Current Students
Current Students
2025-26 MSTP Incoming Students at White Coat Ceremony
Katy Alden, B.S. - University of Puget Sound
Adviser: Megan Falsetta, Ph.D. | Falsetta Lab
PhD Degree Program: PWD - Year: Grad 1
Research: Pain Signaling Pathways in Endometriosis Using Patient Tissue Samples
Maya Anand, Ph.D. - Columbia University
Adviser: Christopher Seplaki, Ph.D. & Allison Magnuson, D.O. | Seplaki Lab
PhD Degree Program: EPI - Year: Med 3
Research: Understanding Tangible Support and Treatement Tolerability Among Older Adults with Cancer
Shinelle "Elle" Black, B.A. - University of Chicago
Year: Med 2
Research: Return on investment from co‐locating tax assistance for low‐income persons at clinical sites
Heather Breidenbach, B.S. - University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Year: Med 2
Research: Analysis and modelling of local field potentials
Hayley Chang, B.S. - University of Rochester
Adviser: Kuan Hong Wang, Ph.D. & John Foxe, Ph.D. | Wang Lab | Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory
PhD Degree Program: PWD - Year: Grad 4
Research: Exploring the neurophysiologic and neuropathologic basis of photophobia in a rare lysosomal storage disorder.
Shu Yi Chen, B.A. - Swarthmore College
Year: Med 2
Victor Chen, B.S. - Emory University
Year: Med 1
Siddharth Chittaranjan, M.S. - University of California, Berkeley
Adviser: Nathan Smith, Ph.D. & Nathan Smith, Ph.D. & Nathan Smith, Ph.D. | Smith Lab
PhD Degree Program: NSC - Year: Grad 3
Zachary Christensen, Ph.D. - University of Rochester
Adviser: Edward Freedman, Ph.D. & John Foxe, Ph.D.
PhD Degree Program: TBS - Year: Med 3
Research: Neuronal Density in Autism
Thomas Delgado, Ph.D. - University of Florida
Adviser: Gail Johnson, Ph.D | Gail Johnson Lab
PhD Degree Program: NBA - Year: Grad 5
Research: Transglutaminase 2 Deletion Attenuates Chronic Pathology Following Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Association with Enhanced Astrocyte-to-Neuron Metabolic Support
Michelle Duan, B.S. - Wellesley College
Adviser: Lisa DeLouise, Ph.D., M.P.D. | DeLouise Lab
PhD Degree Program: BME - Year: Grad 3 / Med 2
Research: Development of a Microphysiological System for Modeling Retinal Degeneration in CLN3 Batten Disease
Jithin George, B.S. - University of Scranton
Adviser: Marissa Sobolewski-Terry, Ph.D. | Sobolewski Lab
PhD Degree Program: TOX - Year: Grad 2
Research: The role of inhaled iron in neurodegenerative disease processes
Nora Gilliam, B.S. - Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis
Adviser: Juilee Thakar, Ph.D. | Thakar Lab
PhD Degree Program: TBS - Year: Grad 2
Research: Interferon response digital twin for treatment in systemic lupus erythematosus
Victor Gu, B.S. - University of Rochester
Year: Med 1
Daniel Han, B.A. - University of California, Berkeley
Adviser: Eric Small, Ph.D. | Small Lab
PhD Degree Program: PWD - Year: Grad 2
Research: The role of desmosomal protein PKP2 on the alteration of nuclear envelope integrity and genomic organization in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy
Andrew Hong, Ph.D. - University of California, Berkeley
Adviser: Rudi Fasan, Ph.D. | Fasan Lab
PhD Degree Program: Chem - Year: Grad 4
Research: Macrocyclic Peptide Discovery via Genetic Code Expansion
Alice Jiang, B.S. - University of Southern California
Year: Med 1
George Kassis, B.S. - University of Rochester
Year: Grad 1
Research: Discrete-state models identify pathway specific B cell states across diseases and infections at single-cell resolution
Jeehyun Kim, Ph.D. - University of California, Berkeley
Adviser: Edward Freedman, Ph.D. & John Foxe, Ph.D. & Edward Freedman, Ph.D. & John Foxe, Ph.D. | Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory
PhD Degree Program: NGP - Year: Grad 4
Research: Multimodal Markers of Visual Working Memory During an Upper Extremity Movement-Coupled Task in Parkinson's Disease With and Without Deep Brain Stimulation
Anna Kolstad, M.S. - Princeton University
Adviser: Krishnan Padmanabhan, Ph.D. | Neural Circuits and Computation Laboratory
PhD Degree Program: BME - Year: Grad 3
Research: Characterizing olfactory responses in ventral CA1 region of the hippocampus
Marlene Lawston, Ph.D. - Colgate University
Year: Grad 4
Research: Alterations in 16p11.2 duplication astrocytes and their implications for neuronal maturation
Herman Li, B.S. - University of Rochester
Adviser: Ania Majewska, Ph.D. & Minsoo Kim, Ph.D. | Majewska Lab | Minsoo Kim Lab
PhD Degree Program: PWD - Year: Grad 1
Research: The Microglial Response to Inhibition of Colony-Stimulating-Factor-1 Receptor Differs by Sex in Adult Mice
Caleb Mahlen, B.S. - Regis University
Adviser: Paul Geha, M.D. & Paul Geha, M.D. & Paul Geha, M.D. | Pain and Perceptions Lab
PhD Degree Program: NSC - Year: Grad 2
Research: Pain physiology and pathology with psychophysics and functional MRI
Madalayne "Mattie" Martin-Olenski, B.A. - University of Rochester
Year: Med 2
Research: A Historical Approach to Healthcare Inequity
Margaux Masten, M.S. - University of Rochester
Adviser: Deborah Cory-Slechta, Ph.D. & Marissa Sobolewski-Terry, Ph.D. & Marissa Sobolewski-Terry, Ph.D. | Sobolewski Lab | Cory-Slechta Lab
PhD Degree Program: NSC - Year: Grad 4 / Med 2
Research: Understanding the impact of late gestational air pollution exposure on the developing brain
Jordan McMurry, B.S. - Trinity University
Adviser: Kristin Scheible, M.D. | Scheible Lab
PhD Degree Program: PWD - Year: Grad 1
Research: MAdCAM-1 costimulation in the presence of retinoic acid and TGF-β promotes HIV infection and differentiation of CD4+ T cells into CCR5+ TRM-like cells
Michael Meadow, Ph.D. - University of California, Los Angeles
Adviser: Andrei Seluanov, Ph.D. & Sina Ghaemmaghami, Ph.D. & Vera Gorbunova, Ph.D. | Gorbunova & Seluanov Lab
PhD Degree Program: BIO - Year: Med 3
Research: Proteome birthdating for temporallyl resolved insights into mammalian aging
Varshini Murugesh, B.S. - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Year: Med 1
Duy Nguyen, Ph.D. - Amherst College
Adviser: Patrick Murphy, Ph.D. & Michael Welte, Ph.D.
