Current Students Miller School of Medicine

Marina Aboelsaad

Mentor: Laura Bianchi, Ph.D.
Project: TBD

Ijeoma Akpu

Mentor: Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D.
Project: Investigating Human Schwann Cell-derived Exosome Treatment on Modulating Secondary Injury and Enhancing Reparative Mechanisms After Traumatic Brain Injury

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Victoria Avon

Mentor: Eva Widerström-Noga, Ph.D. and Roberta Vastano, Ph.D.
Project: TBD

Megan Barber

Mentor: Nadine Kerr, Ph.D. and Suhrud Rajguru, Ph.D.
Project: Exploring the molecular mechanism underlying the neurocognitive consequences of hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction.

Alexis Brake

Mentor: Daniel Liebl, Ph.D. and Roberta Brambilla, Ph.D., M.S.
Project: Targeting TMEM97 to Enhance Intracellular Cholesterol Trafficking and Promote Myelin Protection and Repair in Multiple Sclerosis

Gerald Bush

Mentor: Daniel Liebl, Ph.D.
Project: Persistent glial D-serine release impairs synaptic recovery following TBI

Lauren Bystrom

Mentor: Luis M. Tuesta, Ph.D.
Project: The Role of Parabrachial CGRP Neurons in Opioid Reinforcement and Withdrawal

Indy Cabeda Diaz

Mentor: Ami Raval, Ph.D.
Project: TBD

Erika Cabrera Ranaldi

Mentor: Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari, Ph.D., M.S.B.A. and Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D.
Project Title: Attenuating the Impact of Alzheimer's Disease on Traumatic Brain Injury Pathology by Targeting the Inflammasome

Tatyana Camejo

Mentor: Jae Lee, Ph.D. and Pantelis Tsoulfas, M.D.
Project: Analyzing the vasculature zonation after spinal cord injury

Joshua Ceisler

Mentor: James Guest, M.D., Ph.D.
Project: Optimizing Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation in Chronic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: Tolerability, Mechanisms, and Responder Prediction

Sunjoo Cho

Mentor: Xue Zhong Liu, Ph.D.
Project: TBD

Jessica Dorning

Mentor: Alejandro Caicedo, Ph.D.
Project: A pancreas-specific vago-vagal reflex regulating glucose metabolism

Yuan Gao

Mentor: Suhrud Rajguru, Ph.D.
Project: Peripheral Vestibular Consequence in Blast Injury: Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Interventions

Isabella Gay

Mentor: Laura Bianchi, Ph.D.
Project: Glial alkalinization as a protective mechanism against neuronal death

Kali Matisse Gilson

Mentor: Helen Bramlett, Ph.D., MS and Michael Hoffer, M.D.
Project: TBD

Maykeling Arauz Gutierrez

Mentor: Coleen Atkins, Ph.D.
Project: Effects of Chronic Oxycodone Exposure on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Zixuan Hao

Mentors: Richard K. Lee, M.D., Ph.D. and Hong Yu, Ph.D.
Project: Investigating the RNA Landscape and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Glaucomatous Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells and Optic Nerves

Cameron Herter

Mentor: Patrick Ganzer, Ph.D.
Project: Understanding stress induced changes of haemodynamic control using intracortical stimulation of the Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex in rats

Brian Kang

Mentor: Jae Lee, Ph.D.
Project: TBD

Kristiina Kinnunen

Mentor: Hideki Mochizuki, Ph.D.
Project: Identifying an itch specific pathway in the human brain using fMRI

Noah Levi

Mentor: Alejandro Caicedo, Ph.D.
Project: The impact of the neuronal Kv7.2/3 current on cholinergic control of pancreas secretion

Marla Marquez

Mentor: Daniel Liebl, Ph.D.
Project: Alzheimer’s Disease and Traumatic Brain Injury: Shared Mechanisms of Synaptic Dysfunction

Isabel Melo-Escobar

Mentor: Zane Zeier, Ph.D.
Project: The effects of ROCK2 and S6K1 co-inhibition on axonal integrity and neuronal viability in iPSC models of ALS

Antonella Mini

Mentor: Roberta Brambilla, Ph.D.
Project Modeling Progression Independent of Relapse Activity (PIRA) with a Transgenic Model of Demyelination Induced by Oligodendrocyte-specific Mitochondrial DNA Damage

Simone Mohite

Mentor: Jae Lee, Ph.D.
Project: Defining the Spinal Cord Injury Scar Interface Region

Carlos Oliva

Mentor: Laura Bianchi, Ph.D.
Project: Glial molecular mechanisms of touch transduction in C. elegans

Shahil Patel

Mentor: Ami Raval, Ph.D., MSPH
Project: Investigating Irisin's Therapeutic Potential and Mechanisms in Ischemic Stroke

Efrain Perez Lao

Mentor: Miguel Perez-Pinzon, Ph.D. and Juan Young, Ph.D.

Project: Mechanisms of resveratrol preconditioning induced cognitive protection in the limbic system nuclei after stroke

Elianny Perozo

Mentor: Claes Wahlestedt, M.D., Ph.D.
Project: Developing novel oligonucleotide-based combination therapy for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)

Elisa Pfanennmueller

Mentor: Kajana Satkunendrarajah, Ph.D.
Project: TBD

Erika Pierre

Mentor: Michal Toborek, Ph.D. and Nadine Kerr, Ph.D.
Project: Adolescent Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls Disrupts the Gut-Brain Axis

Meredith Pinkerton

Mentor: Eva Widerstrom-Noga, D.D.S., Ph.D.
Project: Effects of a Multimodal Pain Program on Spinal Cord Injury Related Neuropathic Pain

Taylor Pohl

Mentor: Roberta Brambilla, Ph.D., MS
Project: The role of astroglial TNFR2 in synaptic transmission and intercellular communication in multiple sclerosis (MS)

Alexandra Remnitz

Mentor: Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari
Project: TBD

Mark Rozencwaig

Mentor: Gary Farkas, Ph.D.
Project: Gut Hormones Regulating Eating: Linking Interactions with Neuromodulation in Spinal Cord Injury (GHRELIN-SCI)

Kyra Schindler

Mentor: Michal Toborek, M.D., Ph.D.
Project: Dopamine Dysregulation and Neuroinflammation in HIV and Methamphetamine Induced Neuropsychiatric Dysfunction

Devika Shukla

Mentor: Jae Lee, Ph.D.
Project: Mechanisms of lipid laden astrocyte formation after spinal cord injury

Timonthy Simmons

Mentor: Eva Widerstrom-Noga, Ph.D.
Project: Maladaptive Brain Reorganization and Neuromodulation in people with Neuropathic Pain following Spinal Cord Injury

Amanda Zint

Mentor: Vanessa Aguiar-Pulido, Ph.D.
Project Title: Investigating Interneuron Cell Fate Across Neurodevelopment and Changes in Pain

Student Profiles

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