueppers RB, McLoon LK. Nystagmus associated with the absence of MYOD expression across the lifespan in extraocular and limb muscles. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2023;64(12):24. PubMed ID: PMC10503593. https:// doi: 10.1167/iovs.64.12.24.

Rudell RC, McLoon LK. Effects of short-term treatment of rabbit extraocular muscle with ciliary neurotrophic factor. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2024;65:41. PubMed ID: PMC11437687. https://doi: 10.1167/iovs.65.11.41.

Research

My laboratory focuses on understanding the potential mechanisms for two types of eye movement disorders: strabismus and nystagmus. Untreated these result in decreased visual acuity. Both involve the ocular motor system and the specialized skeletal muscles that move the eye, the extraocular muscles (EOM). We focus on the ability of retrogradely transported neurotrophic factors to alter the function and structure of the ocular motor system with the goal of developing a permanent therapeutic approach for these movement disorders. We have used RNAseq data to identify potential new therapeutic targets for development of treatments.

A second focus is the study of the muscle stem cell populations in the EOM that cause their differential sparing in degenerative disorders such as muscular dystrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We have identified a specific stem cell, expressing Pitx2, which we have implicated in this differential sparing. Further work will focus on using these stem cells to prevent limb muscle degeneration in these currently untreatable diseases.

Finally, we have started a new project looking at the electroretinogram (ERG) in various mouse models of disease. Our recent studies show a significant difference in ERG characteristics in a mouse model of schizophrenia compared to controls, suggesting a specific method by which differences in the brain can be measured in the retina.

Research Interests

Development of pharmacologic treatments for strabismus and infantile nystagmus syndrome
Extraocular muscle cell biology
Sparing of the extraocular muscles in muscular dystrophies
Molecular control of extraocular muscle properties and how these are affected in strabismus and nystagmus
Sex differences in the electroretinogram

Awards, Honors and Recognitions

Member of the Editorial Boards of Scientific Reports, Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, and the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (JAPPOS)

Scientific Review Committee, Fight for Sight, 2011-present

Honorary Member (one of 6 so honored), American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, 2012-present

Elected to Board of Trustees, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, 2011-2016

Gold Fellow, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, 2009-present

Lew Wasserman Mid-Career Merit Award, Research to Prevent Blindness, 2005-06

American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Research Award for the most outstanding research published in the journal in 2002.

2015-2016 Vice-President, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
2014-2015 Vice-President Elect, ARVO

2011-2026 Elected Board of Trustees, EY (Eye Movements, Strabismus, Amblyopia, and Neuro-ophthalmology Section), ARVO

Oct. 2022 Scientist Research Partner Award, Fight for Sight

May 2013 Awarded Terminens Ros (Best Teaching Award) from medical students at Umeå University

2012-present Honorary Member, American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (1 of 6 PhDs so honored)

2011-present Gold Fellow, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

2011-2015 Elected to the Board of Trustees for the EY section, Association for Research in

Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

2011-2023 Scientific Review Committee, Co-chair; Fight for Sight

2009-2011 Inaugural Silver Fellow, ARVO

2005-2006 Lew Wasserman Mid-Career Merit Award, Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc.