• Tran KM, Wang SL, Kontari I, Asimellis G, Kanellopoulos AJ. Evaluation of femtosecond laser-assisted combined Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and astigmatic keratotomy (AK) surgery. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2013 Jun; 54(15): 3122.

Tran KM, Wang SL, Kanellopoulos AJ. Contralateral eye long-term follow-up of prophylactic high-fluence collagen crosslinking combined with LASIK for high myopia. Scientific poster at the Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, May 2012. [View poster]

• Tran KM, Wang SL, Kanellopoulos AJ. Contralateral eye long-term follow-up of prophylactic high-fluence collagen cross-linking combined with Lasik for high myopia. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2012 Mar; 53(14): 6817.

Wang SL, Kanellopoulos AJ.  Safety and efficacy of collagen crosslinking following Intacs implantation for the stabilization of keratoconus.  Scientific poster at the Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, May 2011.

• Wang SL, Kanellopoulos AJ. Safety and efficacy of collagen crosslinking following Intacs implantation for the stabilization of keratoconus. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2011 Apr; 52(14): 5200.

Lesser RL, Knisely JP, Wang SL, Yu JB, Kupersmith MJ. Long-term response to fractionated radiotherapy of presumed optic nerve sheath meningioma.  Br J Ophthalmol 2010; 94(5):559-563. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 19965820.

Wang SL, Kanellopoulos AJ.  Novel cornea OCT findings in early and long-term follow-up of collagen cross-linking for Keratoconus.  Scientific poster at the Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, May 2010.

• Wang SL, Kanellopoulos AJ. Novel cornea OCT findings in early and long-term follow-up of collagen cross-linking for Keratoconus. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2010 Apr; 51(13): 4993.

Wang SL. Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Response to Radiotherapy of Optic Nerve Sheath Meningiomas. Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library. Paper 383.

Wang SL, Yu JB, Lesser RL, Knisely JP.  Response to fractionated radiotherapy of optic nerve sheath meningiomas.  Scientific paper presentation at the Radiological Society of North America 93^rd Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, Chicago, Nov 2007.

Wang SL, Yu JB, Knisely JP, Kupersmith MJ, Lesser RL.  Response to fractionated radiotherapy of optic nerve sheath meningiomas.  Scientific paper presentation at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Nov 2007.

Rizzolo LJ, Stewart WB, O’Brien M, Haims A, Rando W, Abrahams J, Dunne S, Wang S, Aden M. Design principles for developing an efficient clinical anatomy course.  Medical Teacher 2006; 28(2):142-151. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 16707295.

Contributing author in: Bhushan V et al.  First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2005.  New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.

Allen AD, Cheng B, Fenwick MH, Givehchi B, Henry-Riyad H, Nikolaev VA, Shikhova EA, Tahmassebi D, Tidwell TT, Wang S. Ketene reactions with the aminoxyl radical TEMPO Preparative, kinetic, and theoretical studies.  J Org Chem 2001; 66: 2611-2617. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 11304178.

The mice are unnamed and are only referred to as Mr. Mousie and Mr. Mousie, even though they are both female. One of the most pleasurable aspects of raising mice is simply observing them. Their play and their interactions are hugely entertaining. At the beginning, the only way to tell them apart was by a clipped ear on one mouse. This mouse is now clearly the dominant mouse – she takes the food from the other’s hands and is much larger.

Our mice eat fortified pellet food with occasional supplemental treats like fresh vegetables, unsalted sunflower seeds, and oatmeal (they love oatmeal!). We clean out their bedding of shaved wood about once a week. When their cage is cleaned, we place them in a warm washcloth and rub gently to clean them (though this is really not necessary as they groom themselves). Afterwards, they run around our apartment in a hamster ball.

We also routinely change the objects and toys in the cage. After all, Kathy’s project was about the beneficial effects of environmental enrichment. These mice get lots of exercise doing “monkey bars” on the cage and on their running wheel. Their toys include a hanging bell (intended for birds), tree branches, plastic tunnels, egg cartons, and toilet paper rolls. Kathy’s coworkers at Pediatric Ophthalmic Consultants have been wonderful at saving potential supplies! The compressed cardboard that comes in toner boxes is especially fun for our mice. Of course, all recycled toys are ink-free.

Surprisingly, our mice are very clean. They often groom each other and they usually even have a “pee corner” (too much information?). They do not smell though their not smelling obviously hinges upon the frequency that we clean the cage. They are not loud, as long as we oil their running wheel. They are great pets. Mr. Mousie and Mr. Mousie are now loved parts of our family, and we are thrilled to have their company. Mice are wonderful pets and we hope you consider raising a couple of your own. The pleasure we get from caring for and watching these two mice grow reminds us of the many creatures who have contributed to the discovery of medical knowledge. Even though we support the use of animals for research, we also have a great respect for all little lives that are involved.

In memoriam: Our beloved mice both passed away peacefully in their very old age. They are safely buried at the East River Espanade in Manhattan, New York City and rest eternally in peace. In the future, we hope to raise more rescued lab mice as a thank-you to the many who have donated their lives to science.

