Neuroscience Graduate Students
(For additional information about each, click on the card)
![Melina Acosta Melina Acosta](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/MelinaA.png?h=538ca10e&itok=XtEK-U1-)
Melina Acosta
Email: melina.acosta@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Wendy Saltzman
Degree Program: Ph.D.
Research Focus
I am interested in the role of catecholamines in modulating the expression of parental behavior
![Camila A Camila A](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/Prof_Pic2.jpeg?h=0d27ee61&itok=qw683Ltx)
Camila Alvarez
Email: camila.alvarez@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Nicholas V. DiPatrizio
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Sushmitha Sushmitha](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/Arumugam%2C%20Sushmitha%20-%20Profile%20Picture.png?h=6d1a556d&itok=rhjXk6gu)
Sushmitha Arumugam
Email: sarum004@ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Ysabel Giraldo
Degree Program: Ph.D.
Research Focus
Neural circuitry underlying altered locomotion under hypergravity conditions in Drosophila melanogaster.
![Angela Avitua Angela Avitua](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Angela Avitua
Email: angela.avitua@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Byron Ford
Degree Program: Ph.D.
Research Focus
Repair and regeneration following traumatic brain injury; Neuregulin-1
![Tyler Bailey Tyler Bailey](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Tyler Bailey
Email: tyler.bailey@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Edward Korzus
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
Development of the neocortex, Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
![Alexander Bilas Alexander Bilas](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Alexander Bilas
Email: alexander.bilas@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Todd Fiacco
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Crisylle Blanton Crisylle Blanton](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Crisylle Blanton
Email: crisylle.blanton@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Camila A Camila A](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Hogyu Choi
Email: hchoi117@ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Kathleen Conner Kathleen Conner](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Kathleen Conner
Email: kathleen.conner@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Kelly Huffman
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Camila A Camila A](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Christopher Creighton
Email: christopher.creighton@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Anupama Dahanuka
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Katilynne Croom Katilynne Croom](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Katilynne Croom
Email: katilynne.croom@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Khaleel Abdulrazak
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Paula Paula](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/whatsapp_image_20201009_at_11.51.40_am.jpeg_.jpg?h=2ccf444b&itok=h4W_gUeW)
Paula Da Silva Frost
Email: paula.dasilvafrost@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Monica Carson
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
My interest in research include how peripheral inflammatory responses can influence the central nervous system, particularly in the gut-brain axis and how viral infections cause brain pathologies.
![Payton DePalma Pic Payton DePalma Pic](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/PayFACE%2014.jpg?h=682e9447&itok=7L6jOcuH)
Payton DePalma
Email: payton.depalma@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Martin Riccomagno
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Manali Dey Manali Dey](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Manali Dey
Email: manali.dey@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Anupama Dahanukar
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Zoe Figueroa Zoe Figueroa](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Zoe Figueroa
Email: zoe.figueroa@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Emma Wilson
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Camila A Camila A](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Dominic Garcia
Email: dominic.garcia003@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Indira Harahap-Carrillo Indira Harahap-Carrillo](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Indira Harahap-Carrillo
Email: indira.harahapcarillo@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Marcus Kaul
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Lucas Hodge Lucas Hodge](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Lucas Hodge
Email: lucas.hodge@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Anjum Hussain Anjum Hussain](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Anjum Hussain
Email: anjum.hussain@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Camila A Camila A](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Sarah Kabbara
Email: sarah.kabbara@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Mawaheb Kassir Mawaheb Kassir](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Mawaheb Kassir
Email: mawaheb.kassir@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Khaleel Abdulrazak
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Foucs
![Alexander King Alexander King](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Alexander King
Email: alexander.king@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Garret Anderson
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Elena Kozlova Elena Kozlova](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Elena Kozlova
Email: elena.kozlova@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Margarita Curras-Collazo
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![YuqiMa YuqiMa](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/headshot_YuqiMa.jpg?h=31570097&itok=gAbY1R_i)
Yuqi Ma
Email: yuqi.ma@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Anand Ray
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Kamryn Kamryn](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/IMG_0332.jpg?h=24df7898&itok=AhfAHRi-)
Kamryn Mattingly
Email: kmatt014@ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Aaron Seitz
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
My research involves comparing construct and format differences of inhibitory control and impulsivity assessments. I also study the functional connectivity of the locus coeruleus with higher-level brain regions using fMRI.
