Doctoral Graduate Students

Clarissa Aguilar 2021

Clarissa Aguilar

Pronouns: She / Her

Advisor: Mariana Pereira

Research Interests:

Azaria Anderson

Advisor: Mariana Pereira

Research Interests:

Michael Bahiru

B.S., Psychology/Neuroscience and French Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2018

Advisor: Eric Bittman

Research Interests:
photo of Wayne Barnaby

Wayne Barnaby

Pronouns: He / Him
B.S. degree in Biology from Westfield State College, May 2017
Advisor: Gerald B. Downes
Downes Lab

Research Interests: The structure and function of synaptic and extrasynaptic receptors that regulate motor function and locomotion. Currently targeting GABA receptor subunits with CRISPR gene editing in order to characterize their role in various forms of epilepsy.
Liz  Beech

Liz Beech

BS in Biology, University of Kansas, '12

Advisor: Sarah Pallas
Pallas Lab

Research Interests: The function, development, and evolution of neural circuits underlying cognition
Annabelle Flores Bonilla

Annabelle Flores Bonilla

BS in Biology, Pontifical Catholic Univ of Puerto Rico, 2019

Advisor: Heather Richardson

Research Interests: Neuronal maladaptive reward and stress mechanisms implicated in addiction. Interested in sex differences, glial cell interactions, and development of brain structures involved in decision-making processes.  
Natalie Bourdon 2021

Natalie Bourdon

B.A. Neuroscience, Smith College, 2019
Advisor: Joseph Bergan

Research Interests: Neuroendocrinology
photo of jennifer christensen

Jennifer Christensen

Research Interests: Neuroendocrinology of social behavior
Felipe Cini

Felipe Cini

Research Interests: Song learning, neuroendocrinology
B.S. Biology, Federal University of Parana, Brazil,
2016; M.S. Psychobiology, Federal University of Rio
Grande do Norte, Brazil, 2020

Advisor: Luke Remage-Healey
Healey Lab

Research Interests: Song learning, neuroendocrinology

Kaitlin Copelas

Research Interests: Advisor: Mariana Pereira
Erika  Correll

Erika Correll

B.A. in Neuroscience, Smith College, 2016
Advisor: Karine Fenelon

Research Interests: Inhibitory mechanisms and serotonergic neurotransmission involved in sensorimotor gating; sensorimotor gating in the context of psychiatric illness and substance use disorders
Hannah Cournoyer

Hannah Cournoyer

B.S. Neuroscience, Bay Path University, 2020

Advisor: Agnes Lacreuse

Research Interests: Sex differences and sex hormones in the brain  
Emma Dauster

Emma Dauster

Pronouns: She / Her
B.S., Biology, Case Western Reserve University, May 2017
Advisor: Elena Vazey
Vazey Lab

Research Interests: Sex differences in neural circuits regulating attention, specifically through norepinephrine release from the locus coeruleus. 
Natasha M. de la Rosa-Rivera

Natasha M. de la Rosa-Rivera

Pronouns: She / Her
B.S., Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences, University of Houston, 2015

Advisor: Rosie Cowell

Cowell Lab

Research Interests: Visual attention and perception in humans
Cassandra Delvey

Cassandra Delvey

Pronouns: She / Her
Advisor: Rebecca Spencer

Research Interests:
Sarah Dickinson

Sarah Dickinson

Pronouns: She / Her
Advisor: Joe Bergan

Research Interests:
photo of Joseph Dwyer

Joseph Dwyer

B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Umass Amherst 2017 and B.S., Psychological and Brain Sciences, Umass Amherst 2017
Advisor: Joseph Bergan
Bergan Lab

Research Interests: Revealing the brain circuitry that controls social behavior
Melise Edwards

Melise Edwards

B.S. in Biology and French, Appalachian State, 2013

Advisor: Agnes Lacreuse; Courtney Babbitt

Lacruese Lab
Babbit Lab

Research Interests: Investigating sex differences in age-related cognitive decline and the role of estrogens in synaptic homeostasis.
Brennan Falcy

Brennan Falcy

B.S. in Neuroscience, UCLA, 2018

Advisor: Ilia Karatsoreos

Research Interests: How astrocytes affect and are affected by pathophysiological states including circadian disruption and inflammation  

