Victoria is a Neuroscience PhD candidate in Dr. Josh Gold’s lab studying decision-making. She is interested in when we flexibly change our decision strategies in response to changes in the environment, and how the brain gets it done. When not working she loves to be outside, preferably near a body of water, and enjoys traveling and nature photography. 

Eve is a Neuroscience PhD candidate at UPenn in the lab of Dr. Natali Chanaday where she studies the role of calcium channels in synaptic plasticity and neurological disease. When she’s not in lab, you can find Eve walking dogs, enjoying a book and matcha at a coffee shop, lounging in Rittenhouse park, or making miscellaneous art/crafts. 

Nita is a Neuroscience PhD student working in both the Betley and Machado labs. She is interested in different types of motivation, and her research examines and compares the brain circuits that drive an animal to run under different conditions (ex: spontaneous vs escape). In her free, Nita enjoys swimming, running, and knitting on the couch while listening to an audiobook.

Stephanie is a Neuroscience PhD candidate in Dr. Edward Lee’s lab at UPenn. With a background in chemical biology and neuroscience, her doctoral work focuses on developing small molecule therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative diseases. When she is not in lab, Stephanie is often trying new restaurants around Philadelphia (her goal is to try as many as possible before graduation), roller blading along the Schuylkill River, or watching a Broadway musicals in the city.

Serena is a Neuroscience PhD student at Penn interested in the mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease. She is also curious about how neurons can regrow following neurodegeneration or injury. When not in the lab, Serena loves anything that will allow her to explore the outdoors. She also enjoys trying out new recipes in the kitchen and honing in her creative side through painting.

Allison Fultz is a Neuroscience PhD student interested in uncovering how specific genes influence the development of neurons in the zebrafish retina. When she is not in the lab, Allison can be found curled up with a good book, hanging out at a coffee shop, or exploring new spots in and around Philadelphia.

Omer is a PhD student at Penn with a background in how the brain regulates social behavior and competition. Outside of lab, Omer enjoys gardening, sci-fi, and biking along the Schuylkill river.

Margaret is a neuroscience PhD student interested in using neuroimaging to study the basis of psychiatric disorders. She can often be found in coffee shops, listening to comedy/paranormal podcasts, or doting on her dog, Sasquatch. 

Stephen is a neuroscience PhD student interested in translational neuroscience with a focus on Alzheimer’s, gut-brain communication, and psychedelics.  After obtaining his BA in neuroscience from Hamilton College in 2020, he completed a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.  When not in the lab, Stephen is likely outside engaging in activities like hiking, skiing, and backpacking, or can be found brewing his next beer.

Andrew is a neuroscience PhD student in at Penn. He is broadly interested in circadian rhythms, sleep, the gut-brain axis, innate behaviors, neuroimmunology, and neurodegeneration. Beyond the lab, you can find him in the kitchen cooking, tending to his various plants, rollerblading and longboarding, and hanging out with his dog, Bruno. 

Carly is a Neuroscience PhD student in the lab of Dr. Matthew Kayser at UPenn. For her thesis, she is studying the impact of sleep and neurodevelopmental genes on neurodegeneration and repair. When she isn’t in lab, Carly loves reading, running, singing, and spending time with her adorable pit bull Kiska.

Hayley is a Neuroscience PhD student broadly interested in neuroimmunology. Her work in Dr. Richard Phillips’ lab focuses on uncovering the mechanisms of T cell infiltration in glioblastoma. Outside of the lab, Hayley enjoys reading, running along the Schuylkill river, crocheting, and checking out new restaurants in Philly.

Carris is a Neuroscience PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. Her work focuses on understanding the cell biology of the KIF1A motor, and how its trafficking affect neuronal pathways. Her hobbies are weight lifting and taking her dog on walks!

Lucas Tittle is a PhD student in the labs of Dr. Guillaume de Lartigue and Dr. Kevin Bolding. His research is at the intersection of the olfactory system and gut-brain axis, and how external signals like odors and internal signals interact to change feeding behavior.

Emma is a Neuroscience PhD student at Penn in the labs of Dave Wolk and Sandy Das. Her work focuses on using neuroimaging to model resilience and vulnerability to normal aging-related brain changes. Outside the lab, Emma can be found cooking and baking up a storm or rewatching 2000’s romcoms.

Meagan is a Neuroscience PhD student in Dr. Elizabeth Bhoj’s lab at Penn and CHOP. Meagan has interests spanning neurodevelopment, stem cell biology, genetics/epigenetics, and bioethics. She is motivated to develop in vitro models of the brain, such as organoids, to advance personalized medicine and gene therapies for neurodevelopmental syndromes. Outside of the lab, she enjoys practicing yoga and spending time with her kitties.

Sophia is a Neuroscience PhD student in the labs of Dr. Nicholas Balderston and Dr. Minghong Ma. Her research investigates how non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, produce their therapeutic effects, aiming to advance personalized psychiatric care. When she isn’t in the lab, you can find Sophia on her yoga mat, thrifting for hidden gems, or relaxing with a good book and a cup of coffee.

Sophia is a Neuroscience PhD student in the Corder Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research aims to investigate the cellular and circuit mechanisms of pain relief, including how psychedelics may reshape neural circuits to promote analgesia with the goal to develop targeted, non-invasive gene-therapy strategies to reduce pain hypersensitivity following nerve injury. When not in the lab, Sophia enjoys yoga, painting, and trying new restaurants around Philly.