Meet Our Research Team

Nicolas Raymond
Data Scientist

Nick holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts. His primary work is related to developing a toolbox for accurate segmentation of the choroid plexus in addition to the transcranial electrical stimulation projects ongoing in the lab. His research interests include modulating the brain’s electrophysiology properties to better understand and treat the symptomatology of psychotic disorders. Outside of the lab, Nick enjoys riding motorcycles, reading, and hanging out with friends.

Brendan Stiltner
Clinical Research Assistant

Brendan received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Connecticut College. In the Lizano Lab, he works on the retinal trial. He is deeply interested in novel functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques and study designs that can advance our understanding of heterogeneity and improve clinical outcomes in psychiatry. When he’s not in the lab, Brendan likes cooking, listening to music, and spending time with friends playing board games.

Victor Zeng
Data Scientist

Victor has a B.S in Applied Physics from Northeastern University. He is the data scientist who originally worked on FreeSurfer and ASL datasets and manages that for the Retinal project. His main responsibility is managing the Fastplex choroid plexus segmentation project. In his free time, he volunteers and serves refugees.

Jennifer Nicholson
Clinical Research Assistant

Jennifer completed her BS in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Florida and her MS in Immunology at the University of Rochester, where her research focused on cellular senescence in autoimmunity. In the Lizano lab, she applies her wet lab experience to exploring the inflammatory and cellular-molecular basis of psychosis.

Jessica Flanagan
Clinical Research Assistant

Jessie completed her B.S. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester. In the Lizano Lab, her primary responsibilities include participant recruitment and supporting research on the roles of the blood-brain barrier and choroid plexus in early-course psychosis. She also contributes to the FastPlex choroid plexus segmentation project. Outside of the lab, Jessie enjoys hiking, doing puzzles, and reading.

Deniz Altunsu, MSc, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow

Deniz completed her BS in Genetics and Bioinformatics and MSc in Neuroscience at Bahçeşehir University in Turkey, followed by a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Koç University. Her research focuses on blood–brain barrier and choroid plexus dysfunction in early-course psychosis, with an emphasis on patient-derived stem cell models and the identification of translational biomarkers.

Lyvia Bertolace, MD
Assistant Professor

Dr. Bertolace attended medical school in her hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Following her graduation, she completed her Psychiatry Residency at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and practiced as a psychiatrist until moving to the University of Florida. While in Florida, she conducted research in the Center for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders. She primarily worked with individuals with Hoarding Disorder and OCD, including pediatric patients through the university’s nationally recognized Fear Facers Camp program. Since joining the University of Rochester Medical Center in 2021, Dr. Bertolace has served as a Research Coordinator in the Center for Retina and Brain, where she currently focuses on retinal and cognitive changes in people with schizophrenia.

Cemal Demirlek, MD, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow

Cemal earned both his MD and PhD in Neuroscience in Turkey. His research focuses on understanding severe mental illness using multi-modal data collection techniques.

Ling-Yu (Beryl) Huang, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow

Beryl received her BS in Neurobiology from Purdue University and PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Georgia. She is studying brain signatures underlying cognitive flexibility and using the findings to aid treatment development in mental disorders where mental rigidity is prominent, like depression and psychosis. Her other research interest lies in the morphological changes of the choroid plexus across age and psychiatric diagnoses. When not at work, Beryl likes to spend time on yoga, outdoors, crafting, and reading history-based fiction.

Mohammad Jammoul, MD
Post Doctoral Fellow

Mohammad received his M.D. from the Lebanese University in 2023. His work at URMC has focused on analysis of multimodal neuroimaging including fMRI, EEG, and DTI. He is currently involved in studying the anatomy and physiology of the choroid plexus while developing more accurate tools to segment it. His research interests include brain mapping and neuromodulation for various neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Outside work, Mohammad enjoys playing tennis, weightlifting, and swimming.

Iwona Grzela-Juskiewicz, MD, MPH
Senior Health Project Coordinator.

Iwona attended medical school at Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland, and remained in Szczecin for her residency in internal medicine. Upon moving to Rochester, NY, and joining the University of Rochester, she worked initially as a Clinical Research Coordinator. After conducting clinical trials across a wide range of specialties, she became a Senior Health Project Coordinator, where her work has primarily focused on severe mental illness and health care for marginalized groups. In 2015, she completed a Masters in Public

 Health degree program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Her current interests include mental health for underserved populations, patient-centered approaches in research and clinical care, and psychosis research.

Rebekah Trotti, MS, PhD
Post Doctoral Fellow

Rebekah received her BS, MS, and PhD in Psychology at the University of Georgia and training in clinical science at Emory University. Her research primarily investigates the neurophysiology of psychosis and mood disorders using electroencephalography and transcranial electrical stimulation technologies. Outside of work, Rebekah likes to run and entertain her dog Ruthie.