Wanyun Huang

B.S. Medicine (MD Equivalent), Zhejiang University, China, June 2017

Advisor: Karine Fenelon

Research Interests: Neurological/psychiatric disorders
photo of kyle kainec

Kyle Kainec

BS, Neuroscience, The Ohio State University 2017
Advisor: Rebecca Spencer 
Spencer Lab

Research Interests: I am currently using fMRI and EEG to investigate the effects of sleep on procedural memory consolidation, and how this process changes across normal healthy aging
Hyejoo Kang

Hyejoo Kang

Research Interests:

Chase Khedmatgozar

Advisor:  Amanda Woerman

Research Interests:
Julia LaValley

Julia LaValley

Pronouns: She / Her

Bachelor of Arts in Psychological Science (Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2016) and Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2016)
Advisor: Paul Katz

Research Interests: Neural regeneration and motor control in animals with muscular hydrostats
Catherine McEachern

Catherine McEachern

B.S. Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst '19

Advisor: Jennifer Mack

Research Interests:
Miriam Munoz

Miriam Munoz

Pronouns: She / Her / Ella
B.A. in Psychology and Spanish, San DIego State University, 2014.

Advisor: Jennifer Mack
 

Research Interests: The neural mechanism in hearing and perceptual adaptation to a talker with a speech disorder

Kathryn Nippert

Research Interests: Advisor: Elena Vazey and David Moorman
Eunsol Noh 2021

Eunsol Noh

Pronouns: She / Her
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, 2016
M.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, 2021

Advisor: Rebecca Spencer
Spencer (SomNeuroLab) Lab

Research Interests: Neural signal analysis

Kate Otter

Pronouns: She / Her
B.S. in Zoology with a minor in Mathematical Biology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, 2018

Advisor: Paul Katz

Katz Lab

Research Interests: Predator-prey interactions and risky decision-making

Narciso Pavon

Research Interests:

Greg L. Pearson

Advisor: Ilia Karatsoreos
Karatsoreos Lab Website
B.A. Exercise Science, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
M.S. Biology, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests: Using the circadian clock as a tool to understand neuroimmune responses to pathogens.
photo of phoenix quinlan

Phoenix Quinlan

B.S., Neuroscience, The Ohio State University 2017
Advisor: Paul S. Katz
Katz Lab

Research Interests: Invertebrate neuroethology
photo of ramiro eduardo rea reyes

Ramiro Eduardo Rea Reyes

B.S., Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, México, 2010-2014
Advisor: Youngbin Kwak
Kwak Lab

Research Interests: Decision making, heuristic use development
R. Madison Riffe

R. Madison Riffe

Pronouns: She / Her
Advisor: Gerry Downes

Research Interests:
Ellen Rodberg

Ellen Rodberg

Pronouns: She / Her
Advisor: Elena  Vazey
Vazey Lab

Research Interests:

Katrina Rodheim

Research Interests: Advisor: Rebecca Spencer
Rebecca Sebastian

Rebecca Sebastian

B.S., Biomedical Sciences (2017) and M.S., Biology (2019) - Arizona State University
Advisor: ChangHui Pak
Pak Lab

Research Interests: Neurodevelopment, specifically the biochemical and cellular mechanisms that govern the functions of a developing cerebral cortex that contribute to the understanding of neuropsychiatric diseases

Catarina Teves

Research Interests: Rotation Advisors: Heather Richardson, Ilia Karatsoreos
Francesca Walsh

Francesca Walsh

B.S. in Economics, Neurobiology, Economic Decision-Making, and Social Systems, UMass Amherst, May 2018
M.S. Neuroscience and Behavior, UMass Amherst, Sept. 2019

Advisor: Youngbin Kwak
Lab  Website

Research Interests: Neural mechanisms underpinning monetary choices and the role of risk and social pressure in economic decision-making
Jennifer Wang

Jennifer Jiexin Wang

B.S. in Biology, minor in Chemistry, Brandeis University, 2015

Advisor: Ilia Karatsoreos
Karatsoreos Lab

Research Interests: Desynchronization of circadian rhythms and molecular mechanisms contributing to our circadian clocks  
Jonathan Woodson

Jonathan Woodson

Research Interests: