Student Directory
CURRENT STUDENTS
Jennifer Art
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Nadja Zeltner, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- PTSD
- Peripheral nervous system
- Stem cell biology
- Trauma
- Neuropathologies of stress
- Sympathetic neurons
Samantha Baxley
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Oshri Avraham, Cellular Biology
Research Interests
- Genetics and disorders of the peripheral nervous system
Lauren Ashley Beugelsdyk
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Jesse Schank, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Stress and anxiety
- Neuropeptides
- Neuropharmacology
Jung Ha Byun
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Jae-Kyung Lee, Regenerative Bioscience
Research Interests
- Neurodegenerative Disease
Brooklyn Crabtree
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Assaf Oshri and Charles Geier, Human Development and Family Science
Research Interests
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Childhood Adversity
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Functional brain networks
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Resilience
Ellie Decker
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Jesse Schank, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Neural circuitry involved in behavior
- Neuroinflammation
- Sex differences
Jazmine Dent
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Rachel Roberts-Galbraith, Cellular Biology, Genetics, Regenerative Bioscience
Research Interests
- Effects of acetylcholine on the neuromuscular connection and motor neurons during planarian regeneration
Christina Endara
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Rachel Roberts-Galbraith, Cellular Biology, Genetics, Regenerative Bioscience
Research Interests
- Regeneration
- Neuropeptides
- Neurodegeneration
Anthony Fleck
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Anumantha Kanthasamy, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Heavy metal neurotoxicity and its role in neurodegeneration
- Neurotrophic factors
- Neuroinflammation
Amanda George
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Anumantha Kanthasamy, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Developing and investigating novel disease modifying drug targets for neurodegenerative disorders in in-vitro and in-vivo model systems; such as microglia, neuronal cell types and human stem cells.
Camila Gomes Da Silva
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Rachel Roberts-Galbraith, Cellular Biology
Research Interests
- Neurogenesis
- Stem cells
- Regeneration
- Signaling pathways in neural development and repair
Jessica Hoffman
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Jarrod Call, Regenerative Bioscience Center
Research Interests
- Mitochondrial bioenergetics of the brain
Brice Hudson
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Nikolay Filipov, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Neuropharmacology
- Neurotoxicology
- Motor neuroscience
Ana Laura-Loera Lopez
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Emily Noble, Department of Nutritional Sciences & ILS
Research Interests
- The effects of diet and exercise on cognitive brain functions and mood disorders. Can proper nutrition and exercise rescue cognitive deficits resulting from depression, anxiety, trauma, and stress?
Osayomore Marie Lacour
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Shaolin Liu, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Neurodegeneration
- Synaptic dynamics
- Traumatic Brain Injury & Memory
Justin McCurdy
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Deborah Barany, Department of Kinesiology
Research Interests
- Sensorimotor neuroscience
- Target interception
- Animal behavior
- Movement preparation
- Motor control
Chloe Mnich
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Lisa Renzi-Hammond & Stephen Correia, Institute of Gerontology, College of Public Health
Research Interests
- Cognitive aging and dementia prevention.
- How lifestyle factors, including engagements in the arts, influence brain health.
- How the brain and cognition change with age and how this knowledge can inform the development of behavioral interventions that support healthy cognitive aging.
- How different societal customs promote healthy cognitive aging, and then understanding the underlying neural mechanisms that support them.
- Contributing to neuroscience-based strategies that enhance cognitive resilience and reducing the risk of dementia across diverse populations.
Oranti Omi
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Karl F. Lechtreck, Cellular Biology
Research Interests
- Molecular mechanisms in the brain leading to neurodegenerative disease
- Pathology of Parkinson’s Disease
- Neuroplasticity, learning and memory
- How the immune system contributes to neurodegenerative disease. What is the biological trigger?
- Gut-brain signaling and inter-relation. How much of the brain response is dependent on gut microbiota composition?
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Neuroimmunology
- Cognitive and behavioral science
Komal Patel
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Jesse Schank, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Neural circuitry involved in depression and anxiety
Christopher Petty
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Emily Noble, Department of Nutritional Sciences & ILS
Research Interests
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How early-life weight-loss interventions shape neural architecture and alters behavior in adulthood
Md Marzan Sarkar
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisors: Steven Stice, Animal & Dairy Science, and Lohitash Karumbaiah, Animal & Dairy Science, Regenerative Bioscience Center
Research Interests
- Brain cancer
- Neurodegenerative diseases
Sarah Schantz
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisors: Franklin West, Regenerative Bioscience Center; Kylee Duberstein, Animal and Dairy Science
Research Interests
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Pediatric traumatic brain injury in a piglet model
Anthony Sego
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Jesse Schank, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Neural circuitry and its role in goal-directed behavior and decision making
Casey Stewart
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisors: Oshri Avraham, Cellular Biology
Research Interests
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Glia
- Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
- Genetic lineages of PNS Glial Populations