![Vaibhav Menon Vaibhav Menon](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/VM.jpg?h=3cd06fc8&itok=ywdoIj1K)
Vaibhav Menon
Email: vaibhav.menon@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Anupama Dahanukar
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
Neuronal circuitry guiding gustatory behavior in Drosophila and its intersection with metabolic control
![Seung Moon Seung Moon](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Seung Moon
Email: seung.moon@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Rachel Wu
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Quynh Anh Nguyen Quynh Anh Nguyen](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/QAN.jpg?h=76fd413f&itok=yGXvJspj)
Quynh Anh Nguyen
Email: quynhanh.nguyen@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Sachiko Haga-Yamanaka
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
Neural activation following olfactory-mediated defensive behaviors
![susan susan](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/16442_0.jpg?h=7335d314&itok=FNvtXXVU)
Susan Nguyen
Email: susan.nguyen004@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Viji Santhakumar
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
Neural-Immune signaling following brain injury
![susan susan](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/David%20boat%20picture_0.jpg?h=8758f4ea&itok=crqtUutx)
David Nikom
Email: david.nikom@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Sika Zheng
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
My research focuses on RNA processing in neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative disease. Many neurodegenerative diseases exhibit dysregulated RNA splicing as a common pathological phenomenom. I study how certain splicing regulators might contribute to neurodegenerative pathology in Alzheimer's disease.
![Brandon L. Oliver Brandon L. Oliver](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Brandon L. Oliver
Email: brandon.oliver@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Haneal Pae Haneal Pae](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Haneal Pae
Email: haneal.pae@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Ysabel Giraldo
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Noorhan Rahmatullah Noorhan Rahmatullah](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Noorhan Rahmatullah
Email: noorhan.rahmatullah@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Anu Goel
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Courtney A. Scaramella Courtney A. Scaramella](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/Courtney%20and%20Jax%2003.jpg?h=790be497&itok=l38Sv1pt)
Courtney A. Scaramella
Email: courtney.scaramella@email.ucr.edu
Major Professors : Co-mentored by Dr. Khaleel Abdulrazak and Dr. Iryna Ethell
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Thomas A. Shoff Thomas A. Shoff](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/thumbnail_Thomas%20profile%20picture.jpg?h=350ff607&itok=9Ro5CMOJ)
Thomas A. Shoff
Email: thomas.shoff@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Ryan Julian
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
My work focuses on the fundamentals of protein structure, the chemistry underlying aspartic acid isomerization, the isomerization of tau in Alzheimer's disease.
![John Spiegel III John Spiegel III](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/img_3550.jpg?h=a5eb5da0&itok=uLrDiWv8)
John Speigel III
Email: jspei003@ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Edward Korzus
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
The role of sub-regional specialization and connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex in the acquisition and expression of contextual fear memory
![Sandhya Siram Sandhya Siram](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Sandhya Sriram
Email: sandhya.sriram@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Xin Tao Xin Tao](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/img_2940.jpg?h=79ec96d3&itok=p21P_EvK)
Xin Tao
Email: xin.tao@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Khaleel Abdulrazak
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
My current research focuses on Fragile X Syndrome. In human, FXS patients represent hypersensitivity to sound, and this characteristics is measured by audiogenic seizures in animal models. My goal is to see if Fmr1 knock-out mice (a mouse model of FXS) will display sound hypersensitivity as human beings by designing a new behavior paradigm (less drastic than audiogenic seizures). And if that's the case, I'll further pursue the behind mechanisms.
![Teresa Ubina Teresa Ubina](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/f58700f9f64b499cb1ec2c567787b9f2.jpeg_.jpg?h=37ef5c16&itok=az4Dq0aR)
Teresa Ubina
Email: teresa.ubina@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Martin Riccomagno
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
Molecular mechanisms of pruning
![Andrew P. Villa Andrew P. Villa](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Andrew P. Villa
Email: andrew.villa@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Victoria Wagner Victoria Wagner](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/img_20200706_090823_598_0.jpg?h=601e9b23&itok=VezwxlkE)
Victoria Wagner
Email: victoria.wagner@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Iryna Ethell
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Courtney Wood Courtney Wood](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/IMG_8278.jpg?h=d0470b75&itok=N4bcydyE)
Courtney Wood
Email: courtney.wood@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Nicholas DiPatrizio
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
The endocannabinoid system, vagus nerve signaling, gut-brain axis
![Camila A Camila A](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Chia Wei Yeh
Email: cyeh036@ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Gohar Zavradyan Gohar Zavradyan](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Gohar Zavradyan
Email: gohar.zavradyan@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Joanne Joanne](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/unnamed_1.jpg?h=8f391919&itok=mM7Ge_Z1)
Zhaoran Zhang
Email: zhaoran.zhang@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Dr. Edward Zagha
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
Understanding the neuronal mechanism underlying animal's behavior, such as paying attention and making decisions.
![Shan Zhong Shan Zhong](/sites/default/files/styles/bubble/public/blank-profile-pic.png?h=2ba29c3e&itok=FttZaLJD)
Shan Zhong
Email: shan.zhong@email.ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.
Research Focus
![Trevor E. Zimmerman-Thompson Trevor E. Zimmerman-Thompson](/sites/default/files/blank-profile-pic.png)
Trevor E. Zimmerman-Thompson
Email: tzimm002@ucr.edu
Major Professor: Rotating
Degree: Ph.D.