People

(Summer 2021, from left: Karen, Ariana, Pravat, Lijie, Emmanuel, Rossana, Richard, Kevin)
Current personnel:
-
Kevin Collins (Associate Professor), development of funding for the egg-laying circuit
- Melissa Ifidzhen (Biology PhD student), mating-dependent modulation of egg-laying circuit activity
- Ariana José (Physiology & Biophysics PhD student), serotonin transmission
- Srishti Mullick (Biology PhD student), project TBD
-
Lijie Yan (Biology PhD student), uv1 mechanical activation
- Julian McQuirter II (Neuroscience major), role of the osmotic pressure gradient in egg laying
- Anna Snyders (Biology major), role of innexins gap junctions and neuropeptide signaling in the inhibition of egg laying
- Katya Shalyaev (Biology major), project TBD
Former trainees / Alumni
Research Associates
- Dr. Addys Bode, Endocrinology Fellow in New Orleans.
- Michael Scheetz, former Research Associate from the University of Pittsburgh.
- Sana Chaudhry, PhD student in the PIBS program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
- Rossana Signorelli, Field Application Scientist at Sartorius.
Postdocs
- Dr. Christian Guijarro, former Postdoctoral Associate from University of Heidelberg now working as a Supply Chain Management Coordinator at ALPS Electric Europe GmbH in Munich, Germany.
Graduate Students
- Dr. Bhavya Ravi (Neuroscience PhD), Circuit development, homeostasis, and modulation by Go signaling. Current position: medical writer at ImmunityBio, Inc. in the DC area.
- Dr. Richard Kopchock 3rd (Biology PhD) Acetylcholine transmission in the circuit. Current position: postdoc at Stanford Medical School in Gary Steinberg's lab.
- Dr. Pravat Dhakal (Biology PhD student, American Heart Association predoctoral fellow), Rho and phosphatidyl inositol (PI(4,5)P2) signaling. Current position: Research Scientist at Kala Pharmaceuticals in Menlo Park, CA.
- Dr. Emmanuel Medrano (Biology PhD, NSF and McKnight Grad Research Fellow), stretch-dependent circuit regulation. Current position: postdoc at Duke University in Rebecca Yang's lab.
Undergraduates
- Eboni Arnold, UM Neuroscience major, now a PhD student at Harvard Medical School
- Erica Arvelo, 2016 HHMI High School Scholar and UM Neuroscience major
- Mattingly Bartole, former UM Neuroscience undergrad, now a Post-baccalaureate IRTA Fellow, Medication Development Program at NIH.
- Caroline Case, former UM Biology major, now a medical student at University of Nebraska
- Alex Claman, former UM Neuroscience and Computer Science major, now a PhD student in the UM CS department
- Carla Bobé, former NSF-REU fellow from Florida International University
- William Coffey, former UM Neuroscience major now Clinical Research Coordinator at Mass General Hospital
- Christian Falgons, former NSF-REU student from Johns Hopkins University
- Jessica Garcia, former UM Biology major now working as a medical scribe before applying to med school
- Karen Jendrick (2019 HHMI High School Scholar from Miami Country Day School, now at Boston University, 2021 NSF summer fellow
- Christopher Joly, former NSF-REU student from University of Virginia
- Christine Li, former UM Biology major now working in NYC/CT
- Claire Moxham, UM Chemistry major, now a student at UNC Chapel Hill now Medical Student at NYU.
- Layla Nassar, former UM Neuroscience/BMB major now a PhD student at Yale School of Medicine
- Michelle Ng-Reyes, former Biology major
- Xavier Poole, former NSF-REU student from Georgia Southern University
- Dominique Rajic, UM Biology
- Lila Rosendorf, past NSF undergraduate fellow and 2017 HHMI High School Scholar from Miami Country Day School, now an undergrad at Smith College
- Liraz Stilman (Vanderbilt University undergrad, NSF summer fellow). Now an optometry student at Nova Southeastern
- Tyler Wagner, former NSF-REU student from Georgia Southern University
- Dontrel Wilright, FYRE student from Dillard University, role of the osmotic pressure gradient in vulval muscle contractility and egg laying.
High School Students
- Erica Arvelo (see above)
- Kiara Farias, 2017 HHMI High School Scholar from Alonzo & Tracy Mourning Senior High School.
- Patricia Garcia, 2016 HHMI High School Scholar from Young Women’s Preparatory Academy, now a biomedical engineering major at George Washington University.
- Karen Jendrick (see above)
- Lila Rosendorf (see above)
- Widlyne Seide, 2019 HHMI High School Scholar from North Miami Beach Senior High School

We’re always looking for bright, collegial scientists to join our team. To apply, please send a CV and description of research interests to Kevin.