Ryan Thummel, Ph.D., associate professor of Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences, has been named interim associate dean of Research and Graduate Programs for the Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Dr. Thummel replaces Daniel Walz, Ph.D., who previously announced his plans to step down from the position.

“Given his extensive responsibilities and his significant contributions to both education and research, Dr. Thummel is the most logical and ideal interim candidate to support and enhance the research and graduate level programming efforts of our School of Medicine,” Dean Wael Sakr, M.D., said in a Feb. 6 announcement of the appointment.

Dr. Thummel, who joined the faculty in 2009, has dedicated his efforts to training and teaching graduate and medical students in the classroom and the laboratory. He serves as the co-course director for the first- and second-year research elective and course director for the M.S./Ph.D. seminar and professional development course. He is the faculty advisor for three student organizations, as well as the director of the Ophthalmology, Visual and Anatomical Sciences doctoral program and the M.D./Ph.D. director.

His current research focuses on retinal development and regeneration in zebrafish, a model to study neurodegenerative diseases, to better understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie retinal regeneration in the species.

Dr. Thummel’s research is supported by prestigious sources, including the National Eye Institute, Kids Without Cancer Foundation, The Children’s Foundation, a direct gift from a donor, the P30 Vision Core grant to the department and Research to Prevent Blindness to the Kresge Eye Institute. His research on childhood leukemia, sponsored by Kids Without Cancer and the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation, has been featured in numerous media outlets, including The Detroit Free Press, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune and The Washington Post.