The lab over the years
Lab members
Somdatta Saha (2021-present)
Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India
Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India
Jason Younkin (2021-present)
Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University
Awards: NIH-NIMH T32MH020030
Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University
Awards: NIH-NIMH T32MH020030
Maya Gaines-Smith (2022-present)
PhD student
MS, Hampton University
BS, Hampton University
Awards: NIH-IMSD R25GM090084
PhD student
MS, Hampton University
BS, Hampton University
Awards: NIH-IMSD R25GM090084
Jessica Maltman (2022-present)
PhD student
BS, Virginia Tech
Awards: 2024 School of Medicine Charles C. Clayton Award
PhD student
BS, Virginia Tech
Awards: 2024 School of Medicine Charles C. Clayton Award
Michael Fiorillo (2024-present)
PhD student
BS, University of Connecticut
PhD student
BS, University of Connecticut
Justin Silverman (2024-present)
PhD student
MS, Virginia Commonwealth University
BS, Duke University
Awards: NIH-IMSD R25GM090084
PhD student
MS, Virginia Commonwealth University
BS, Duke University
Awards: NIH-IMSD R25GM090084
Lindsey Williams (2023-present)
MS student
Premedical Graduate Sciences Certificate Program (CERT) at VCU
BA, University of Richmond
MS student
Premedical Graduate Sciences Certificate Program (CERT) at VCU
BA, University of Richmond
Barbara Fujita (2023-present)
Research Assistant - Lab Manager
Postgraduate Research Associate at Yale University
BS in Mathematics, University of Richmond
Research Assistant - Lab Manager
Postgraduate Research Associate at Yale University
BS in Mathematics, University of Richmond
Enrique Valenzuela Lesme (2021-present)
Undergraduate student at VCU
BS, John Tyler Community College
Awards: VCU Bridges to Baccalaureate (NIH R25GM102795), and VCU MARC Program (NIH T34GM149502)
Undergraduate student at VCU
BS, John Tyler Community College
Awards: VCU Bridges to Baccalaureate (NIH R25GM102795), and VCU MARC Program (NIH T34GM149502)
Alumni
Alaina M. Jaster (2020-2024)
PhD student
Awards: NIH-NIDA F31DA057818
Current position: Postdoctoral fellow -- Wayne State University
Julie Kraft (2022-2024)
MS student
Jeremy D. Rolquin (2022-2023)
Research scientist - Lab manager
Current position: Chemistry Data Curator at Porta Sophia -- Psychedelic Prior Art Library
Penelope Sayago (2023)
Summer undergraduate student
Sandra Ledesma Corvi (2023)
Visiting PhD student
PhD student, University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
Awards: Spain Ministry of Economy Fellowship
Doan On (2017-2022)
Research scientist
MS, Virginia Commonwealth University
MS, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
BS, University of Virginia
Douglas Keener (2022)
Summer undergraduate student
Undergraduate student at William & Mary University
Julie Rix (2022)
Visiting high school teacher
Awards: R25DA036915 (HERO-T)
Nikita Thakur (2021-2022)
Master's student
Premedical Graduate Sciences Certificate Program (CERT) at VCU
BA, University of Virginia
Current position: MD student at Eastern Virginia Medical School
Mario de la Fuente Revenga (2015-2021)
Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
Awards: NIH-NIMH T32MH020030
Current position: Head of Discovery Science at Radius Health, Inc.
