About Dr. Pearsall

Biography

Dr. Elizabeth Pearsall is an emerging investigator in ocular angiogenesis and immunology. The overarching theme of her research program is the inflammatory basis of ocular neovascularization.

Training history, timeline and expertise in brief:

• 2011-2015: PhD, University of Oklahoma; Preceptor Jian-xing (Jay) Ma, MD, PhD

• 2016-2021: Postdoctoral, Harvard Medical School; Preceptor Kip M. Connor, PhD

Pearsall’s Phd work with Jay Ma sparked her initial interest in metabolism, which has evolved with her research program over time. Kip M. Connor worked with Judah Folkman’s trainees, and was instrumental in developing the ocular models Folkman used to study tumor angiogenesis. Pearsall carried this expertise and her interest in ocular immunology forward to research program.

Early career:

• 2021-2023: Research Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri

• 2024-present: Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Storm Eye Institute

Pearsall wrote her first R01 proposal while still on Boston soil, and submitted the A0 as she onboarded at the University of Missouri as research faculty. Her first-ever R01 was funded, prompting her to seek a tenure track position at a major research university.

Present day:

Pearsall began at MUSC with a bare bench-lab in July 2024, quickly initiated operations, and in 2026 her lab has or is preparing to produce the following:

• Two senior-author publications to be submitted for high-impact publication

• Four conference abstracts in the 2026 season, one of which won a prestigious award.

She is presently seeking to renew and expand her NIH funding, and to diversify her funding sources to adapt to the contemporary changes in our research climate. She is also seeking new collaborations with industry and academic investigators.