Students in Graduate School
PhD I Students
Ravi Agarwal
Email : rkagarwa@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California San Diego (2019), B.S. Human Biology
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Thesis Lab : Fred Gage, Salk Institute
Sean Chapman
Email : schapman@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Brigham Young University (2020), B.S. Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Neuroscience, Chem/Biochem, the Phoenix Suns
Laboratory Rotation : William Mobley (Su '21), Richard Daneman/Eric Nudleman (Su '22), Derek Welsbie (Su '22)
Thesis Lab : Derek Welsbie
Publications (Google Scholar)
Summer Fair
Email : sfair@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : The Ohio State University Main Campus (2017), B.S. Neuroscience
Research Interests : Stem Cell Research, Neuroscience, and Genetics
Laboratory Rotation : Gabriel Haddad (Su '21), Alysson Muotri (Su '22), Johannes Schoenberg (Su '23), Evan Snyder, Sanford Burnham Prebys (Su '23), Mana Parast (Fa '23), Eugene Yeo (Fa '23)
Hunter Gage
Email : hgage@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of Wisconsin-Madison (2020), B.S. Biology
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Immunology/Infection, Bioinformatics, Cancer Biology
Laboratory Rotation : Elizabeth Winzeler (Su '21), Rob Knight (Su '22) and Victor Nizet (Su '22)
Thesis Lab : Victor Nizet
Jonathan Gunn
Email : jogunn@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Johns Hopkins University (2019), B.S. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Mathematics
Graduate Program : Bioengineering
Research Interests : Bioengineering, Immunology/Infection, and Neuroscience
Laboratory Rotation : Gene Yeo (Su '21), Luke Lairson (Su '22), Dan Kaufman (Su '22), Gurol Suel (Su '23), Ester Kwon (Su '23)
Thesis Lab : Ester Kwon & Dan Kaufman
Shivani Lakkaraju
Email : slakkara@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California San Diego (2019), B.S. Human Biology
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Gene Therapy for Neuromuscular Disease
Laboratory Rotation : Hannah Carter (Su '21), Prashant Mali (Su '21), Sam Pfaff, Salk (Su '22), Bing Ren (Su '22)
Thesis Lab : Bing Ren
Publications (Google Scholar)
Koushik Muralidharan
Email : kmuralidharan@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Monmouth University (2019), B.S. Biology
Graduate Program : Scripps Research , Integrative Structural and Computational Biology
Research Interests : Cancer Biology, RNA Biology, Liquid Biopsy
Laboratory Rotation : Shankar Subramaniam (Su '21), Ian Macrae (Su '22), Tariq Rana (Su '22)
Thesis Lab : Ian Macrae, Scripps Research
Amanda Nguyen
Email : avn006@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institutio n: University of California, Davis (2020), B.S. Global Disease Biology
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neuroscience
Laboratory Rotation : Arden Patapoutian (Su '21), Matthew Banghart (Su '22), Kay Tye, Salk (Su '22)
Thesis Lab : Kay Tye, Salk Institute
Publications (Research Gate)
Lucas Patel
Email : lpatel@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, San Diego (2019), B.S. Biology with a Speciality in Bioinformatics
Graduate Program : Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
Research Interests : Bioinformatics, Microbiology, Machine Learning
Laboratory Rotation : Rachel Dutton (Su '21), Rob Knight (Su '22), And Albert Hsiao (Su '22)
Thesis Lab : Rob Knight
Publications (PubMed)
Jose Sandoval
Email : j3sandoval@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, Davis (2020), B.S. Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Endocrinology/Metabolism, Cardiovascular Research, Bioengineering
Laboratory Rotation : Alan Saltiel (Su '21), Reuben Shaw (Su '22), Neil Chi (Su '22)
Thesis Lab : Reuben Shaw & Neil Chi
PhD II Students
Alis Balayan
Email : abalayan@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, Los Angeles (2018), B.S. Biochemistry
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Stem Cell Research, Regenerative Medicine
Laboratory Rotation : Shaochen Chen (Su '20), Sam Ward (Su '21), Karl Wahlin (Su '21)
Thesis Lab : Sam Ward & Shaochen Chen
Oye Bosompra
Email :n1bosomp@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, Los Angeles(2018), B.S. Biomedical Sciences
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Breast cancer, Cell signaling, Metabolism, Nutrient-sensing pathways
Laboratory Rotation : Nicholas Webster (Su 20), JoAnn Trejo (Su22)
Thesis Lab : Joann Trejo
Trever Carter
Email : tcarter@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Notre Dame (2019), B.S. Biochemistry
