INSTITUTE GRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE TRAINING PROGRAM SCHOLARS

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2019
Complex Systems and Brain Sciences
Mentor: Robert Vertes Ph.D.
Thesis topic: Involvement of the nucleus reuniens of the ventral midline thalamus in cognitive tasks involving the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. 
arojas2016@fau.edu
BS Neuroscience & Behavior/Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

"I am a 2nd year student in the Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences Ph.D. program, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2019. As an undergraduate, I majored in Neuroscience and Behavior with a minor in Psychology at Florida Atlantic University, and am particularly interested in the nucleus reuniens, which is a midline thalamic nuclei that is strongly connected to the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Currently under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Vertes, I am investigating the role of the nucleus reuniens in a cognitive tasks that are implicated in frontal lobe disorders, such as ADHD, schizophrenia, and addiction. This preclinical research could point to this nuclei as a possible area of treatment in patients suffering from those disorders. I was attracted to the GNTP because of the ability to rotate in labs with Drs. Henriette van Pragg, Carmen Varela and my mentor Dr. Robert Vertes where I was able to gain new experiences, as well as the neuroscience community that FAU has created with Max Plank and Scripps. I hope you will consider joining our program!"

"In my lab photo, I'm conducting a chromagen reaction on brain tissue to visualize the spread of a DREADD (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs) injection. This allows for the amplification of the fluorophore, and histology that is able to be appreciated by the naked eye." 

“I attended and presented my research at the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Conference that was held in San Diego, California in 2018; The highlight of my trip was meeting Dr. Trevor Robbins, University of Cambridege, when he came to my poster, and talked to me about my research!”

Poster Title: "Chemogenetic inactivation of nucleus reuniens impairs behavioral flexibility in an odor texture attentional set shifting task."

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2019
Integrative Biology/Neuroscience
Mentor: Larry Toll, Ph.D.
Thesis topic: TBD
arainey2016@fau.edu
MS Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
BS Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

“I am a 2^nd year student in the Integrative Biology Ph.D. program, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2019. As an undergraduate I majored in Zoology, and a master’s degree in Biology/Neuroscience working with Dr. Dawn Blitz on locating tachykinin-related peptide neurons in the nervous system of the Jonah crab at Miami University (Ohio). I was attracted to the GNTP when I was at the Society for Neuroscience GNTP Graduate School Fair booth in 2018, where Dr. Kate Guthrie told me about the program and the great research opportunities at FAU. My interests include neuromodulation, neural circuitry, and sensory systems. I have a special interest in pain circuitry and modulation. During my first year lab rotations I trained under Drs. Kate Guthrie, Tanja Godenschwege, and Larry Toll, and will continue my research working with Dr. Larry Toll in his lab in the FAU College of Medicine."

 

“I was recruited to the GNTP at the SfN Graduate School Fair booth in November 2018 when I met Dr. Kate Guthrie! I hope you will apply to join this great program!”

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2018
Integrative Biology/Neuroscience
Mentors: Alex C. Keene, Ph. D. & Johanna Kowalko, Ph.D.
Thesis topic: The characterization of a simple startle circuit in Astyanax mexicanus
paza2018@fau.edu
BS Biology, St. Bonaventure University, Allegany, New York 

“I’m a 3rd year student in the Integrative Biology Neuroscience Ph.D. program, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2018. As an undergraduate, I majored in Biology at St. Bonaventure University, in Allegany, New York and have always been interested in both ecology and neuroscience. Working with my mentors, Dr. Johanna Kowalko and Dr. Alex Keene, I have been able to combine my two passions! I am currently utilizing the Mexican cavefish to investigate how environmental differences shape the evolution of behavior. Specifically, I study a highly conserved predator evasion response and the circuit that underlies it. I rotated in labs with both of my mentors and with Dr. Erik Duboue. I chose the GNTP because of the chance to work in an environment that values collaboration and brings together professionals from a variety of disciplines. I hope you’ll consider joining us!”

