Student Profiles
Benjamin Goya
Program: Neural and Behavioral Science
B.S. Vassar College
Thesis Laboratory: Undecided
Research Interests & Experience: I am interested studying neurodegenerative diseases.
Adina Minkin
Program: Molecular & Cellular Biology
B.S. Case Western Reserve University
Thesis Laboratory: Undecided
Research Interests & Experience: Broadly interested in studying molecular mechanisms implicated in adaptive immunity
Rana Azab
Program: Neural and Behavioral Sciences
B.S. City college of New York
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. Salvador Dura-Bernal, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology
Research Interests & Experience: My research interests focus on uncovering how molecular and genetic perturbations drive large-scale neural circuit dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease. I am particularly interested in how risk factors such as APOE4 and proteinopathies like TDP-43 aggregation alter synaptic plasticity, neuron–glia communication, and ultimately motor network stability in ALS and related disorders. By integrating computational modeling with experimental data, I aim to bridge molecular mechanisms with systems-level outcomes to generate predictive, testable models of neurodegeneration.
Lianlen Joy Go Distor
lianlenjoy.distor@downstate.edu
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianlendistor/
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lianlen-Joy-Distor?ev=hdr_xprf
Program: Molecular and Cellular Biology
B.S. Loyola Marymount University (BS Biochemistry-ACS certified, and MS Healthcare Systems Engineering)
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. Mohamed Boutjdir, PhD Professor, SUNY Downstate Associate Chief of Staff for Research & Development, New York Harbor Health Care System (VAMC).
Research Interests & Experience: Molecular Cardio-Oncology Researcher at the Brooklyn VA (New York Harbor Healthcare System) PhD Candidate in Molecular and Cellular Biology, MS Healthcare Systems Engineer, and BS Biochemistry (and minor in Biology) graduate with experience in hypoglycemic effects, student dietary patterns, antibacterial activity, diabetes, and COVID-19's impact on youth. Additionally, I have clinical experience at Stanford University, worked in research at Kaiser Permanente, collaborated with UNESCO, and hold a patent related to my research in Diabetes. Skills include research methodology, scientific writing, and collaboration within multidisciplinary teams. Interested in research related to cancer, cardiology, and learning/memory.
Madhavi Jere
Program: Neural and Behavioral Sciences, MD/PhD
B.S. Vassar College
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. John Crary and Dr. Jenny Libien, Department of Pathology
Research Interests & Experience: Molecular Neuroscience
Anushka Phadnis
Program: Molecular and Cellular Biology
B.S. University of Skövde
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. David Christini, Senior Vice President for Research and Dean, School of Graduate Studies
Research Interests & Experience: My previous research spans from nutritional biology (understanding molecular effects of using iron supplements from different sources at molecular level) to cancer biology (developing therapeutic modalities targeting epigenetic regulators). I am extremely interested in pursuing research in either stem cell biology or cellular signaling.
Catherine Solis
Program: Neural and Behavioral Sciences
B.S. Syracuse University
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. Steven Macknic and Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde
Research Interests & Experience: I have a strong interest in the mechanisms of learning and memory in psychiatric disorders.
Johanna Steinbrecher
johanna.steinbrecher@downstate.edu
Program: Molecular and Cellular Biology
B.S. BS from Oregon State University; MS from Illinois Institute of Technology
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. Janice Brissette, Department of Cell Biology
Research Interests & Experience: My research career has spanned a variety of topics in both academia and industry and includes contributions to the fields of DNA repair, fungal evolution, allergic tolerance, radiobiology, and immunoassay development. I deeply enjoy applying the process of scientific discovery to improving human life.
Kianna von Maydell
kianna.vonmaydell@downstate.edu
Program: MD/PhD
B.S. Mills College
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. Rena Orman, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology
Research Interests & Experience: Background in mammalian functional genomics and enhancer biology, interested in evolutionary developmental biology, gene therapy and functional genomics.
Tadeusz Wroblewski
taduesz.wroblewski@downstate.edu
Program: MD/PhD
B.S. University of Denver
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. Tim Bigdeli and Dr. Ernest Barthelemy
Research Interests & Experience: I am interested in computational genetics and research related to health disparities.
Evan Davis
Program: Molecular and Cellular Biology, MD/PhD
B.S. Stony Brook University
Thesis Laboratory: John Danias, MD/PhD, Departments of Opthalmology and Cell Biology
Research Interests & Experience: My background includes structural biology research using cryo-EM while at Stony Brook and codon analytics and transcriptomics at SUNY Albany. I'm interested in diseases of the eye, specifically glaucoma and macular degeneration, and enjoy learning and employing computational methods to solve biological problems.