In the fall of 2007, Kathy founded A Learning & Interactive Vietnamese Experience (ALIVE) at Yale University to meet these needs. Jean deserves credit for the wonderful acronym of the organization, which described perfectly the sentiment we wished to convey. Gina was critical in participant recruitment and the planning for the group. Lia and Jaden contributed their unconditional support and enthusiasm.

Every month during the academic year, ALIVE hosted two monthly programs. These activities are free and open to adults and children in the community. The Culture Days Program has hosted events such as celebrations of Tet (Lunar New Year), lion dances, and performances by artists from Vietnam. Other activities also include making goi cuon (Vietnamese summer rolls), learning Vietnamese Christmas carols, storytelling, and a number of arts and crafts projects. The Language Lessons Program is designed for individuals of all Vietnamese language proficiencies. ALIVE’s mission in this sub-program is to teach applicable language skills.

ALIVE became a central aspect of Kathy’s Yale experience. The people she met became her friends, mentors, inspirations, and parents at our home away from home.

ALIVE continues to serve the Greater New Haven community. Please visit the ALIVE website for more information about the program and what great things they are up to today.

1. Dillon AB, Myung JS, Tran KM, Tseng J, Wald KJ. A Modified Iris Suture Technique for In-the-bag Intraocular Lens Dislocation. Submitted for publication.
2. Tran KM. By any other name: eponyms in the modern medical language. Clinical Correlations. 2016 May 4.
3. Kazmi SM, Pemmaraju N, Patel KP, Cohen PR, Daver N, Tran KM, Ravandi F, Duvic M, Garcia-Manero G, Pierce S, Nazha A, Borthakur G, Kantarjian H, Cortes J. Characteristics of Sweet Syndrome in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia. 2015 Jun; 15(6): 358-63. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 25630528.
4. Smith KM, Maragnoli ME, Phull PM, Tran KM, Choubey L, Vaccarino FM. Fgfr1 inactivation in the mouse telencephalon results in impaired maturation of interneurons expressing parvalbumin. PLOS ONE. 2014 Aug; 9(8): e103696. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 25116473.
5. Komitova M, Dionysios X, Salmaso N, Tran KM, Brand T, Schwartz ML, Ment L, Vaccarino FM. Hypoxia-Induced Developmental Delays of Inhibitory Interneurons are Reversed by Environmental Enrichment in the Postnatal Mouse Forebrain. Journal of Neuroscience. 2013 Aug; 33 (33): 13375-87. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 23946395.
6. Smith KM, Maragnoli ME, Phull PM, Tran KM, Vaccarino FM. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (Fgfr1) participates in postnatal interneuron development. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience. 2010 Nov; 28(8): 698.
7. Tran KM, Broder M, Luft S, Schwartz ML, Smith KM, Vaccarino FM. Environmental Enrichment Contributes to Neurodevelopmental Recovery After Hypoxia. Yale Review of Undergraduate Research in Psychology. 2010 Mar; 1(1): 102-115
8. Smith KM, Maragnoli ME, Fagel DM, Phull PM, Tran KM, Vaccarino FM. Postnatal maturation of cortical parvalbumin inhibitory neurons is impaired in FGF receptor mutant mice. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience. 2008 Dec; 26(8): 870.

Academic Abstracts & Posters

1. Tran KM, Winer A, Liu J, Taff J. Tuberculosis in single lymph node presenting as flank pain. Poster session presented at: Society of General Internal Medicine 38th Annual Meeting; 2015 Apr 22-25. Toronto, ON, CAN.
2. Tran KM, Winer A, Liu J, Taff J. Tuberculosis in single lymph node presenting as flank pain. Poster session presented at: New York University School of Medicine Department of Medicine 14th Annual Research Day; 2015 Jun 11. New York, NY.
3. Tran KM, Wang SL, Kontari I, Asimellis G, Kannellopoulos AJ. Evaluation of femtosecond laser-assisted combined Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and astigmatic keratotomy (AK) surgery. Poster session presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; 2013 May 5-9. Seattle, WA.
   • Tran KM, Wang SL, Kontari I, Asimellis G, Kanellopoulos AJ. Evaluation of femtosecond laser-assisted combined Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and astigmatic keratotomy (AK) surgery. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2013 Jun; 54(15): 3122.
4. Kazmi SM, Kantarjian H, Tran KM, Cortes J, Ravandi F, Borthakur G, Jabbour E, Faderl S, Garcia-Manero G, Kadia T, Daver N, Pierce S, Nazha A, Cardama AQ, Pemmaraju N. Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of Sweet’s syndrome in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Poster session presented at: 54th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition; 2012 Dec 8-11. Atlanta, GA.
   • Kazmi SM, Kantarjian H, Tran KM, et al. Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of Sweet’s syndrome in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Blood. 2012 Nov; 120(21): 2587.
5. Pemmaraju N, Kantarjian H, Tran KM, Kazmi SM, Kadia T, Borthakur G, Verstovsek S, O’Brien S, Garcia-Manero G, Estrov Z, Faderl S, Ravandi F, Pierce S, Cortes J, Quintas-Cardama A. Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of extramedullary disease in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Poster session presented at: 54th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition; 2012 Dec 8-11. Atlanta, GA.
   • Pemmaraju N, Kantarjian H, Tran KM, et al. Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of extramedullary disease in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Blood. 2012 Nov; 120(21): 2592.
6. Tran KM, Kantarjian H, Cortes J, Kazmi SM, Quintas-Cardama A, Estrov Z, Ohanian M, Kadia T, Borthakur G, Ravandi F, Faderl S, Pierce S, Pemmaraju N. Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of genitourinary extramedullary disease in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood. 2012 Nov; 120(21): 4326.
7. Tran KM, Wang SL, Kannellopoulos AJ. Contralateral eye long-term follow-up of prophylactic high-fluence collagen cross-linking combined with Lasik for high myopia. Poster session presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; 2012 May 6-9. Fort Lauderdale, FL. [View poster]
   • Tran KM, Wang SL, Kanellopoulos AJ. Contralateral eye long-term follow-up of prophylactic high-fluence collagen cross-linking combined with Lasik for high myopia. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2012 Mar; 53(14): 6817.
8. Smith KM, Maragnoli ME, Phull PM, Tran KM, Fagel DM, Vaccarino FM. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (Fgfr1) in postnatal interneuron development. Poster presented at: Society for Neuroscience 38th Annual Meeting. 2008 Nov 15-19. Washington, D.C.