John McGinn (2020-2021)
Master's student
Premedical Graduate Sciences Certificate Program (CERT) at VCU
BS, University of Virginia
Current position: MD student at St. George's University, Grenade, West Indies
Natalia Cordero Ruiz (2021)
Visiting PhD student
PhD student, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain
Awards: Spain Ministry of Economy Fellowship
Current position: Postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University
Rudy Toneatti (2016-2021)
PhD student
MS, Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris, France
MS, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
BPhil, University of Nice, France
Awards: UPMC Fellowship
Justin M. Saunders (2016-2021)
MD-PhD student
BS, Villanova University
Awards: NIH-NIMH F30MH116550
Phi Kappa Phi School of Medicine Scholarship
Current position: Psychiatry Residency at Northwestern University
Kyle Hsu (2021)
Summer undergraduate student
Hiba Vohra (2017-2021)
Master's student and Research Scientist
BS, College of William & Mary
Current position: MD student at VCU
Urjita H. Shah (2017-2021)
Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University
Current position: Research Associate at Noetic Fund
Jennifer Jimenez (2019-2021)
Research Assistant
BS, Virginia Commonwealth University
Salvador Sierra San Nicolás (2017-2020)
Postdoctoral Fellow
MD-PhD, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
Neurology Residency at Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
Current position: Neurology Residency at University of Michigan
Audrey McMurtrie (2019-2020)
Master's student
Premedical Graduate Sciences Certificate Program (CERT), VCU
BA, University of Notre Dame
Awards: Poland Award in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at VCU
Current position: MD student at VCU
Mohamed Aarif Abdul Kareem (2019-2020)
Master's student
Premedical Graduate Sciences Certificate Program (CERT), VCU
Visiting student at Universidad Autónoma in Madrid, Spain
BA, Boston University
Awards: Certificate of Recognition in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at VCU
Current position: DM student at University of Pittsburgh
Xiomara Cuno Lavilla (2017-2019)
Undergraduate summer rotation student
BS student at Thomas Nelson Community College
Awards: VCU Bridges to Baccalaureate (R25GM102795)
Current position: Undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins University
Dexter Jandres Rivera
Visiting High School Student
Travis Cuddy (2017-2019)
Master's student
Current position: Anesthesiology Residency at VCU
Jong Shin (2017-2018)
Master's student
Next position: Postbac IRTA fellow at NINDS
Yashu Sampathkumar (2018)
MD summer rotation student
Cassandra Dunn (2017-2018)
Research Assistant
Maryum Ijaz (2016-2017)
Master's student
Current position: MD student at VCU
Ana Sánchez-González (2017)
Visiting student
PhD student, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain
Supriya Gaitonde (2016-2017)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Current position: Research Scientist at Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Ashkhan Hojati (2016-2017)
Research Assistant
Current position: MD student at Carle Illinois College of Medicine
Kelsey Hideshima (2015-2017)
Research Assistant
Current position: MD student at University of California, Davis
Next position: Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at University of California, Davis
Juan F. López-Giménez (2016)
Visiting Professor
Research Professor at CSIC in Santander, Spain
José L. Moreno (2008-2016)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Awards: Spain Ministry of Science and Education Postdoctoral Fellowship (2008-2009)
Next position: Scientist at GSK in Stevenage, UK
Current position: Head of Analytical Services at VIVEbiotech in Donostia, Spain
Luna Fomsgaard (2016)
Visiting Student
Master's student at Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark
Apostolia Baki (2015)
Assistant Professor
Next position: Assistant Professor at Northeastern University
Daisuke Ibi (2012 – 2015)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Awards: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship (2012-2013)
The Uehara Memorial Foundation Fellowship (2014-2015)
Current position: Assistant Professor at Meijo University in Nagoya, Japan
Terrell Holloway (2009 – 2014)
Research Assistant
Awards: AMA Foundation Minority Scholars Award
Distinction in Research
Next position: MD Student, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Current position: Psychiatry Residency at Yale School of Medicine
Jeremy Seto (2011 – 2014)
Visiting Scientist
Current position: Assistant Professor at New York City College of Technology, CUNY
Spencer Sharp (2013 – 2014)
CEYE Student
Next position: Undergraduate student at Case Western Reserve University
Aintzane García-Bea (2012 and 2013)
Visiting PhD Student
Awards: Basque Country Fellowship
Next position: Postdoctoral fellow at University of Oxford, England
Current position: Scientist at Faes Farma, Bilbao, Spain
Tess Lewis-Jacus (2012)
Visiting High School Student
Ariel Ben-Ezra (2012)
Visiting High School Student
Vinayak Rayannavar (2011 – 2012)
Visiting Undergraduate Student
Next position: PhD Student, NYU Sackler Institute
Verónica Vargas (2011)
Visiting PhD Student
Awards: Spain Ministry of Science and Innovation Fellowship
Giuseppe Mocci (2011)
Visiting PhD Student
Awards: CSIC Fellowship
Next position: Postdoctoral fellow at The Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Fuencisla Pilar-Cuellar (2011)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Awards: Fundación Alicia Koplowitz Fellowship
Next position: Staff Scientist, CSIC, Santander, Spain.
