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Our People

photo of researchers in Del Monte InstituteSince its inception, the Del Monte Institute has recruited dozens of researchers spanning specialties across various departments at the University and Medical Center. We have been innovative in collaborating to create joint appointments, allowing more faculty to join our research efforts. By combining their expertise with our myriad of resources, we strive to create a diverse space with researchers from various backgrounds and specialties. It is also of the utmost importance that our labs are equitable and inclusive. It is essential to forge a successful research engine that makes meaningful contributions to neuroscience.

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Heather Adams
Research Interest: Dr. Heather Adams is a pediatric neuropsychologist who seeks to understand the developmental and behavioral impacts of rare genetic disorders.

Eric Anson
Research Interest:

Self-motion perception and adaptability of vestibular perception

Tanzil Arefin
Research Interest:

Neuroimaging techniques and computational tools to study the changes in brain functions and microstructures in animal models of human disorders

Zhen Bai
Research Interest: Creating embodied and intelligent interfaces that transcend learning, communication and wellbeing for people with diverse abilities and backgrounds.

Timothy Baran
Research Interest:

Photodynamic therapy and medical image processing

Nathaniel Bayer
Research Interest:

Understanding the health of children with medical complexity including children with IDD in a family context. He is studying the family, community, and health system factors that support family and caregiver resilience to better understand these children’s quality of life and healthcare utilization.

Matthew Bellizzi
Research Interest: How HIV-1 can disrupt normal cognitive functions by altering homeostasis between microglia and synaptic networks

Matthew Bender
Research Interest:

Includes ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, brain aneurysms, cranial and spinal vascular malformations, moyamoya disease, and carotid atherosclerosis. He offers patients both endovascular and open microsurgical treatments for cerebrovascular disease.

Loisa Bennetto
Research Interest:

Neurocognitive and communication deficits in autism and other developmental disabilities

Michel Berg
Research Interest: Generic equivalence of anti-epilepsy drugs. Technology for healthcare

Tarun Bhalla
Research Interest:

Includes open cerebrovascular and endovascular treatment for spinal and cerebrovascular disease including stroke, aneurysms, AVMs, carotid/vertebral disease and trigeminal neuralgia.

Rajnish Bharadwaj
Research Interest: Lysosomal and mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases

Gretchen Birbeck
Research Interest:

Focuses upon neurologic disorders in resource-limited tropical settings.

Farran Briggs
Research Interest: Focus on understanding how specific neuronal circuits in the early visual system encode visual information and how attention impacts the encoding of visual information.

Edward Brown
Research Interest:

Multiphoton Laser Scanning Microscopy, novel in vivo imaging and measurement techniques, tumor biology, angiogenesis

Laurel Carney
Research Interest:

Auditory Neuroscience; neurophysiological, behavioral, and computational studies of hearing; signal processing for hearing aids.

Deborah Cory-Slechta
Research Interest: Defining the impact of environmental chemicals (e.g., metals and air pollution) on brain development and behavior, with emphasis on attributable risk to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Benjamin Crane
Research Interest:

The interaction of vision, the vestibular system, and human disease on motion perception.

Greg DeAngelis
Research Interest: Visual neuroscience; multi-sensory integration; neural coding; linking neurons to perception

Robert Dirksen
Research Interest: Molecular Mechanisms of Calcium Signaling in Striated Muscle

David Dodell-Feder
Research Interest:

How we process social information, make meaningful social connections, and how these processes vary across the full spectrum of health and psychiatric illness with a particular focus on schizophrenia-spectrum disorders using behavioral and neuroimaging (e.g., fMRI) methods.

Ashkan Ertefaie
Research Interest: Methodologies that lead to constructing the optimal sequence of treatments in chronic diseases where patients are monitored and treated throughout their life.

Ian Fiebelkorn
Research Interest:

Flexible allocation of the brain’s limited processing resources in attention, perception, and working memory

David Foster
Research Interest: Vulvar Disease, Vulvodynia, Interstitial Cystitis

Edward Freedman
Research Interest: Human neurophysiology in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease, Dyslexia, Autism, Lysosomal Storage disorders, and sports concussions

Julie Fudge
Research Interest: Anatomy and neurochemistry of brain regions associated with symptoms in major psychiatric illnesses

Archan Ganguly
Research Interest:

Identifing molecular regulators of long-range trafficking of protein cargoes to distinct sub-domains of polarized cells, such as neurons

Frank Garcea
Research Interest:

Mechanisms supporting conceptual processing, language, and action function in patients with brain tumor or epilepsy.