Sonal Dharani
Program: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Sunday Joseph Fajobi
Program: Neural and Behavioral Sciences
B.Pharm. Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. Peter Bergold, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology
Research Interests & Experience: I began my career as a pharmacist, with a deep interest in translational science, bridging experimental research with therapeutic applications, especially for neurological conditions, where there are so many unmet clinical needs. I currently study the role of tau isoforms in learning and memory following traumatic brain injury in mice. My long-term goal is to contribute to neuroscience-driven drug discovery and development, particularly for Alzheimer's disease and related dementia.
Tarek Khashan
Program: Neural and Behavioral Sciences
B.S. West University of Timisoara
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. Salvador Dura-Bernal
Research Interests & Experience: Background in Neuroimmunology, Stem Cell Modeling, Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative diseases, and cell isolation from fresh post-mortem brain tissue.
Interested in investigating the impact of cognitive state-altering methods on brain oscillations in vivo, and the molecular and cellular outcomes of these changes, such as: changes in gene expression, DNA methylation, synaptic plasticity, chromatin remodeling, and mitochondrial function of neurons, through different modeling approaches.
Syamantak Mukherjee
syamantak.mukherjee@downstate.edu
Program: Neural and Behavioral Sciences
B.S: Pune, India
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. Alexandro Ramirez, Department of Cell Biology
Research Interests & Experience: Our lab studies neural circuit dynamics in decision making. We use larval zebrafish and two photon microscopy to gain insights into which neural circuits (and how) are involved in generating internally driven actions in the absence of sensory stimuli.
Lina Pedraza Ortiz
lina.pedrazaortiz@downstate.edu
Program: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Dativo Sanchez-Gonzalez
dativo.sanchez-gonzalez@downstate.edu
University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Barcelona (UB) and The Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), MS in advance immunology
Program: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Thesis Laboratory: Dr. Itsaso Garcia-Arcos, Department of Cell Biology
Research interest and experience: My interest in biology, particularly in the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing cell function, began during high school and continued to grow throughout my bachelor's degree in biochemistry and my master's in advanced immunology. Before enrolling in the Ph.D. program, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Garcia-Arcos as a lab technician. Her research, which focuses on lipid metabolism in the lungs—one of my primary areas of interest—aligns closely with my academic aspirations and passion for understanding biological processes.
Fathema Z. Uddin
Program: Molecular and Cellular Biology, MD/PhD
B.S. The City College of New York (CUNY)
M.S. The City College of New York (CUNY)
Thesis Laboratory: Charles Rudin, PhD, MSKCC
Research Interests & Experience: I have a strong interest in the field of Oncology. My previous research includes conducting CRISPR screens to discover drug targets in rare lung cancers with poor response to current therapies, including subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma and small-cell lung cancer. I also completed my Master’s thesis at The City College of New York where I investigated chemotherapy-induced cognitive-impairment in a rodent model. I aspire to continue building my investigative skills with my emergent medical knowledge at SUNY Downstate and bring innovative therapies for cancer patients.
Rachel Furhang
Program: Neural and Behavioral Science
B.S. CUNY- College of Staten Island, Macaulay Honors College
Thesis Laboratory: Peter Bergold, PhD; Department of Pharmacology and Physiology
Research Interests & Experience: Chronic effects of brain injury, neurodegeneration, and the influence of sex on recovery from injury.
Andrew Patera
Program: Molecular and Cellular Biology, MD/PhD
B.S. Johns Hopkins University
Thesis Laboratory: Prem Premsrirut, MD, PhD; Department of Cell Biology
Research Interests & Experience: My previous research in materials chemistry led to my interest in working on fabrication of biomedical devices and exploring probe-target interactions for sensing. Additionally, my clinical interests are in radiology, immunology, and infectious disease.
Dzov (Zoe) Singman
Program: Neural and Behavioral Science, MD/PhD
B.S. Stevenson University
Thesis Laboratory: Jacquelyn Meyers, PhD; Department of Psychiatry
Research Interests & Experience: Eating disorder and substance use disorder comorbidity.
Isaac Vingan
Program: Neural and Behavioral Science, MD/PhD
B.S. Binghamton University
Thesis Laboratory: Juan Marcos Alarcon, PhD; Department of Pathology
Research Interests & Experience: My project is focused on investigating the neuro-molecular changes that coincide with behavioral experiences in mice. Specifically, we are looking at the transcriptomic make up of the dorsal hippocampal network following the recall of a cognitively demanding behavioral paradigm known as active place avoidance. We plan to implement a variety of molecular techniques to interrogate the coincident transcriptional changes, such as, but not limited to: Bulk RNA-Seq, snRNA-Seq and Spatial Transcriptomics.
Andrew Wang
Program: Biomedical Engineering, MD/PhD
B.S. University of California, Berkeley
Thesis Laboratory: Jin Montclare, PhD; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, NYU
Research Interests & Experience: Biomaterials for drug delivery, sensing, molecular imaging; Cardiovascular health.