University of Rochester Medical Center

Recent Alumni

This page lists alumni who graduated from the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience (IGPN). For a list of alumni in related Neuroscience Graduate departments, please see the corresponding websites:

October 2009

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Bernard Phillip Gee Do retinal parallel processing streams play different roles in visual search?
Ditte Therese Lovatt The role of reactive astrocytes in epilepsy Postdoctoral Fellowship; University of Rochester, Rochester NY
Carolyn Mary Tyler Suppression of TrkA activation in sympathetic neurons using the TrkAF592A chemical-genetic mouse: an examination of the effects on apoptosis and maturation Postdoctoral Research Associate; Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

May 2009

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
KyungHwa Lee Sex Differences in a C. elegans Sensory Behavior Postdoctoral Fellowship; University of Rochester, Rochester NY

March 2009

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Verginia Carmella Cuzon
  • Roman J. Giger, Ph.D.
  • Hermes Yeh, Ph.D.
Gaba and Gabaergic Interneurons During Corticogenesis: Migration, functional maturation, and consequences of gestational ethanol exposure NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship; Bethesda, MD
Yanan Guo Regulation of the proapoptotic protein BIMEL through its interactions with the HIF prolyl hydroxylase EGLN3 and the tumor suppressor pVHL. Postdoctoral Fellowship; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Laurie Robak
  • Roman J. Giger, Ph.D.
The Structural Basis of the Interaction between Myelin-Associated Glyoprotein and Nogo Receptor 2: Design of Novel Therapeutic Agents for Spinal Cord Injury Medical Student; University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

October 2008

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Onanong Annie Chivatakarn
  • Roman J. Giger, Ph.D.
Semaphorin 5A (Sema5A) functions in neocortical development in vivo Salk Institute, San Diego, CA
Irah Luther King
  • Benjamin Segal, M.D.
The Role of Granulocyte/Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor During the Priming and Effector Phases of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Postdoctoral Fellowship; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Nancy Ann Oberheim Bush The Functional Organization of Astrocytes in Normal and Epileptic Brain Medical Student; University of Rochester, Rochester NY
Grace Anna Johnston Astrocytic Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 alpha Mediates Neuronal Cell Death in Hypoxia Technology Licensing Specialist Assistant; Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

May 2008

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Erin McKernan Johnson
  • Roman J. Giger, Ph.D.
  • Hermes Yeh, Ph.D.
Neurotrophin Receptors Regulate Synaptic Development in the Murine Cerebellum Postdoctoral Fellowship; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Yasser Elshatory The LIM-Homeobox Gene Islet-1 is a Key Regulator of Restricted Neuronal Subtypes in the Retina and Forebrain Medical School; University of Rochester, Rochester NY

October 2007

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Matthew J. Bellizzi From Synaptic Transmission to Excitotoxic Injury: Pathways to Neuronal Damage and Strategies for Protection in a Model of HIV-Associated Dementia Neurology Resident; University of Rochester, Rochester NY
Pushkar Suresh Joshi Bhlhb5 Executes Sensorimotor Area Identity in Developing Neocortex Postdoctoral Fellowship; Stanford University, CA
Xiaoyan Lin Protein Sequestration mechanism for RNA gain-of-function in myotonic Dystrophy Postdoctoral Fellowship; University of California, San Francisco, CA
Ling Pan Transcriptional Network in the Development of Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells Postdoctoral Fellowship; MIT, Boston, MA
Karthik Venkatesh, Ph.D
  • Roman J. Giger, Ph.D.
Characterization of the Nogo-66 Receptor Homolog NgR2 as a Novel Receptor for Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein Postdoctoral Fellowship; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

March 2007

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Ziye Sui Molecular Mechanisms Associated With The Development Of Hiv-1 Dementia Postdoctoral Fellowship; Peking University, Peking, China
Xiaohai Wang Role Of Astrocytic Ca2+ Signaling in Response to Sensory Stimulation In Vivo Senior Research Biologist, Neuropharmacology; Merck Research Labs, Boston, MA

December 2006

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Jason Abram Hamilton
  • Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D.
  • Richard Fisher, M.D.
Prenatal Hypoxia Alters the Tangenital Migration of Cortical Interneurons Postdoctoral Fellowship, Anatomy & Neurobiology; University of California, Irvine, CA
Daniel Zaksas Neural Circuitry For The Maintenance And Manipulation Of Visual Motion Information Postdoctoral Fellowship; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

October 2006

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Charles A. Wuertzer
  • Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D.
Immuno-Therapeutic Approaches To Prion Disease Postdoctoral Fellowship; Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL

October 2005

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Kuei Cheng Lim
  • Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D.
Activity-dependent secretion, localization and proteolytic processing of nerve growth factor in hippocampal neurons Resident, Neurology; NY University Medical Center, NY

May 2005

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Kitty Wu
  • Hermes Yeh, Ph.D.
The Septohippocampal Pathway As A Modle For Investigating The Cellular Basis Of Ngf-Induced Synaptic Plasticity Postdoctoral Fellowship; University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Zhenhua Wu Role of Apolipoprotein In E And Its Receptors In Alzheimer's Neurovascular Functions Senior Research Scientist; Merck Research Labs, Boston, MA

March 2005

Alumnus/a Advisor(s) Thesis Title Current Position
Chiayu Chiu
  • Michael Weliky, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Neuroscience; Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY, NY
Renee Marie Miller
  • Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D.
Identification And Comparison Of Gene Expression Signatures In The Nigrostriatal System Of Parkinson's Disease Brains And Animal Models: Evidence For Common Pathologic Changes Postdoctoral Fellowship; University of Rochester, Rochester, NY