Martha Gdowski
Research Interest:

Medical, Graduate, and Undergraduate Education

Paul Geha
Research Interest: Understanding the neural mechanisms that transform nociceptive input to painful perceptions in humans and how these mechanisms change in chronic pain

Harris Gelbard
Research Interest: Molecular mechanisms and potential pharmacological and gene therapeutic interventions for neurologic disease associated with HIV-1 infection of the central nervous system.

Steven Goldman
Research Interest: Identify the expression patterns of the major categories of stem and progenitor cells of the adult human brain and to use that information to define the signaling pathways that distinguish one progenitor from another, as well as those that distinguish brain tumor stem and progenitor cells from their normal counterparts.

Manuel Gomez-Ramirez
Research Interest:

Understanding the neural mechanisms that mediate sensation and action with our hands.

Donna Guardino
Research Interest: Certified Deaf Interpreters’ experiences working with language deprivation Deaf individuals in medical settings, and Deaf population health and language deprivation.

Lauren Hablitz
Research Interest:

Basic biological mechanisms of circadian synchrony and entrainment in health and disease. Understanding how circadian rhythms and sleep can enhance glymphatic, neuronal, and cerebrovascular function.

Marc Halterman
Marc W. Halterman, M.D., Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor
Research Interest:

To define the transcriptional programs driving selective vulnerability and delayed neuron loss after stroke

Johanna Hamel
Research Interest: Understanding of the underlying molecular mechanism in myotonic dystrophy type 1 and type 2.

Jennetta Hammond
Research Interest: Uncovering neuro-immune mechanisms driving synapse and neuron turnover as well as microglia dysregulation throughout the lifespan

Kenneth Henry
Research Interest:

Cochlear neurodegeneration, neural mechanisms for hearing in noise

Angela Hewitt
Research Interest:

Investigating if/how the production of rapid, coordinated movements requires control circuitry that can bypass sensory feedback delays by providing an estimate of the consequences resulting from a motor command.

Denise Hocking
Research Interest:

Understanding the mechanisms by which the extracellular matrix protein, fibronectin, affects cell and tissue functions that are critical for wound repair. We study both the structural mechanisms and intracellular signaling events that mediate cell and tissue responses to matrix fibronectin. In turn, we are using this information to develop novel technologies for tissue engineering, and therapeutic approaches to promote tissue regeneration in chronic wounds.

Robert Holloway
Research Interest: Technology assessment and cost-effectiveness of neurological practices and policies, methods to improve the quality and safety of medical care, and conflicts of interest in research and practice

J. Christopher Holt
Research Interest:

Synaptic pharmaco-physiology of vestibular efferent-afferent interactions

Chia (George) Hsu
Research Interest:

Programmed Cell Death (PCD) in cardiovascular disease (CVD). While great progress has been achieved in the unveiling of the molecular mechanisms of PCD, a new level of complexity, with important therapeutic implications, has begun to emerge. I am particularly interested in Pyroptosis, a highly inflammatory form of lytic PCD, and Ferroptosis, a form of PCD involved in metabolic imbalance and the perturbation of redox homeostasis.

Inna Hughes
Research Interest:

In both pediatric epilepsy and general child neurology.

Krystel Huxlin
Research Interest:

Neural mechanisms of visual recovery after stroke; optical correlates and molecular substrates of corneal wound healing and nerve regeneration; LIRIC

Brent Johnson
Research Interest: Statistical methodology for biomedical and public health applications including semi-parametric and non-parametric methods in missing data problems, measurement error, and survival analysis.

Paul Kammermeier
Research Interest: G protein coupled receptor signaling and modulation of ion channels in neurons

Brian Keane
Research Interest:

Visual perceptual alterations in psychosis, behavioral psychophysics, eye-tracking, functional neuroimaging, and conceptual foundations of cognitive science

Douglas Kelley
Research Interest:

How the performance of liquid metal batteries depends on transport in their liquid layers

David Kornack
Research Interest:

The biology of neural progenitor cells in developing and adult mammalian brain

Edmund Lalor
Research Interest:

The electrophysiology of human sensation, perception and cognition, especially in naturalistic environments.

Jonathan Leckenby
Research Interest:

Peripheral nerve regeneration/degeneration and vascularized composite allotransplantation.