Graduate Program : The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry
Research Interests : Pharmacology/Drug Discovery, Chem/Biochem
Laboratory Rotation : Michael Erb, Scripps Research (Su '20), Ryan Shenvi (Su '21), Ben Cravatt (Su '21)
Thesis Lab : Michael Erb
Jianna Cressy
Email : jcressy@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Johns Hopkins (2018), B.S. Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Neursociences
Research Interests : Neuroscience, Genetics, Pharmacology
Laboratory Rotation : Kay Tye (Su '21), Ed Callaway (Su '21)
Thesis Lab : Kay Tye, Salk Institute
Genevieve Curtin
Email : gcurtin@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Tulane University (2019), B.S. Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Neuroscience, Immunology/Infection, Chemistry/Biochemistry
Laboratory Rotation : Jeff Kelly, Scripps Research (Su '20), Nicole Coufal (Su '21) and Samara Reck-Peterson (Su '21)
Thesis Lab : Nicole Coufal
Matthew Donnelly
Email : mpdonnel@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Cornell University (2018), B.A. Biology
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Mitochondrial Biology, Cell Biology, and Cardiovascular Disease
Laboratory Rotation : Bing Ren (Su '20), Uri Manor (Su '21), Gerald Shadel (Su '21)
Thesis Lab : Gerald Shadel, Salk Institute
Publications (PubMed)
MK Duff
Email : mduff@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Columbia University (2013), B.A. Philosphy; Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neuroscience, Immunology/Infection, Endocrinology/Metabolism, Pharmacology/Drug Discovery
Laboratory Rotation : Axel Nimmerjahn, Salk (Su '19), Lisa Eyler (Su '20), and Paula Desplats (Su '20)
Thesis Lab : Axel Nimmerjahn, Salk Institute
Liam Fitzgerald
Email : lfitzger@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of Massachusetts Amherst (2019), B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Exercise Physiology, Skeletal Muscle Contractile Performance, Metabolism
Thesis Lab : Simon Schenk
Quetzal Flores-Ramirez
Email : qfloresramirez@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, Berkeley (2013), B.A. Molecular Biology
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neuroplasticity, Neurodevelopment, Brain Repair
Laboratory Rotation : Marga Behrens, Salk (Su '20), Robert Hevner (Su '21) and Ed Callaway (Su '21)
Thesis Lab : Marga Behrens & Ed Callaway
Amin Mahmoodi
Email : amahmoodi@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, Irvine (2016), B.S. Bioengineering
Graduate Program : Bioengineering
Research Interests : Bioengineering, Datascience
Laboratory Rotation : Albert Hsiao (Su '20), Shadi Dayeh (Su '21)
Thesis Lab : Albert Hsiao
Lauren Ostrowski
Email : lostrows@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Brown University (2019), B.S. Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neural Dynamics, Machine Learning, Brain-Computer Interfaces, Speech and Language
Laboratory Rotation: Eran Mukamel (Su '20), Vikash Gilja (Su '21), Eric Halgren (Su '21)
Thesis Lab : Vikash Gilja & Timothy Gentner
Publications (Google Scholar)
Alta Steward
Email : amstewar@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of Washington (2016), B.S. Neurobiology; Mathematics
Graduate Program : Bioengineering
Research Interests : Deep Learning, Bioengineering, Mathematics, Epidemiology/Public Health, Medical Imaging, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Genomics
Laboratory Rotation : Paula Desplats (Su '19), Albert Hsiao (Su '20), Jill Mesirov (Su '21)
Thesis Lab : Albert Hsiao
Brett Taylor
Email : b5taylor@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Fordham University (2018), B.S. Integrative Neuroscience and Philosophy
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Cancer Biology, Computational Biology, Stem Cell Biology, Neuroscience
Laboratory Rotation : Gene Yeo & Frank Furnari (Su '20), Bing Ren (Su '21), Alysson Muotri (Su '21)
Thesis Lab : Frank Furnari & Bing Ren
Publications (ORCID)
Akhilesh Yeluru
Email : ayeluru@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California San Diego (2019), B.S. Bioengineering: Biotechnology
Graduate Program : Bioengineering
Research Interests : Radiology, Cardiac Imaging, AI & Deep Learning, Bioengineering
Thesis Lab : Albert Hsiao
PhD III Students
Althea Hansel-Harris
Email : ahansel@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Harvey Mudd College (2019), B.S. Chemistry
Graduate Program : Scripps Graduate Program
Research Interests : Pharmacology/Drug Discovery, Chemistry/Biochemistry, and Cancer Biology
Laboratory Rotation : Rommie Amaro (Su '19), Andrew Ward (Su '20), Stefano Forli, Scripps Research (Su '20)
