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 Byung
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Jae-Kyung Lee, Regenerative Bioscience
Research Interests
- Neurodegenerative Disease



Destiny Chandler
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Anna Abraham, Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development
Research Interests
- Understanding emotional intensity in relation to Creative Neurocognition


Prathyusha Cota
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Arthi Kanthasamy, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Investigating novel cell signaling mediators within various preclinical models of Parkinson’s disease and microglia, with a specific emphasis on understanding the role of neuroinflammation and its mechanisms in the disease.

Brooklyn Crabtree
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Jing Xu, Kinesiology
Research Interests
- Motor control
- Human motor learning
- Cognitive and neurophysiological influence on dexterity
- Neurorehabilitation

Ellie Decker
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Jesse Schank, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Neural circuitry involved in behavior
- Neuroinflammation
- Sex differences

Christina Endara
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Rachel Roberts-Galbraith, Cellular Biology
Research Interests
- Regeneration
- Neuropeptides
- Neurodegeneration

Amanda George
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Anumantha Kanthasamy, Physiology and Pharmacology
Research Interests
- Developing and investigating novel diseased modifying drug targets for neurodegenerative disorders in in-vitro and in-vivo model systems; such as microglia, neuronal cell types and human stem cells.

Morgane Golan
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisors: Frank West and Steve Stice, Regenerative Bioscience Center
Research Interests
- Neurotrauma and neurodegeneration
- Pediatric traumatic brain injury
- Stem cell therapies
- Extracellular vesicles
- Neuroimaging and MRI

Nathan Gonsalves
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Lohitash Karumbaiah, Animal & Dairy Sciences, Regenerative Bioscience Center
Research Interests
- Brain Injury
- Repair and Regeneration
- Neurodegeneration
- Neuroprotection
- Neurological disorders

Jacob Harth
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Lisa Renzi-Hammond, Department of Psychology
Research Interests
-
Visual psychophysics
-
Neural efficiency and visual function throughout human life span

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

Landry Goodgame Huffman
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Assaf Oshri, Human Development and Family Science


Amrita Kaimal
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Sheba MohanKumar, Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imaging

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?

Justin McCurdy
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Deborah Barany, Department of Kinesiology
Research Interests
- Sensorimotor neuroscience
- Target interception
- Animal behavior
- Movement preparation
- Motor control




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

Shanmathi “Shan” Ramasubramanian
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisor: Lohitash Karumbaiah, Animal & Dairy Sciences, Regenerative Bioscience Center
Research Interests
- Cancer studies
- Regeneration
- Neurological Disorders
- Interdisciplinary research


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
-
Pediatric traumatic brain injury in a piglet model

Elijah Sterling
Ph.D. Neuroscience
Faculty Advisors: Yao Yao, Regenerative Bioscience Center
Research Interests
- The pathogenic roles of a group of muscle multipotent cells in ALS using genetic and genomic approaches
- Development of a High Throughput platform to identify mechanisms that contribute to cellular uptake of Extracellular Vesicles
- Developing plant-derived Extracellular Vesicles as drug delivery shuttle and investigating their capacity for inter-species communication

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