Hochang Lee
Research Interest: Developing innovative models for delivery behavioral health service for medical and surgical patients and prevention of neuropsychiatric morbidity (e.g. delirium, depression, and dementia) after major surgery among the elders.

Karlo Lizarraga Mendoza
Research Interest:

Optimizing the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders with the use of neurophysiological techniques, and developing sustainable international collaborations that promote global equity in neurological education, research and patient care.

Anne Luebke
Research Interest:

Role of cochlear outer hair cells in hearing and hearing loss

Ross Maddox
Research Interest: Auditory and multisensory processing in human listeners, using behavioral and electrophysiological methods.

Margot Mayer-Pröschel
Research Interest: Identification of different stem and precursor cell pools in CNS that may be critical for cell replacement therapies or are targets of insults that lead to developmental pathologies.

Sarah McConnell
Research Interest: Human Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, Neuroanatomy, Neuroprosthetics

Julian Meeks
Research Interest:

Investigation of the molecules, receptors, and neural circuits that influence social interactions, including the actions of mammalian pheromones

Steven Meyers
Research Interest:

Key areas of clinical specialization and research have included Neuroimaging, Head and Neck imaging, Musculoskeletal MRI, MR and CT angiography.

Martha Mock
Martha Mock, PhD
Professor (Clinical), Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Director of the Center for Disability and Education
Research Interest:

College-age adults with intellectual disabilities

Sophie Molholm
Research Interest: Attention multisensory integration sensory and perceptual processing executive function

Cynthia Monaco
Research Interest: Effect of the Microbiome/Virome on Mucosal and Systemic Inflammation in Health and Disease

Maiken Nedergaard
Research Interest: The basic biology of glial cells in the CNS and the role of astrocytes in several neurological diseases, including stroke, spinal cord injury, epilepsy, tremor, and ALS. Research is aimed at defining new strategies for the treatment of neurological diseases that target astrocytic dysfunction.

Shawn Newlands
Research Interest: Vestibular anatomy and physiology, recovery from vestibular injury, vestibular control of head unrestrained gaze.

Mark Noble
Research Interest: Neuro stem cell biology and medicine, developing pharmacological and cell based approaches to peripheral and spinal cord injury.

Samuel Norman-Haignere
Research Interest:

The neural computations that enable the perception of natural sounds, such as speech and music

M. Kerry O'Banion
Research Interest: Defining neuro-inflammatory processes that contribute to pathology and disease progression in Alzheimer's disease, as well as late CNS effects following radiation exposure

Thomas O'Connor
Research Interest: The mechanisms by which early stress exposures, including prenatal maternal anxiety and caregiving stress, may persistently shape children's behavioral and biological health

John Olschowka
Research Interest: Mechanisms of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration within the CNS, primarily Glial Cells and Vascular components of the brain.

Cesare Orlandi
Research Interest: Orphan G protein coupled receptors in brain and visual systems

Gary Paige
Research Interest: Gary D. Paige, MD, PhD, was the Kilian J. and Caroline F. Schmitt Professor and Chair of Neurobiology & Anatomy at the University of Rochester Medical Center, also holding joint appointments in Neurology, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Biomedical Engineering, and Brain & Cognitive Science. His research focused on how the brain integrates and plastically adapts sensory inputs from the outside world (visual and auditory) with the internal senses (vestibular and somatosensory) to guide meaningful behavior through a cluttered environment.

Diane Piekut
Research Interest: Hypothalamus: neuropeptides, neuroplasticity, seizures

Wilfred Pigeon
Research Interest: Mechanisms, consequences and treatment of sleep disturbance (Canandaigua VA Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention)

Martina Poletti
Research Interest:

Visual psychophysics, high-resolution eye tracking and gaze-contingent technology to study spatial updating, foveal vision and control of attention and eye movements at the fine scale

Anton Porsteinsson
Research Interest: Care and study of individuals with memory disorders

Christoph Pröschel
Research Interest:

Using primarily human pluripotent stem cell models, we examine astrocyte development in normal and pathological conditions, the role of astrocytes in modulating response to injury or stress, the role of altered RNA processing and translation in neural development, and the utility of glial precursor cells and their astrocytic progeny for cell transplantation therapy.

Dalin Pulsipher
Research Interest:

Neuroimaging, epilepsy, concussion, performance validity testing, and statistics. Current research involves sub-classification of seizure syndromes based on neuropsychological and quantitative MRI findings.