Thesis Lab : Stefano Forli, Scripps Research
Chase Morgan
Email : c1morgan@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Columbia University (2017), B.A. Biochemistry
Graduate Program : Biological Sciences
Research Interests : Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Infectious Disease
Laboratory Rotation : Liz Villa (Su '19), Kevin Corbett (Su '20), Joe Pogliano (Su '20)
Thesis Lab : Joe Pogliano
Celina Nguyen
Email : ctn004@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of Arizona (2017), B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neurodevelopment, Neuroimmunology, Cell-Type Specific Gene Regulation
Laboratory Rotation : Bing Ren (Su '19), Nicole Coufal & Chris Glass (Su '20)
Thesis Lab : Nicole Coufal & Chris Glass
Publications (NCBI)
Jack Olmstead
Email : jolmstea@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Baylor University (2017), B.S. Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neurosciences and Bioengineering
Laboratory Rotation : Sung Han (Su '19), Brenda Bloodgood (Su '20), Eric Halgren, Alex Nimmerjahn
Thesis Lab : Brenda Bloodgood
Nature Biotechnology Publication
Diana Smith
Email : d9smith@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Harvard University (2017), B.A. Cognitive Neuroscience & Evolutionary Psychology
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neuroscience and Epidemiology/Public Health
Laboratory Rotation : Susan Tapert (Su '19), MJ Meloy (Su '19), Murray Stein and Terry Jernigan (Su '20)
Thesis Lab : Terry Jernigan & Anders Dale
Publications (NCBI)
Alexandra Stream
Email : astream@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institutio n: University of California, Los Angeles (2017), B.S. Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics
Graduate Program : Biological Sciences
Research Interests : Immunology/Infection
Laboratory Rotation : Bruce Torbett (Su '19), Victor Nizet and Cressida Madigan (Su '20)
Thesis Lab : Victor Nizet
Publications (NCBI)
Ilya Verzhbinsky
Email : iverzhbi@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, Los Angeles (2018), B.S. Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Cardiovascular Research and Neuroscience
Laboratory Rotation : Terrence Sejnowski (Su '19), Eran Mukamel and Eric Halgren (Su '20)
Thesis Lab : Eric Halgren
PhD IV Students
Kelsey Baron
Email : krbaron@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, San Diego (2017), B.S. Neurosciences
Laboratory Rotation : Jonathan Lin (Su '18), Luke Wiseman (Su '19), Jeff Kelly (Su '19)
Publications (PubMed)
Alec Calac (Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians)
Email : acalac@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of Arizona (2016), B.S. Molecular and Cellular Biology
Graduate Program : Joint Doctoral Program (UCSD/SDSU) - Public Health
Research Interests : Global Health, Infodemiology, Health Policy, Workforce Development
Laboratory Rotation : Timothy Mackey, Gretchen Bandoli, Eran Mukamel
Thesis Lab : Timothy Mackey
James Deng
Email : jdeng@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Massachusetts Institute for Technology (2017), B.S. Chemistry
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neuropsychiatric and Developmental Disorders, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Laboratory Rotation : Bing Ren (Su '18), Nicola Allen (Su '19), Li Ye (Su '19)
Thesis Lab : Nicola Allen, Salk Institute
Iris Garcia-Pak
Email : igarciap@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Brown University (2015), B.S. Biomedical Engineering
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neuropsychiatric Disease, Brain Excitation and Signaling, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Laboratory Rotation : Kristin Baldwin (Su '18), Richard Daneman (Su '19), Olivier George (Su '19)
Thesis Lab : Richard Daneman
Alon Gelber
Email : agelber@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of Massachusetts (2016), B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mathematics
Graduate Program : Bio-Engineering
Research Interests : Neuroscience, Bioinformatics
Laboratory Rotation : Gert Cauwenberghs (Su '18), Tanya Sharpee (Su '19)
Thesis Lab : Eran Mukamel
Ryan Hsu
Email : rhhsu@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, Berkeley (2017), B.S. Microbial Biology
Graduate Program : Bio-Engineering
Research Interests : Immunology/Infection, Bioinformatics, Bioengineering
Laboratory Rotation : Rob Knight (Su '18), Rachel Dutton (Su '19), Trey Ideker (Su '19)
Thesis Lab : Sam Pfaff, Salk Institute
Saumya Jani
