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.
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.
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
Mentors: Gavin Rumbaugh, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Developing molecular-genetic methods to investigate the idea that Myosin II triggers actin polymerization to initiate memory storage.
Ilaria Drago, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Padova, 2009
Mentors: Ronald Davis, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Investigate the role of mitochondria in learning and memory in Drosophila.
Christie Fowler, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Florida State University, 2004
Mentors: Paul Kenny, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Understanding the neuromechanisms regulating reward-related motivated behavior, with particular emphasis on nicotine addiction.
Yunchao Gai, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2009
Mentors: 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
Mentors: Paul Kenny, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Understanding the neurobiology of nicotine addition.
Heh-In Im, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Seoul National University, Republic of Korea, 2006
Mentors: Paul Kenny, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Understanding the role for microRNAs in cocaine addiction.
Sietse Jonkman, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Cambridge, 2009
Mentors: 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.
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.
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.
Kirsten Raehal, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., Ohio State University, 2009
Mentor: Laura M. Bohn, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Studying the contribution of G protein-coupled receptor kinases and beta-arrestins to opioid-induced responses in vivo.
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.
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.
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.
Jaiprakash Sharma, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Gurgaon, India 2012
Mentor: Brock Grill, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Ubiquitin ligases that function in axon termination and synapse formation.
Seth Tomchik, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Miami, 2005
Mentor: Ronald Davis, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Signaling pathways underlying learning in Drosophila using functional imaging.
Ayako Tonoki-Yamaguchi, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Ph.D., University of Tokyo, 2009
Mentor: Ronald Davis, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Age-dependent memory impairment in a Drosophila model system.
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.