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.