Email : sjani@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Cal State Fullerton (2017), B.S. Biological Science
Graduate Program : University of Washington - Lab Medicine and Pathology
Research Interests : Immunology/Infection, Pharma/Drug Discovery, Stem Cell Research
Laboratory Rotation : Matt Daugherty (Su '18), Bruce Torbett (Su '19), Cressida Madigan (Su '19)
Thesis Lab : Paul Nghiem, UW
Maria Klingler
Email mklingler@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of Michigan (2013), B.S. Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Anthropology
Research Interests : Biology, Anthropology, Public Health
Laboratory Rotation : Amy Non (Su '18), Molly Fox, UCLA (Su '19)
Thesis Lab : Amy Non
Joyce Tran
Email : jot013@health.ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, Los Angeles (2016), B.S. Biochemistry
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neuroscience, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Epidemiology/Public Health
Laboratory Rotation : Stuart Lipton, Scripps Research (Su '18), Susan Ackerman and Jerold Chun (Su '19)
Thesis Lab : Susan Ackerman
PhD V+ Students
Morgen Chalmiers
Email : mchalmiers@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Pomona College (2013), B.S. Women's Global Health
Graduate Department : Anthropology
Research Interests : Anthropology
Thesis Advisor : Thomas Csordas
Isabel Costantino
Email : icostantino@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Dartmouth University (2012), B.A. Biology, Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Neuroscience
Research Interests : Neuroscience
Laboratory Rotation : Corinne Jolivalt (Su '16), Jerold Chun, Susan Ackerman (Su '17)
Thesis Lab : John Ravit
Ellis James (E.J.) Curtis
Email : ejcurtis@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : St. Lawrence University (2017), B.S. Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests : Neuro-oncology, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience, Extrachromosomal DNA
Laboratory Rotation : Paul Mischel (Su '17), Frank Furnari, (Su '18)
Thesis Lab : Paul Mischel
Chris Garza
Email : c1garza@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of Colorado at Denver (2017), B.S. Public Health,
Graduate Program : Scripps Graduate Program
Research Interests : Chemistry/Biochemistry, Biophysics
Laboratory Rotation : Bruce Torbett & Stefano Forli (Su '17), Jeff Kelly, Albert Hsiao (Su '18)
Thesis Lab : Bruce Torbett & Stefano Forli, Scripps Research
Adrian Guerrero
Email : amg101@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley (2015), B.S. Pre-Med, Chemistry
Graduate Program : Scripps Graduate Program
Research Interests : Chemistry/Biochemistry, Pharmacology/Drug Discovery.
Laboratory Rotation : Jeff Kelly, Scripps Research (Su '17), Ben Cravatt, Scripps Research and Adam Halberstadt (Su '18)
Thesis Lab : Jeff Kelly, Scripps Research
Imani Howard
Email : ihoward@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Stanford University (2015), B.A. Biology, Philosophy
Graduate Department : Philosophy/Science Studies
Research Interests : Philosophy of Science, The Philosophy of Medicine, and The Philosophy of Race
Laboratory Rotation : Amy Non (Su '17), Michael Hardimon (Su '18)
Thesis Lab : Michael Hardimon
Bojing (Blair) Jia
Email : b2jia@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : McGill University (2015), B.Sc. Quantitative Biology
Graduate Program : Bioinformatics & Systems Biology
Research Interests : Genomics
Laboratory Rotation : Gene Yeo (Su '17), Albert Hsiao, Bing Ren (Su '18), Eran Mukamel (Su '19), Kun Zhang (Su '19)
Thesis Lab : Bing Ren
Publications (Google Scholar)
Caroline Jia
Email : cljia@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : University of California, Los Angeles (2016), B.S. Neuroscience
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neuroscience
Laboratory Rotation : Axel Nimmerjahn, Salk (Su '17), Richard Daneman and Sung Han, Salk (Su '18)
Thesis Lab : Kay Tye, Salk Institute
Juliet Nicodemus
Email : jnicodem@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Harvard University (2015), B.A. Neurobiology
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Neuroscience, Immunology/Infection
Laboratory Rotation : Rich Daneman (Su '16), Amir Zarrinpar & Nicole Coufal (Su '17)
Thesis Lab : Jerold Chun
Kevin Tenerelli
Email : k1tenerelli@ucsd.edu
Undergraduate Institution : Cal State San Marcos (2017), B.S. Biology
Graduate Program : Neurosciences
Research Interests : Cancer Biology, Immunology
Laboratory Rotation : Hollis Cline, Scripps Research (Su '18), Derek Welsbie, Karl Wahlin, Jonathan Lin; Richard Daneman/Eric Nudleman (Su '19)
Thesis Lab : Richard Daneman and Eric Nudleman