Non-scientific Writing Publications

1. Tran KM. “Happy Mother’s Day… for daughters and sons who have lost their moms.” MOGUL (onMogul.com). 2016, May 5.
2. Tran KM. “After Match Day: a bittersweet reflection.” KevinMD. (KevinMD.com). 2016, Mar 19.
3. Tran KM. “The Bittersweetness of Medical School Match Day.” MOGUL. (onMogul.com). 2016, Mar 19.
4. Tran KM. “Tâm sự Tết xa quê của người con nơi đất Mỹ.” Báo Mới Newspaper. 2014, Feb 3. [Written in Vietnamese]
5. Tran KM. “Tâm sự Tết xa quê của người con nơi đất Mỹ.” Tiên Phong Magazine. 2014, Feb 3. [Written in Vietnamese]
6. Tran KM. “Habitat Means Hope to My Family.”  His Voice. 2006.
7. Tran KM. “A New Home Brings a New Future.” Houston County Habitat for Humanity Headlines. 2005.

Art & Photographic Publications

1. Tran KM. “Bridges.” Photograph. Agora Magazine. 2013: 6.
2. Tran KM. “Mom.” Graphite. Agora Magazine. 2013: 17.
3. Tran KM. “Celebration of Summer.” Photograph. Agora Magazine. 2013: 34.
4. Tran KM. “To the Market at Dawn, Nam Dinh, Viet Nam.” Photograph. Agora Magazine. 2012: Cover.
5. Tran KM. “Finding New Life in a Forgotten Place.” Photograph. Agora Magazine. 2012: 13.
6. Tran KM. “Cutaway View of Globe.” Graphite. Agora Magazine. 2012: 15.

Art & Photographic Exhibition & Honors

1. Tran KM. “Vertebra.” 2012. Graphite. Art & Anatomy: Drawings. MSB Gallery, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY.
2. Tran KM. “Study in Texture and Color, No. 4.” Third Prize, 11th Biannual NYU School of Medicine Photography Competition.
3. Tran KM. “Finding New Life in a Forgotten Place.” Grand Prize. 10th Annual Biannual NYU School of Medicine Photography Competition.

We are Kathy May and Silas, a couple of normal folk temporarily located in Boston. We hand-coded our individual personal websites since our college years, but decided to combine them as www.kathymayandsilas.com in 2008. In 2016, our website underwent a major overhaul to what you see today! In addition to amateur web design, we also share a number of other hobbies and interests, including but not limited to photography, electronics, arts and crafts, exploring, volunteerism, healthcare, and experiencing new things in general! Most of all, we enjoy doing these things together!

Kathy May is currently an internal medicine resident at Massachusetts General Hospital. Silas is a comprehensive ophthalmologist and Instructor at the  Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary. They met 12 years ago at Yale and have been sharing adventures together since… with many more to come!

We invite you to explore the links below to learn about aspects of our lives that we value. Afterwards, please browse our blog to see what we are up to! More updates will be posted frequently. Finally, keep in touch with us by commenting on any page. We would love to hear from you!

Thanks for visiting us,
– Kathy May and Silas

Our Loved Ones:

Kathy May’s Mom
Kathy May’s Brother
Silas’ Brother
Bucci
April
Mimi

Our Organizations:

Habitat for Humanity
ALIVE
AAAYA
Boston Makers

Our Hobbies:

Blog
Arts & Crafts
Photography
Japanese Shore Crabs
Lab Mice

Our Professions:

Silas’ Professional Website (Mass Eye & Ear Infirmary)
Silas’ Publications & Abstracts
Kathy’s Publications & Abstracts