The mammalian retina converts light into visual information and sends it to higher brain centers. Whitney Stevens-Sostre investigates how distinct populations of voltage-gated ion channels – integral membrane proteins that detect changes in voltage and regulate the flow of ions – shape the stimulus responses, connectivity, and intrinsic excitability of retinal neurons. Using single-cell electrophysiology and high-resolution microscopy, she aims to uncover the functional roles of voltage-gated ion channels in regulating retinal responses to light cues at different developmental stages.