Gil Rivlis
Research Interest:

Neural control of movement; Computing and experiment control systems; Mathematics and statistics in neuroscience data analysis.

Lars Ross
Research Interest:

Multisensory integration, social neuroscience and autism spectrum disorder

Olle Jane (O.J.) Sahler
Research Interest:

Chronic illness, Palliative Care, Long-term childhood cancer survivors, Bereavement, Integrative medicine, Biofeedback, Chronic pain, Bioethics

Andrew Samuelson
Research Interest: Understanding the genetic, cell biological and molecular basis for age-driven proteostatic deterioration

Souvarish Sarkar
Research Interest:

Develop a research program concentrating on identifying genetic modifiers of environmental factors in disease etiology using a combination of Drosophila genetics, cell culture, and rodent models

Jesse Schallek
Research Interest: Developing technologies to measure blood flow in the living Eye to examine the condition of the retina in health and disease.

Ruth Schneider
Research Interest: Care of patients with movement disorders

Scott Seidman
Research Interest:

Vestibular systems, motor learning, physiological models, multi-sensory integration

Olga Selioutski
Olga Selioutski, D.O.
Associate Professor
Research Interest:

Pregnancy and Epilepsy

Peter Shrager
Research Interest:

Neuron-neuroglia interactions

Steven Silverstein
Research Interest:

Impairments of perceptual function and organization in schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders, their relationship to symptom emergence (e.g., in terms of altered predictive coding, or altered contextual modulation) and the possibility of performing visual remediation of low- and mid-level visual disturbances in these conditions.

Nathan Smith
Research Interest:

Exploring the understudied and novel mechanisms by which neuromodulators mediate the interactions between neurons, astrocytes, and microglia in both normal and disease states

Adam Snyder
Research Interest: Activity in groups of neurons is dynamically coordinated to control information processing for goal-directed action

Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez
Research Interest:

Use virtual reality (VR), multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and machine learning to elucidate the psychological and neural signatures of psychopathologies

Duje Tadin
Research Interest: Understanding neural mechanisms of human visual perception using psychophysics, brain stimulation and computational modeling. Current work includes the study of vision in stroke, low-vision, TBI, autism, cognitive aging and schizophrenia.

Christopher Tarolli
Research Interest:

Novel technologies, practice-based research, and palliative care in individuals with Parkinson disease and other movement disorders

Michael Telias
Research Interest:

Retinal degeneration and maladaptive plasticity in inner retinal circuits.

Judy Thompson
Research Interest:

Schizophrenia, with a particular interest in the pathophysiology of positive symptoms

Madalina Tivarus
Research Interest:

Clinical applications of advanced neuroimaging techniques such as functional MRI (fMRI), MR Spectroscopy (MRS), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), morphometry, Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) and Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast (DSC)

Md Nasir Uddin
Research Interest:

Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Angiography, Neuroimaging, Medical Image Processing

Kuan Hong Wang
Research Interest: Neural circuit mechanisms underlying cognitive control of sensorimotor functions

Miriam Weber
Research Interest:

Menopause and memory problems, pregnancy and memory problems

Patricia White
Research Interest: Sensory regeneration of the inner ear, or hair-cell regeneration

Ronald Wood
Research Interest: Behavioral Pharmacology and Toxicology; Substance Abuse; Inhalation Toxicology; Medications for Urologic Disorders (urge incontinence, interstitial cystitis, pain)

Houhui Xia
Research Interest: Molecular and signaling mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in memory formation and mental health

Michelle Carr
Research Interest: Sleep psychophysiology, disturbed dreaming, and dream engineering
Chia George Hsu, Ph.D.
Research Interest: Programmed Cell Death (PCD) in cardiovascular disease (CVD). While great progress has been achieved in the unveiling of the molecular mechanisms of PCD, a new level of complexity, with important therapeutic implications, has begun to emerge. I am particularly interested in Pyroptosis, a highly inflammatory form of lytic PCD, and Ferroptosis, a form of PCD involved in metabolic imbalance and the perturbation of redox homeostasis.

 

Faculty Spotlight

Photo of Lars Ross

Lars A. Ross, PhD, is a research assistant professor of Imaging Sciences and Neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center. 

His research aims to understand how information from our senses is integrated and processed in the brain and how this impacts perception, cognition, and behavior. He is also interested in how these processes develop throughout life and differ in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.

image of a single neuron

Research News