Education / Graduate Education / PhD Programs / Neuroscience Graduate Program / Faculty & Students / Current Students

Current Students

The Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Rochester recruits and matriculates the highest quality students from around the United States and from all parts of the world. They participate in a rigorous neuroscience curriculum, attend national and international meetings, and contribute to cutting edge research. Many of our students have published manuscripts in high profile international journals and present abstracts at a host of large and small scientific meetings. In addition, our students participate as members of the curriculum, admissions and colloquium committees, and annually present their ongoing research to fellow students and to the neuroscience community as a whole.

Student Composite

A B C DEF G HIJ K L M N O PQR STUVWXY Z

Matthew Adusei, PhD
Briggs Lab

Research Interest:

Identifying corticogeniculate neurons in extrastriate visual cortex

Abigail Alpers
Haptics Lab

Research Interest:

Abnormalities in the sensorimotor network in dystonia

Aiesha Anchan
Sarkar Lab
Sobolewski Lab

Estephanie Balbuena, MS
Smith Lab

Research Interest:

Circadian rhythms

Emma Bryson
First Year

Amy Bucklaew, MS
Mitchell Lab

Research Interest:

Investigating the neural mechanisms of visual processing and selective attention

Dominic Bunn
Gail Johnson Lab
Wojtovich Lab

Research Interest:

The effects of pathological tau uptake by astrocytes on mitochondrial function and the impact on their ability to support neuron health

Yunshan Cai
First Year

Lia Calcines Rodriguez, MS
O'Banion-Olschowka Labs

Research Interest:

Unraveling microglial-intrinsic sex-specific properties and their contribution to Alzheimer's disease pathology

Andrea Campbell
McGregor Lab

Siddharth Chittaranjan, B.S.
Smith Lab
Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D., Ph.D.)

Joanne Chiu
First Year

Anthony Bryan Crum, MS
Meeks Lab

Research Interest:

Effects of traumatic brain injury on olfactory circuits

Skylar DeWitt
First Year

Thomas Delgado, M.S.
Gail Johnson Lab
Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D., Ph.D.)

Research Interest:

The role of transglutaminase 2 in mediating the response of astrocytes to injury and their ability to support neuron survival and neurite outgrowth

Yanya Ding
Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory
Wang Lab

Research Interest:

Age-related histological and neurophysiological changes of auditory processing in a knockout mouse model of juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis

Michael DuHain, M.S.
Haptics Lab

Research Interest:

Selectivy of MSTd neurons to optic flow pattersn along curved paths

Alexis Feidler, MS
McGrath Lab

Research Interest:

Develop the micro Sim Blood-Bain Barrier+ for modeling human, adult neurodegenerative diseases

Johanna Fritzinger, M.S.
Carney Lab

Research Interest:

Timbre encoding in the auditory midbrain

Michael Giannetto, MS
Nedergaard Lab

Research Interest:

Astrocytic roles in the brain

Leslie Gonzales, MS
Henry Lab

Research Interest:

Cochlear synaptopathy, auditory-nerve physiology

John Gonzalez-Amoretti, MS
Snyder Lab

Research Interest:

Exploring a casual role of PFC in the selection of information in MT

Julia Granato, MS
Hammond Lab

Research Interest:

The role of brain-specific complement inhibitor Sez6L2 in synaptic connectivity during development

Catalina Guzman, MS
Pain and Perceptions Lab

Research Interest:

Ketamine and pain signaling

Amelia Hines
Mayer-Pröschel Lab

Aaron Huynh
Busza Lab

Aishwarya Jayan
Iordan Lab

Dennis Jung, M.S.
Snyder Lab

Research Interest:

Investigating working memory mechanisms in non-human primates via cross-scale electrophysiology

Jeehyun Kim, MS
Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory
Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D., Ph.D.)

Research Interest:

Studying neurophysiological underpinnings of cognitive and motor symptoms of movement disorders and further modulation by deep brain stimulation

Dennisha King, MS
Fudge Lab

Research Interest:

Microglia's Role in Amygdala Paralaminar Nucleus (PL) Neuron Development in Nonhuman Primates

Niki Lam
Huxlin Lab

Wen Li
First Year

Sean Lydon, MS
Libby Lab

Research Interest:

Neurotoxic reactive glia cells in acute and chronic models of glaucoma

Gavin Magill
Fogaça Lab

Caleb Mahlen, B.S.
First Year
Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D., Ph.D.)

Research Interest:

Using psychophysics and fMRI to explore how the brain encodes pain

Sabrina Mai
Briggs Lab
Fiebelkorn Lab

Mariah Marrero, MS
Gelbard Lab

Research Interest:

Elucidating the role of High mobility group box 1 in blood-brain barrier breakdown and neuroinflammation

Alesandra Martin
Briggs Lab

Margaux Masten, B.S.
Sobolewski Lab
Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D., Ph.D.)

Research Interest:

Understanding the impact of late gestational air pollution exposure on the developing brain

Abigail Mayer, MS
Xia Lab

Research Interest:

PP1 function in neurodevelopmental disease

Tanique McDonald, MS
Briggs Lab

Erin Murray, MS
Sobolewski Lab

Daulton Myers
Fudge Lab

Research Interest:

Prefrontal cortex-amygdala circuits underlying social decision-making

Evan Newbold, MS
Nedergaard Lab

Research Interest:

Immunoprofiling using mass cytometry following peripheral insult

Paige Nicklas, MS
Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory

Research Interest:

Neurophysiology & cognitive-motor integration in children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disability

Mark Osabutey, MS
O'Banion-Olschowka Labs

Research Interest:

Exploring the cellular basis of neuroinflammation and attendant cognitive deficits due to cranial radiation exposure

Stacey Pedraza
Xia Lab

Victoria Popov, MS
Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory

Research Interest:

Acute exercise intervention to ameliorate inhibitory control deficits in schizophrenia.

Nicole Popp
Briggs Lab
Huxlin Lab

Tracy Preko
First Year

Bryan Redmond, M.S.
Huxlin Lab
Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D., Ph.D.)

Research Interest:

Vision‐related quality of life after unilateral occipital stroke

Pavel Rjabtsenkov
First Year

Staci Rocco
Second Year

Adam Roszczyk
First Year

Thomas Scudder
Xia Lab

Gueladouan Jean Setenet
First Year

Maleelo "Lelo" Shamambo, MS
Mayer-Pröschel Lab

Research Interest:

Contribution of secondary insults to neuropathology in rare genetic diseases

Fei Shang, M.S.
Schallek Lab

Research Interest: Structural and functional analysis of alpha smooth muscle actin in the mouse retina (under normal and hyperglycemic conditions

Caitlin Sharp, MS
ZVR Lab

Research Interest:

Investigating the neurophysiology of cognitive-motor interactions in schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Leah Sheppard
Second Year

Alexander Solorzano
Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory

Research Interest:

Translational neurophysiology and advanced neuroimaging techniques in murine models for diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease, and Lysosomal Storage disorders such as Cystinosis and Batten's Disease.

Erica Squire
Gelbard Lab

Emma Strawderman, B.S.
Garcea Lab
Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D., Ph.D.)

Research Interest:

The effect of gliomas and their treatments (e.g., neurosurgery, radiation) on neural connectivity and associated cognitive deficits.

Bingyu Sun
Wang Lab

Research Interest:

Mechanism of microglia response to cannabidiol in healthy and diseased states

Sarah Yablonski, MS
Libby Lab

Research Interest:

Pathways of retinal ganglion cell death in glaucoma

Silei Zhu, PhD
Briggs Lab

Research Interest:

The functions of corticogeniculate feedback in visual behaviors