Student and Alumni Highlights
Current Students
Anfal Abuhilal (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Orie Shafer, ASRC
Research Interests: Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience
Nora Awadallah (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Gonzalo Torres / CCNY CSOM
Research Interests: Regulation of DAT and SERT by receptors/proteins in the brain and gastrointestinal tract; gut-brain axis.
About me: Hi! I’m originally from NY, and did my B.S at the University of Vermont in Neuroscience. There, I studied the impact of chemotherapy on the peripheral olfactory system. I became intrigued by monoamines and neuroinflammatory diseases while taking a specialized class on glial cells at UVM. This led me to the University of Florida where I joined the lab of Gonzalo Torres. At the end of my second year there, our lab moved to CUNY/CCNY! I’m interested in how different GPCRs impact DAT and SERT dynamics, specifically the efflux of neurotransmitters rather than the uptake. With this, I want to develop more specifically targeted drugs for diseases related to monoamine dysregulation. I’m interested in student wellbeing, program administration, and scientific outreach/communication. Outside of the lab, I love to bake (@noras_table on insta!), play my viola, and hike!
Thelma Bethea (she/her)
Lab / Campus: John Martin / CCNY CSOM
Research Interests: SCI induced Hyperreflexia/Spasticity
Emily Birnbaum (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Maria Figueriedo Pereira / Hunter College
Research Interests: Drug discovery/repurposing for Alzheimer’s disease
Shristi Bose
Lab / Campus: Rotating
Daniel Brennan (he/his)
Lab / Campus: Junghoon Kim / CCNY
Research Interests: Machine learning & computational approaches for neuroimaging & neuropsychological methods in Traumatic Brain Injury
Jessica Buthmann (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Yoko Nomura / Queens College
Research Interests: I study the relationship between prenatal stress related to natural disasters and child emotional development.
Robert Candia
Lab / Campus: Alejandra Alonso / College of Staten Island
Research Interests: Oxidative stress in Alzheimer’s disease
Lizette Couto
Lab / Campus: Gonzalo Torres & Patricia Cortes / CCNY CSOM
Research Interests: The effects of drugs of abuse on DNA damage and repair
About me: I’m a third year Neuroscience PhD student at the CUNY School of Medicine campus. I obtained a BS in Chemistry at St. John’s University and a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences/Neuroscience at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. I’m interested in studying preventative approaches to neurological diseases such as drug addiction and neurodegeneration by investigating the genomic integrity of neuronal cells. But outside the realm of science, I love creating music, bingeing crime shows and playing card games.
Lucy Denholtz
Lab / Campus: Ekaterina Likhtik / Hunter College
Kathryn Fasano
Lab / Campus: Rotating
Naomi Gaggi (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Junghoon Kim / CCNY
Research Interest: Traumatic Brain Injury; Noninvasive Brain Stimulation; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Carolina Fernandes Henriques (she/her)
chenriques@gradcenter.cuny.edu
Lab / Campus: Ekaterina Likhtik / Hunter College
Research Interests: Behavioral neuroscience
About Me: I graduated with a BSc in Biology from the University of Lisbon, and a double MSc in Neuroscience from the Free University Amsterdam and the University of Bordeaux. Before joining the CUNY Neuroscience Collaborative I worked at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, investigating circuits underlying motivation in mice. My dissertation work focuses on the mechanisms underlying fear extinction by using a combination of behavior, tracing, electrophysiology, and optogenetic circuit manipulation. Outside the lab, I enjoy napping in the sun, playing volleyball, and watching Oscar-snubbed movies
Andrew Garcia
Lab / Campus: Rotating
Claudia Garcia Jou (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Peter Serrano / Hunter College
Research Interests: Learning and Memory
About me: I was born and raised in Barcelona. After a long career as a professional high jumper, I do now what I love most! To study how memories can be encoded in the brain for a lifetime.
Itamar S. Grunfeld
Lab / Campus: Ekaterina Likhtik, Hunter College
Mihwa Kang (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Guillem Esber / Brooklyn College
Research Interests: Cognitive neuroscience – decision making/learning
Scott Koenig (he/his)
Lab / Campus: Yu Gao / Brooklyn College
Research Interests: Morality, emotion, psychopathy, social cognition
Rhonda Kolaric (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Susana Mingote, ASRC
Research Interests: Neuroscience
About Me: I am a doctoral student in the CNC biology subprogram. I have several years of experience conducting research at NYU Langone’s Skirball Institute using animal models and a variety of histological, biochemical, and imaging techniques. My interest is in feeding behavior, stress, and neuromodulation and plasticity of the cerebral cortex.
Liat Kofler (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Yu Gao / Brooklyn College
Research Interests:Investigating the social and biological correlates of antisocial behavior and psychopathic traits
About Me: Liat is a doctoral student in the Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience program at CUNY Graduate Center. She earned her B.S. in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Psychology from the University of Waterloo. Liat is investigating the social and biological correlates of antisocial behavior and psychopathic traits.
Jinah Lee (she/her)
jlee16@gradcenter.cuny.edu
Lab / Campus: Nesha Burghardt, Hunter College
Research Interests: Neural mechanism and reward learning in the basal ganglia
About Me: Hello, all! I’m Jinah Lee and I’m a ‘resident alien’ in NYC. I’m from South Korea, love cats, spicy foods, and rock music.
