Neurobiology | Research Interests

Name	Email	PhD Program
Mealer, Robbie WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Genetics & Molecular Biology, Neuroscience RESEARCH INTEREST Biochemistry, Brain Development, Genetic Basis of Disease, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders	Dr. Mealer’s research interests involve the genes that increase risk of developing schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. As hundreds of psychiatric risk genes have now been identified through large-scale human studies, Dr. Mealer attempts to understand how these genetic variations affect brain development and function. He has focused primarily on glycosylation, the process of adding carbohydrates to proteins and lipids to regulate their function, as several glycosylation genes are linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. Using cellular models, mouse models, and human samples, he hopes to develop new tools to diagnosis and treat individuals affected by severe mental illness.
Sode, Koji WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Biochemistry & Biophysics RESEARCH INTEREST Aging/Alzheimer's, Biochemistry, Diabetes, Enzymology, Neurobiology, Structural Biology	Our strategic research concept is to create novel molecules through biomolecular engineering to develop biosensing technologies dedicated to health care management. Ultimately, we aim to create innovative biodevices to realize closed-loop therapies which can aid in the detection and/or diagnosis of medical conditions and provide medicine/treatment to patients suffering from various diseases (metabolic disorders, neural degenerative diseases, mental disorders, cancer, etc.). The targets for our biomolecular engineering are enzymes, antibodies, binding proteins, receptors/transporters, aptamers, and synthetic molecules.
Gjoneska, Elizabeth WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Neuroscience RESEARCH INTEREST Aging/Alzheimer's, Behavior, Epigenetics, Genomics, Immunology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Neurobiology, Stem Cells	Neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) represent a global health emergency. Evidence showing that systemic inflammation can exacerbate cognitive decline during neurodegeneration, including AD, and identification of disease-associated genetic risk variants that perturb function of microglia, the resident brain immune cells, reveal that microglia play an active role in disease progression. Studies in the Gjoneska group aim to elucidate the mechanisms underlying microglia dysfunction during AD. To that end, our group combines cutting edge molecular, cellular and genomic tools together with genetic in vivo approaches to understand how genetic and environmental risk factors alter the function of microglia and contribute to increasing susceptibility to AD.
Yap, Pew-Thian WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Bioinformatics & Computational Biology RESEARCH INTEREST Aging/Alzheimer's, Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Brain Development, Developmental Disorders, Human Subjects Research, Medical Imaging, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders	Dr. Pew-Thian Yap is a Professor of the Department of Radiology and the Director of the Image Analysis Core of the Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He leads a wide range of research spanning image acquisition, reconstruction, quality control, harmonization, processing, and analysis with applications in neuroscience, disease diagnosis, and surgical planning.
Yadav, Amol WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Neuroscience RESEARCH INTEREST Human Subjects Research, Neurobiology	The Brain-Spine-Machine Interfaces Lab directed by Dr. Amol Yadav works at the interface of Neuroscience and Engineering. The lab’s goal is to develop neural engineering-based therapies to treat neurological disorders and understand how disorders and injuries impact the brain-spine network and its role in sensorimotor control. The lab specializes in spinal cord stimulation, high-density neural recording, computational modeling, behavioral experimentation in rodents, and human pilot studies with invasive neural interface technologies.
Young, Sam WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Genetics & Molecular Biology, Pharmacology RESEARCH INTEREST Biophysics, Cell Biology, Gene Therapy, Molecular Medicine, Neurobiology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Virology	My research is focuses on two general areas: 1) Molecular principles of auditory information processing, and 2) Gene Therapy approaches to treat neurological disorders. In regard to our auditory focus, we seek to understand how the molecular machinery in auditory brainstem synapses enables neuronal computations at some of the fastest speeds in the central nervous system to enable the ability to identify and interpret sound information received by the ears. In regard to our gene therapy approaches, we seek to develop novel viral vector technology to create novel therapeutic strategies to treat neuronal dysfunction and degeneration to improve the quality of life of individuals who suffer from neurological diseases. To address these research areas, I employ a multi-disciplinary strategy that encompasses, molecular biology, virology, viral vectors, biophysics, light microscopy, electron microscopy, electrophysiology, and transgenic mouse models. Keywords: Gene therapy, synaptic transmission, Hearing, viral vectors, biophysics, ion channels, calcium signaling, neurodegeneration, molecular medicine, synaptic plasticity, molecular engineering, nanomedicine
Winn, Alex EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Computational Biology, Neurobiology, Systems Biology	“I am interested in pursuing research in the field of computational neuroscience, specifically investigating the neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory formation. My focus lies in using computational models to understand how neural circuits process information and adapt to changing environments, with the ultimate goal of uncovering fundamental principles of brain function.”
Wang, Xing EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cardiovascular Biology, Immunology, Neurobiology, Stem Cells	“I am fascinated by the field of stem cell biology. The great potential and ground-breaking findings it presents motivate me to further investigate the mechanisms of how stem cells communicate with their environment and how they integrate signals to differentiate.”
Ulloa Avila, Tatiana EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Genetics, Genomics, Neurobiology	“I am interested in studying chromatin architecture and the role that it plays on gene regulation in the context of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Moreover, I would like to generate an impact with my research by applying my findings to the area of therapeutics.”
Trumbo, Aftyn EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Immunology, Neurobiology, Translational Medicine	“I’m interested in a variety of research topics pertaining to neurodegeneration. In particular I desire to expand our understanding of environmental factors that influence the onset of age related dementias. I’m fascinated by asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, particularly what neuroprotective factors maintain cognitive function in these individuals with full plaque and tau pathology. Furthermore, I’m intrigued by lipids, fungi, and mental illness and their roles in neurodegeneration.”

Research Interest: Neurobiology