Alexey A. Kozlenkov (2010 – 2011)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Current position: Assistant Professor at James J Peters VA Medical Center, New York
Adrienne Umali (2010 – 2012)
Master’s Student
Awards: Master’s in Biomedical Sciences Thesis Award
Next position: Fellow, Lehman College at CUNY
Jeffrey D. Ruta (2010)
Visiting Undergraduate Student
Next position: MD student, Drexel University
Current position: Neurology Residency at Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Mitsumasa Kurita (2009 – 2011)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Current position: Senior Research Scientist at Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Osaka, Japan
Javier López Arqueros (2008)
Visiting Researcher
Current position: Neurologist at Hospital Universitario in Alicante, Spain
PhD student
Awards: NIH-NIDA F31DA057818
Current position: Postdoctoral fellow -- Wayne State University
Julie Kraft (2022-2024)
MS student
Jeremy D. Rolquin (2022-2023)
Research scientist - Lab manager
Current position: Chemistry Data Curator at Porta Sophia -- Psychedelic Prior Art Library
Penelope Sayago (2023)
Summer undergraduate student
Sandra Ledesma Corvi (2023)
Visiting PhD student
PhD student, University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
Awards: Spain Ministry of Economy Fellowship
Doan On (2017-2022)
Research scientist
MS, Virginia Commonwealth University
MS, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
BS, University of Virginia
Douglas Keener (2022)
Summer undergraduate student
Undergraduate student at William & Mary University
Julie Rix (2022)
Visiting high school teacher
Awards: R25DA036915 (HERO-T)
Nikita Thakur (2021-2022)
Master's student
Premedical Graduate Sciences Certificate Program (CERT) at VCU
BA, University of Virginia
Current position: MD student at Eastern Virginia Medical School
Mario de la Fuente Revenga (2015-2021)
Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
Awards: NIH-NIMH T32MH020030
Current position: Head of Discovery Science at Radius Health, Inc.
John McGinn (2020-2021)
Master's student
Premedical Graduate Sciences Certificate Program (CERT) at VCU
BS, University of Virginia
Current position: MD student at St. George's University, Grenade, West Indies
Natalia Cordero Ruiz (2021)
Visiting PhD student
PhD student, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain
Awards: Spain Ministry of Economy Fellowship
Current position: Postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University
Rudy Toneatti (2016-2021)
PhD student
MS, Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris, France
MS, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
BPhil, University of Nice, France
Awards: UPMC Fellowship
Justin M. Saunders (2016-2021)
MD-PhD student
BS, Villanova University
Awards: NIH-NIMH F30MH116550
Phi Kappa Phi School of Medicine Scholarship
Current position: Psychiatry Residency at Northwestern University
Kyle Hsu (2021)
Summer undergraduate student
Hiba Vohra (2017-2021)
Master's student and Research Scientist
BS, College of William & Mary
Current position: MD student at VCU
Urjita H. Shah (2017-2021)
Postdoctoral Fellow
PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University
Current position: Research Associate at Noetic Fund
Jennifer Jimenez (2019-2021)
Research Assistant
BS, Virginia Commonwealth University
Salvador Sierra San Nicolás (2017-2020)
Postdoctoral Fellow
MD-PhD, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
Neurology Residency at Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain
Current position: Neurology Residency at University of Michigan
Audrey McMurtrie (2019-2020)
Master's student
Premedical Graduate Sciences Certificate Program (CERT), VCU
BA, University of Notre Dame
Awards: Poland Award in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at VCU
Current position: MD student at VCU
Mohamed Aarif Abdul Kareem (2019-2020)
Master's student
Premedical Graduate Sciences Certificate Program (CERT), VCU
Visiting student at Universidad Autónoma in Madrid, Spain
BA, Boston University
Awards: Certificate of Recognition in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at VCU
Current position: DM student at University of Pittsburgh
Xiomara Cuno Lavilla (2017-2019)
Undergraduate summer rotation student
