Neurobiology | Research Interests

Name	Email	PhD Program
Evans, Elliot EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Neurobiology	“I am interested in understanding the cellular biology of neurons and non-neuronal cells that make up the nervous system. I am specifically interested in investigating proteins governing the functionality of these cells to enhance our knowledge on the basic mechanisms of these cells.”
Echeveste Sanchez, Maria EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Behavior, Neurobiology, Pharmacology	“I am interested in studying the neural mechanisms behind motivated behavior. More specifically I would like to study how changes in these mechanisms contribute to maladaptive behavior seen in addiction.”
Lischinsky, Julieta WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Neuroscience RESEARCH INTEREST Behavior, Brain Development, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders	Innate social behaviors, including aggression and mating, are crucial for survival and propagation and are therefore shared across species. In the Lischinsky lab we aim to elucidate the developmental, cellular and circuit underpinnings for social behaviors and how these mechanisms are disrupted due to environmental stressors and in neurodevelopmental disorders. We use complimentary tools to study cell identity, function, circuit connectivity, neuromodulation and behavior in the limbic system and beyond during postnatal development, from infancy to adulthood, across sexes.
Balasubramanian, Kavya EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cell Biology, Neurobiology, Pharmacology	“Broadly, I am interested in the neurobiological mechanisms that differentiate normal and dysregulated circuit function in neurological conditions like substance use disorders and neurodegenerative disease. Specifically, I would like to better understand how intrinsic factors and environmental stressors interact to drive pathological processes in the above conditions.”
Yang, En WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Applied Physical Sciences, Biology, Neuroscience RESEARCH INTEREST Brain Development, Computational Biology, Microscopy/Imaging, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Neuropharmacology, Quantitative Biology	The EnYang Lab explores interdisciplinary fields to unravel the intricate workings of neural networks within the brain, focusing on how they execute computations, foster imagination, and respond to emotional states. Using larval zebrafish as an animal model, the lab observes, decodes, and perturbs the entire neural networks at single-cell resolution during cognitive tasks. Through the integration of whole-brain imaging, brain-machine interface (BMI), Virtual Reality, optogenetic manipulation, deep learning, and other modern technologies, the lab aims to decipher cognitive abilities in the brain and translate findings into engineering solutions, potentially impacting fields like learning disorders and psychiatric management.
Chen, Jiakun WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Biology, Cell Biology & Physiology, Neuroscience RESEARCH INTEREST Brain Development, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genetics, Model Organisms, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders	The goal of our research is to understand how astrocytes develop and how they interact with neural elements during nervous system formation, function, and maintenance. Our lab uses fruit fly Drosophila and zebrafish Danio rerio to explore fundamental aspects of astrocyte biology. We leverage the powerful genetics and unparalleled molecular toolsets in flies to uncover gene function, and we exploit the advanced live-imaging techniques in zebrafish to study astrocyte-neuron interactions in vivo.
Sengupta, Soma WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Neuroscience RESEARCH INTEREST Drug Delivery, Drug Discovery, Neurobiology	I am building a career in both clinical and translational research of brain tumors, primary and those resulting from metastasis. Clinically, I primarily see adult brain tumor patients and conduct/initiate clinical trials to meet the needs of this patient population. On the research side, I have a long-standing research interest in clinically-important membrane transport proteins. I conducted genetic and biochemical research on transporters, channels, and pumps during my doctoral research at the University of Cambridge, my postdoctoral study at Yale University, and various institutions (Yale, Johns Hopkins University, Cambridge) while training in medicine at Cambridge. Membrane transport proteins I have worked on include the proton-ATPase (mentor: C. Slayman) and the TAP transporter (mentor: P. Lehner), which are critical to antigen processing. After receiving my medical degree, I pursued advanced medical and additional research training in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins, Harvard) and received continuous funding from the NIH to pursue this research (NINDS-R25, NCI-K12, NINDS-K08). My first independent appointment as an Assistant Professor, Neuro-oncologist was at Emory University in 2016. At the University of Cincinnati, I was the Associate Director of the UC Brain Tumor Center and a recipient of the Harold C. Schott Endowed Chair. At this time, my lab is focused on: (1) the development of a therapeutic approach for the treatment of primary and pediatric brain tumors, as well as cancers that commonly metastasize to the CNS (lung and melanoma); and (2) translation of technological advances that may impact treatment and quality of life in patients with cancer.
Azizoglu, Berfin WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Cell Biology & Physiology RESEARCH INTEREST Cardiovascular Biology, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Disease, Neurobiology, Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells	Our lab studies body-wide control of organ growth and regeneration. The mammalian body is reticulated by blood vessels and neurons. How these networks communicate with organ cells to orchestrate local and body-wide decisions is obscure. We study this question with a focus on the mouse liver, the uniquely regenerative visceral organ. Current projects in the lab include 1-researching the role of a novel vascular progenitor network in liver regeneration, 2-determining the mechanisms of injury perception by liver innervation, and 3-in vitro assembly of reticulated, responsive liver tissue.
Graves, Christina WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Oral & Craniofacial Biomedicine RESEARCH INTEREST Gastrointestinal Biology, Immunology, Microscopy/Imaging, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Neurobiology, Organismal Biology	Fundamentally, our research is focused on how the nervous and immune systems are developmentally educated by infectious and non-infectious stressors across the “gum-to-gut” axis. One current major focus of the lab is to elucidate how early life stress impacts the developing gut and dentition using zebrafish as an ideal — and translational — model organism. We utilize a combination of advanced imaging, next-generation sequencing, and genetic approaches to achieve a greater understanding of how early life events dictate health outcomes across the lifespan and generations. In addition to these primary research interests, we maintain active collaborations with other groups within the Adams School of Dentistry and across campus.
Khan, Shahzad WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Cell Biology & Physiology RESEARCH INTEREST Aging/Alzheimer's, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Neurobiology, Signal Transduction	Maintaining health and reducing disease-risk requires the brain to properly transduce signals across specialized regions and cell types. My lab studies neural signaling at the primary cilium, an antenna-like organelle that helps cells sense and respond to environmental cues. The function of primary cilia in the adult brain remains enigmatic. To probe cilia function, the lab will utilize mouse models, neural cultures, human brain samples, single-cell transcriptomics, proteomics, and microscopy. Ultimately, we aim to identify therapeutic targets for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Research Interest: Neurobiology