GRADUATE STUDENTS

Quinn Asbell

Anna Buteau

Raquel Paz Zavala

Penelope Stuart-Hurtado

Miguel Yague

Elena Esch

Kaylin Langer

Kaitlyn Letourneau

Ashwini Shinde

Morgain Maria Goettl-Meyer

Grant Hughes

Lauren Sarabia

Ariana Crary

Danae Mitchell

Salvador Guerra, Jr.

Michelle Near

Julia Lemak

Victoria Chang

Daphne Quang

Maham Haq

Ami Haas

Crystal Minjarez

Jose Riguero

Lisa Hirt

Joy Adler

Kristen Schuster

Paige Hoffman 

Graham Peet

I study how autoantibodies affect the quality of remyelination after a demyelinating injury. This process is relevant to Multiple Sclerosis and other autoimmune demyelinating diseases.

Luke Blecker

Primarily interested in biophysics of ion channel and ionotropic receptors. In my thesis labs, I study the hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide sensitive channel (HCN). I use a combination of whole cell and inside out patch clamp electrophysiology, molecular and cellular biology, and biochemistry to answer questions about this channel.

Mayra Bueno Guerrero

My research focuses on understanding the mechanisms which cause deficits in neurovascular coupling in Alzheimer's Disease, and trying to restore neurovascular coupling in this disease model.

Subash Lamichhane

My research is focused on understanding the mechanism of endocannabinoid signaling in cerebellum learning. I use the bottom-up approach to study this mechanism. For my projects, I express biological sensors such as GRAB in cerebellar neurons to test their activities in response to endocannabinoid signaling and use pharmaceutical tools such as DART to manipulate their functioning from brain slices to live-behaving mice.

Tessa Allen

My research focuses on oligodendrocyte dynamics in early development.

Aleezah Balolia

Harrison Ramsay

My scientific interests pertain to the nanoscale organization of glutamatergic AMPARs, at the excitatory synapse. My recently published work highlights that these nanoscale receptor populations can form even at synapses where neurotransmission has been completely blocked throughout the life of the neuron. My future work aims to further characterize the functional roles of nanodomains at the synapse.

Kim Gagnon

Luis Gomez Wulschner

I'm interested in understanding how neuromodulators influence excitatory synapse maturation during early prefrontal cortex development.

Madisen Mason

I am developing a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma mouse model using in utero electroporation. The goal of my research is to study how pediatric brain cancer mutations can alter the epigenome to promote tumorigenesis likely alongside normal brain developmental processes.

Matthew Larsen

I am interested in the mechanisms of excitatory synaptic plasticity underlying learning and memory. Specifically, I study the role of CaMKII in long-term potentiation, and how its functions are impaired in Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome.

Matthew Sergison

I study the effect of aging on binaural hearing. Specifically, I am interested in how aging leads to changes in the auditory brainstem that may underlie problems with spatial hearing.

Becca Roth

Sarah Wolfe

I am interested in understanding synaptic changes during inhibitory synaptic plasticity. I want to understand the mechanisms regulating de novo protein synthesis during late stages of inhibitory long-term potentiation (iLTP). In particular, I am interested in the role of different transcription factors in regulating microRNA (miRNA) expression during iLTP.

Jordan Hickman

Electrical brain stimulation is a powerful clinical and research tool but how it affects neural activity and circuitry remains unclear. My project seeks to understand the neural response to electrical brain stimulation and its many parameters using high-density electrophysiological recordings in mice. The larger goal is that this may improve current uses of electrical brain stimulation and elucidate new uses.

Jackson Stocking

Courtney Dobrott

My thesis work in the lab of Dr. Abigail Person focuses on how output from the cerebellum contributes to the control of skilled movements such as reaching. Using a mouse model, my project aims to investigate the underlying cerebellar control policies that shape the production of skilled movements. Spanning circuit and behavioral levels, I will develop novel behavioral assays, conduct cell type specific recordings in the deep cerebellar nuclei, and utilize a closed loop kinematic system to alter reaching behavior through optogenetics.

My research focuses on using molecular and bioinformatic approaches to elucidate signaling mechanisms between the meninges and developing brain, and the pathology that occurs in neurodevelopmental disorders. Specifically, I work to understand the cellular 'cross-talk' required for proper neurogenesis and neuron migration.

Jose Vigil

Michael Stockton

I use in vivo imaging (2-photon + 3-photon) to investigate the how oligodendrocyte precursor cells differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes in both health and disease.

Samuel Budoff

Joshua Hunt

I study how motor programming in the deep layers of the superior colliculus is integrated with sensory (visual) responses in the superficial layers. I use extracellular electrophysiology (Neuropixels), optogenetics/chemogenetics, and behavioral assays to dissect local collicular circuitry which facilitates a stable visual percept during active vision.

Jungmin Kim

I am interested in understanding drug-induced synaptic plasticity. I study the role of neurexins in addiction relevant circuitry.

Natalie Carey

I am interested in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which oligodendrocytes myelinate axons during development.

Samantha Bromley-Coolidge

I study the interplay between the extracellular matrix and oligodendrocyte lineage cells in the development of myelin and white matter.

Theresa Welle

I study molecular mechanisms of inhibitory synaptic plasticity. My thesis work specifically focuses on the role of mRNA translation for supporting long-term changes in inhibitory synaptic strength.

Juan Santiago-Moreno

My project studies how the mouse visual system represents, transmits, and transforms information about color and form in the visual scene. Specifically, I am interested in how interactions between the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (LGN) and primary visual cortex (V1) represent color spatially, and how that information is propagated further up the visual system hierarchy. To investigate this, I perform awake electrophysiological recordings using multiple Neuropixels probes to capture the activity of hundreds of neurons simultaneously.

Katlin Zent

I am interested in how neurons undergo long-term plastic changes in order to support learning and memory. Specifically, I am investigating how transcription factors are regulated in response to neuronal activity.