BS student at Thomas Nelson Community College
Awards: VCU Bridges to Baccalaureate (R25GM102795)
Current position: Undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins University
Dexter Jandres Rivera
Visiting High School Student
Travis Cuddy (2017-2019)
Master's student
Current position: Anesthesiology Residency at VCU
Jong Shin (2017-2018)
Master's student
Next position: Postbac IRTA fellow at NINDS
Yashu Sampathkumar (2018)
MD summer rotation student
Cassandra Dunn (2017-2018)
Research Assistant
Maryum Ijaz (2016-2017)
Master's student
Current position: MD student at VCU
Ana Sánchez-González (2017)
Visiting student
PhD student, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain
Supriya Gaitonde (2016-2017)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Current position: Research Scientist at Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Ashkhan Hojati (2016-2017)
Research Assistant
Current position: MD student at Carle Illinois College of Medicine
Kelsey Hideshima (2015-2017)
Research Assistant
Current position: MD student at University of California, Davis
Next position: Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at University of California, Davis
Juan F. López-Giménez (2016)
Visiting Professor
Research Professor at CSIC in Santander, Spain
José L. Moreno (2008-2016)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Awards: Spain Ministry of Science and Education Postdoctoral Fellowship (2008-2009)
Next position: Scientist at GSK in Stevenage, UK
Current position: Head of Analytical Services at VIVEbiotech in Donostia, Spain
Luna Fomsgaard (2016)
Visiting Student
Master's student at Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark
Apostolia Baki (2015)
Assistant Professor
Next position: Assistant Professor at Northeastern University
Daisuke Ibi (2012 – 2015)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Awards: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship (2012-2013)
The Uehara Memorial Foundation Fellowship (2014-2015)
Current position: Assistant Professor at Meijo University in Nagoya, Japan
Terrell Holloway (2009 – 2014)
Research Assistant
Awards: AMA Foundation Minority Scholars Award
Distinction in Research
Next position: MD Student, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Current position: Psychiatry Residency at Yale School of Medicine
Jeremy Seto (2011 – 2014)
Visiting Scientist
Current position: Assistant Professor at New York City College of Technology, CUNY
Spencer Sharp (2013 – 2014)
CEYE Student
Next position: Undergraduate student at Case Western Reserve University
Aintzane García-Bea (2012 and 2013)
Visiting PhD Student
Awards: Basque Country Fellowship
Next position: Postdoctoral fellow at University of Oxford, England
Current position: Scientist at Faes Farma, Bilbao, Spain
Tess Lewis-Jacus (2012)
Visiting High School Student
Ariel Ben-Ezra (2012)
Visiting High School Student
Vinayak Rayannavar (2011 – 2012)
Visiting Undergraduate Student
Next position: PhD Student, NYU Sackler Institute
Verónica Vargas (2011)
Visiting PhD Student
Awards: Spain Ministry of Science and Innovation Fellowship
Giuseppe Mocci (2011)
Visiting PhD Student
Awards: CSIC Fellowship
Next position: Postdoctoral fellow at The Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Fuencisla Pilar-Cuellar (2011)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Awards: Fundación Alicia Koplowitz Fellowship
Next position: Staff Scientist, CSIC, Santander, Spain.
Alexey A. Kozlenkov (2010 – 2011)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Current position: Assistant Professor at James J Peters VA Medical Center, New York
Adrienne Umali (2010 – 2012)
Master’s Student
Awards: Master’s in Biomedical Sciences Thesis Award
Next position: Fellow, Lehman College at CUNY
Jeffrey D. Ruta (2010)
Visiting Undergraduate Student
Next position: MD student, Drexel University
Current position: Neurology Residency at Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Mitsumasa Kurita (2009 – 2011)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Current position: Senior Research Scientist at Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Osaka, Japan
Javier López Arqueros (2008)
Visiting Researcher
Current position: Neurologist at Hospital Universitario in Alicante, Spain