Postdoctoral Fellows and Other Trainees
We are pleased to have the following team of postdoctoral students already performing research in the Department of Neuroscience:
Massimiliano Aceti, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Rome, 2009
Mentor: Gavin Rumbaugh, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Investigate the idea that Myosin II controls new synapse formation that underlies long-lasting memories.
Argel Aguilar-Valles, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., McGill University, 2010
Mentor: Courtney A. Miller, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Exploring how epigenetic mechanisms regulate brain function (i.e. post-translational histone modifications and DNA methylation), specifically the learning mechanisms that underlie development of addiction.
Komolitdin Akhmedov, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Institute of Physiology & Biophysics, Uzbekistan, 1995
Mentor: Sathya Puthanveettil, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Electrophysiological analysis of learning and long-term memory storage using Aplysia and mice.
Hae-Won Chung An, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Houston, 2012
Mentor: Scott Hansen, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Lipid modulation of ion channels and their physiological affect in the nervous system.
Jacob Berry, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine, 2012
Mentor: Ronald Davis, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Dopamine neurons and their role in learning and forgetting using a combination of in vivo functional imaging and behavioral assays.
Tamara Boto, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Oviedo, 2012
Mentor: Seth Tomchik, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Effects of neuromodulatory pathways in Drosophila learning and memory processes
Germain Busto, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Lyon, 2009
Mentor: Ronald Davis, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Learning and memory processes using Drosophila as a model system.
Cerrone Cabanos, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Kyoto University, 2011
Mentor: Scott Hansen, Ph.D.
Research Interests:The structure and function of lipid binding sites on ion channels.
Yan Cao, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China 2007
Mentor: Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D.
Research Interests: The role of RGS proteins and their associated partners during the synaptic transmission in retina neurons.
Isaac Cervantes-Sandoval, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., The National Polytechnic Institute (Mexico), 2009
Mentor: Ronald Davis, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Reward learning memory traces.
James Chelliah, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Bristol, 2009
Mentor: Gavin Rumbaugh, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Understand how loss of SynGAP expression during early neonatal development influences neuronal circuitry and function.
Youjun Chen, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2010
Mentor: Damon Page, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Investigating the roles of PTEN in neuron growth and synaptogenesis.
Amy E. Clipperton Allen, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Guelph, Canada, 2011
Mentor: Damon Page, Ph.D.
Research Interests: The involvement of Pten in social behavior deficits related to autism spectrum disorders.
Thomas K. (Cris) Creson, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, 2002
Mentor: Gavin Rumbaugh, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Developing molecular-genetic methods to investigate the idea that Myosin II triggers actin polymerization to initiate memory storage.
Oscar Diaz Ruiz, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., National Polytechnic Institute (Mexico), 2009
Mentor: Damon T. Page, Ph.D.
Research Interests: The role of the dopaminergic and serotoninergic circuits in the neurobiology of autism
Ilaria Drago, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Padova, 2009
Mentor: Ronald Davis, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Investigate the role of mitochondria in learning and memory in Drosophila.
Yunchao Gai, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2009
Mentor: Ronald Davis, Ph.D.
Research Interests: The mechanisms of learning and memory and how various diseases disrupt these processes.
Mary (Molly) Heyer, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Duke University, 2011
Mentor: Paul Kenny, Ph.D.
Research Interests: The role of microRNAs in drug addiction and psychiatric disorders.
Jonathan Hollander, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006
Mentor: Paul Kenny, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Understanding the neurobiology of nicotine addition.
Sietse Jonkman, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Cambridge, 2009
Mentor: Paul Kenny, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Molecular regulation of compulsive drug seeking and instrumental learning in rodents.
Beena Kadakkuzha, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Texas, at Dallas, 2009
Mentor: Sathya Puthanveettil, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of memory, especially the transcriptome analysis in memory and aging.
Brian Lee, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Washington State University, 2011
Mentor: Paul Kenny, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Electrophysiological analysis of addiction-related plasticity.
Xin-An Liu, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 2010
Mentor: Sathya Puthanveettil, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Investigating the significance of fast axonal transport in long-term memory and cognitive disorders, specifically Alzheimer's disease.
Ikuo Masuho, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
Ph.D., Chiba University, Japan 2005
Mentor: Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Mechanisms that adjust the strength and duration of G protein signaling and involvement of the signaling in neural functions and neuronal development.
Anja Oelschlegel, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
Ph.D., Institute for Novel and Emerging Diseases; Friedrich-Leoffler-Institut, 2007
Mentor: Ronald Davis, Ph.D.
Research Interests: The molecular biology of learning and memory.
Cesare Orlandi, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Brescia, Italy 2009
Mentor: Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Exploring the post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications that regulate RGS protein activity in the central nervous system.
Olga Ostrovskaya, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, 2004
Mentor: Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D.
Research Interests: The role of RGS proteins in the regulation of neuronal plasticity.
Emin Ozkan, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center, 2009
Mentor: Gavin Rumbaugh, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Determine if SynGAP links together synapse structure and function.
Tugba Guven Ozkan, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center, 2009
Mentor: Ronald Davis, Ph.D.
Research Interests: ERK/MAPK signaling pathways in learning and memory.
William Pryor, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Georgia, 2012
Mentor: Srinivasa Subramaniam, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Cell signalling pathways that regulate degeneration in Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease.
Valerio Rizzo, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Palermo, Italy, 2009
Mentor: Sathya Puthanveettil, Ph.D.
Research Interests: New Strategies to Address Neurofibrillary Tangles and Plaques of Alzheimer's Desease.
Nicolette Ross, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Liverpool, 2004
Mentor: Laura M. Bohn, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Development and screening of functionally selective opioid receptor ligands.
Ignacio Sarria, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, 2011
Mentor: Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Signal transmission at the first visual synapse.
Haleli Sharir, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, 2008
Mentor: Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Development of Cell- Based Assays to study G protein Signaling Dynamics.
Cullen Schmid, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Ohio State University, 2011
Mentor: Laura M. Bohn, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Agonist directed regulation and signaling of the serotonin 2A receptor in the mouse frontal cortex.
Julien Sejourne, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 2009
Mentor: Damon T. Page, Ph.D.
Research Interests: The role of autism risk genes in the development of E/I balance
Neelam Shahani, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
Ph.D., National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India 2000
Mentor: Srini Subramaniam, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Modulators of neurodegenerative disease relevant biochemical pathways.
Supriya Swarnkar, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Jiwaji University Gwalior, M.P., India , 2012
Mentor: Srini Subramaniam, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Understanding the cellular signaling cascades altered in the Huntington disease.
Thomas Vaissière, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Lyon, France, 2010
Mentor: Courtney A. Miller, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Investigate the role of epigenetic events that regulate and are regulated by key cellular/molecular processes involved in learning and memory in the context of drug addiction and aging.
Erica Young, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Virginia, VA, 2010
Mentor: Courtney A. Miller, Ph.D.
Research Interests: How actin dynamics contribute to synaptic plasticity during the development and subsequent extinction of drug seeking behavior.
Keqiang Xie, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2008
Mentor: Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D.
Research Interests: The role of RGS proteins in the regulation of G protein signaling pathways.
Lei Zhou, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., McGill University, 2011
Mentor: Laura M. Bohn, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Screening and studies of functionally selective opioid receptor ligands in drug addiction.