Nicole La Massa
Lab / Campus: Greg Phillips / College of Staten Island
Yuka Miura
Lab / Campus: Allyson Friedman, Hunter College
Viktoriya Morozova
Lab / Campus: Alejandra Alonso, College of Staten Island
Kelechi Ndukwe
Lab / Campus: Maria Pereira, Hunter College
Melissa Nelson (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Diana Reiss / Hunter College
Research Interests: Applied Behavior Modification and Zoo Animal Welfare
About Me: I work full time for the Bronx Zoo as the Asst Curator of Behavioral Husbandry. I’ve been in the professional animal training field for over 20 years and am passionate about improving the lives and welfare of animals using science-based methods.
Demetrios Neophytou (he/his)
dneophytou@gradcenter.cuny.edu
Lab / Campus: Hysell Oviedo / CCNY
Research Interests: I am interested in the development and function of auditory cortical circuits within the mouse model system.
Evan Owens (he/his)
Lab / Campus: Robert Duncan / York College
Research Interests: Behavioral Neuroscience
About Me: My name is Evan Owens and I am a PhD student at The Graduate Center. I teach cognitive and introductory psychology at York College. My current research utilizes principles of immersive , virtual reality technology to investigate the neural circuitry underlying bodily self and awareness.
Kimberly Page (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Carolyn Pytte and Cheryl Harding
Research Interests: Brain inflammation and decreased adult neurogenesis following mold exposure
About Me: I am a proud science mommy and supporter of women and moms in science. I have 4 littles under 8 years old, and with my partner, we enjoy hiking, gardening and stargazing. We have 3 parrots: 2 African Greys and 1 Umbrella Cockatoo that regularly crash CUNY Zoom sessions, and otherwise. Stop in to BrainE hour and say “Hi” to Corky!
Jasmine Pathan (she/her)
jpathan@gradcenter.cuny.edu
Lab / Campus: John Martin/ CCNY CSOM
Research Interests:Using neuromodulation for motor recovery post spinal cord injury
About Me: Hello! I’m a neuroscience PhD student in the laboratory of Dr. John H. Martin at the Center for Discovery and Innovation researching spinal cord injury. I spent most of my childhood in the concrete jungle of New York City before venturing out to the West Coast for college. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Washington, then moved back to New York City to pursue my graduate studies where I examine the mechanistic underpinnings of neural activity on neuron viability after spinal cord injury. During my free time, I like doing Pilates to stay active, reading non-fiction books, master baking different desserts, and taking my cockatiel on walks in the park. Outside of the lab, I enjoy volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation center and taking advantage of all the diverse cuisines the city has to offer! Connect with me on Twitter!
Zachary Saccomano
Lab / Campus: Asohan Amarasingham / City College of New York
Anika Sanjana
Lab / Campus: Sebastian Alvarado/Maral Tajerian, Queens College
Alison Shur
Lab / Campus: Alejandra Alonso, College of Staten Island
Julie Sonsini
Lab / Campus: Zaghloul Ahmed, College of Staten Island
Mentor: Prof. Zaghloul Ahmed
Angela Steele
Lab / Campus: Peter Serrano, Hunter College
Jacquelyn N. Tomaio (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Susana Mingote, ASRC
Research Interests: Behavioral neuroscience, neuromodulation and neurophysiology
Santiago Uribe-Cano (he/him)
suribecano@gradcenter.cuny.edu
Lab / Campus: Andreas Kottmann / CCNY CSOM
Research Interests: Dopaminergic Co-transmission and Reinforcement Learning.
About Me: Santiago grew up in Houston, Texas before moving to upstate New York. He received his B.A. in Psychology from the State University of New York at Geneseo and his M.A. in Psychology from New York University where he studied the relationship between sleep disturbances and cognitive impairment. When not in the lab, he can be found playing soccer, camping on a mountain, eating candy, or watching the Mets.
Apoorva Vashisht
Lab / Campus: Robert Ranaldi, Queens College
Robert Veline
Lab / Campus: Orie Shafer, Advanced Research Science Center
Jennifer Wheary (she/her)
Lab / Campus: Tony Ro / GC
Research Interests: The impact of meditation on sensory experience.
Ezekiel Willerson
Lab / Campus: Rotating
Zhilin Zhang
Lab / Campus: Rotating
Alumni
Regis Shanley (2021)
Lab/Campus: Allyson Friedman, Hunter College
Thesis Title: Estrogen Modulation of VTA Dopamine Neuron Physiology and Behavioral Responsivity to Variable Social Stressors.
Position after Ph.D.: Postdoctoral Fellow at Brandeis University
Rebecca Ravenelle (2021)
Lab/Campus: Nesha Burghardt, Hunter College
Thesis Title: Circuits Underlying Serotonin Mediated Sex Differences in Fear Learning
Position after Ph.D.: Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University
Michael Lewis Epstein (2020)
Lab / Campus: Tatiana Emmanouil / Baruch
Thesis title: The Temporal Dynamics of Ensemble Perception
Position after Ph.D. : Postdoctoral Associate, Department for Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University
Jonathan T. Perelmuter (2019)
Lab / Campus: Paul Forlano / Brooklyn College
Thesis title: Structure and Function of Dopamine in the Inner Ear and Auditory Efferent System of a Vocal Fish
Position after Ph.D. : Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University
Mercedes Vega Villar (2019)
Lab / Campus: Jon Horvitz / City College of New York
Thesis title: Experience-Dependent Changes in Nucleus Accumbens Activity Predict Cued Approach Learning: Contribution of NMDA Receptors
Position after Ph.D. : Post-doctoral Fellow, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Antonio V. Aubry (2018)
Lab / Campus: Nesha Burghardt / Hunter College
Thesis title: Dietary Curcumin Promotes Resilience to Chronic Social Defeat Stress
Position after Ph.D. : Postdoctoral Fellow at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