PhD Degree Program: PWD - Year: Med 2 / Grad 4
Research: Inheritance and Reprogramming of Maternal Chromatin during Zebrafish Maternal-to-Zygotic Transition
Yueqi "Edward" Niu, B.S. - University of Maryland - College Park
Year: Med 2
Research: HIF-1α accumulation in response to transient hypoglycemia may worsen diabetic eye disease
Gavin Piester, Ph.D. - University of Rochester
Adviser: Ania Majewska, Ph.D. | Majewska Lab
PhD Degree Program: PWD - Year: Med 3
Research: Astrocyte Sigma-1 Receptor signaling induces XBP1 pro-inflammatory functions in Movement Disorders
Bryan Redmond, Ph.D. - University of Rochester
Adviser: Krystel Huxlin, Ph.D.
PhD Degree Program: NGP - Year: Med 3
Research: Blind-field visual abilities after occipital stroke: incidence, dynamics, substrates and consequences for visual rehabilitation
Sarah Sandkuhler, B.S. - University of Rochester
Adviser: Samuel MacKenzie, M.D., Ph.D. | Mitochondrial and Metabolic Research Center
PhD Degree Program: PWD - Year: Grad 4
Research: Mechanisms underlying TANGO2 Deficiency Disorder in a C. elegans model.
Corey Schultz, B.S. - University of Pittsburgh
Year: Grad 1
Research: The History of Government Benefits Programs in the Late 20th Century U.S.
Lucas Sears, B.S. - University of Wisconsin - Madison
Year: Med 2
Research: Essential neural anatomy for creating a clinically translatable osseointegrated neural interface for prosthetic control in sheep
Levy Sominsky, B.A. - Vanderbilt University
Adviser: Edward Schwarz, Ph.D. | Schwarz Lab
PhD Degree Program: PWD - Year: Grad 2
Research: Optimization of an in vitro model of Staphylococcal abscess communities to study bactericidal mechanisms
Cheyanne Sparkman, B.S. - Spelman College
Year: Med 1
Camille Stevenson, B.S. - University of Rochester
Year: Med 1
Emma Strawderman, M.S. - University of Rochester
Adviser: Michelle Janelsins-Benton, Ph.D. & Frank Garcea, PhD | Garcea Lab
PhD Degree Program: NGP - Year: Grad 2
Research: The effect of gliomas and their treatments (e.g., neurosurgery, radiation) on neural connectivity and associated cognitive deficits.
Mohammed "Usman" Syed, B.S. - Tufts University
Adviser: David Dean, Ph.D. | Dean Lab
PhD Degree Program: PWD - Year: Grad 2
Research: Role of the cGAS-STING Pathway in Cytoplasmic Trafficking of Plasmids”
Karolina Szenkiel, B.A. - Barnard College
Year: Med 2
Research: Sub-inhibitory antibiotic treatment selects for enhanced metabolic efficiency
Karol Szymula, M.S. - University of Pennsylvania
Adviser: Kenneth Henry, Ph.D. & Krishnan Padmanabhan, Ph.D. | Neural Circuits and Computation Laboratory
PhD Degree Program: BME - Year: Grad 4
Research: Network structure influences the strength of learned neural representations
Julia "Julie" Thompson, B.A. - Cornell University
Year: Med 2
Sophie Troyer, B.S. - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Adviser: Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, M.D., Ph.D. | Jarvinen-Seppo Lab
PhD Degree Program: IMV - Year: Grad 3
Research: The impact of the developing infant innate immune system on the development of allergic diseases
Adam Tyrlik, B.S. - University of Maryland - College Park
Adviser: Laura Calvi, M.D. | Calvi Lab
PhD Degree Program: IMV - Year: Grad 3
Genevieve "Gen" Uy, B.S. - Haverford College
Year: Med 1
Anika Varma - University of California, Davis
Adviser: John Lueck, Ph.D.
PhD Degree Program: CMPP - Year: Grad 1
Research: Immobilization of transgenic plant cells towards bioprinting for production of a recombinant biodefense agent
Dean Zhang, B.A. - Cornell University
Year: Med 1
Victor Zhang, Ph.D. - University of Rochester
Adviser: James McGrath, Ph.D. & Hani Awad, Ph.D. | Awad Lab | McGrath Lab
PhD Degree Program: BME - Year: Grad 5
Research: Modeling Tendon Fibrosis: Cellular, Matrix, and Vascular Advances in a Human Tendon-on-a-Chip Platform