“In my lab photo, I am using spinal microinjections to label and image the Mauthner neurons in 6 day old fish larvae. These neurons may look simple, but they perform the complex tasks of integrating sensory information and decision making! In our lab we utilize multiple cave and river populations of the Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, to investigate how environment shapes the evolution of behavior. In order to do this we need a complete understanding of how exactly their habitats differ. We are working to characterize the microbial community living with the fish, the geochemistry of their host environment, and any biogeochemical linkages between these systems.”

“We traveled to caves in the Sierra del Abra region of Mexico as part of an investigation into the various habitats of the Mexican cavefish. On this trip I traveled with a group of researchers from Oxford University and la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) to the Pachón and Tinaja caves where we were able to observe the fish in their natural environments. In collaboration with the lab of Dr. Magdalena Osburn at Northwestern University, we are working to characterize the microbial community living with the fish, as well as the geochemistry of their environment. By gaining a  more complete understanding of the fish’s environments we are better able to contextualize the behavioral differences we study in the lab.”

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2019
Integrative Biology/Neuroscience @ Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI)
Mentor: Ryohei Yasuda, Ph.D.
Thesis topic: The Roles of PKMζ and the other PKC Isoforms in the Maintenance of Long Term Memory
goz2017@fau.edu
BA Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 

"I am a 2nd year student in the Integrative Biology Neuroscience Ph.D. program, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2019. As an undergraduate, I majored in Psychology at Florida Atlantic University, and I am particularly interested in molecular basis of learning and memory. Currently under the tutelage of Dr. Ryohei Yasuda at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, I am investigating the compensatory role of PKC isoforms in the maintenance of long-term memory. I was attracted to the GNTP because of the unique training opportunity that it provides to the first year Ph.D. students not only at FAU, but also in globally known institutions like Max Planck and Scripps. Florida Atlantic University is a rapidly progressing public university, especially in the field of life sciences, and we have already started to see the impact of FAU students and the alumni worldwide. I hope you will consider joining our GNTP team and contribute to this professional and supportive academic environment that the FAU Brain Institute has created."

“In this lab photo, I am filling the tiny pores on the agarose gel to conduct gel electrophoresis, which is technique that is used to sort the molecules based on their size differences.”

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2018
Complex Systems & Brain Sciences
Mentor: William Hahn, Ph.D.
Thesis topic: Translating mnemonic representations into motor plans. 
President Neuroscience Student Organization
anouri2015@fau.edu
BA Psychology, University of Texas-Arlington, Arlington, TX

“I am a 3rd year student in the Complex Systems & Brain Sciences Ph.D. program, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2018. As an undergraduate, I majored in Psychology at the University of Texas-Arlington, and am particularly interested in the neural mechanisms of visual attention and working memory. Currently under the tutelage of Dr. Edward Ester, I use EEG and fMRI to investigate how people translate mental representations into specific action plans. I was attracted to the GNTP because it provides the opportunity to get hands on experience with a wide variety of different neuroscience disciplines through lab rotations during the first year with Drs.  Elan Barenholtz, Ed Ester, and on the Jupiter campus at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience with Dr. McLean Bolton. The GNTP provided ready access to investigators, labs, and resources at not only FAU, but also MPFI, and Scripps Florida. If you are looking for high level training and research in neuroscience, I can’t imagine any better place!”
"We used EEG to reconstruct and quantify visual working memory representations over time, and track the fidelity of location information during the memory tasks."

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2018
Complex Systems & Brain Sciences
Mentor: William Alexander, Ph.D.
Thesis topic: TBD
bkocaoglu2018(at)fau.edu
MA Philosophy, Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey
BA Philosophy, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey

“I got my master’s degree at METU (Informatics Institute and Department of Philosophy) where I worked on the intersection of mathematical logic and cognitive algorithms. In my thesis, I questioned the trade-off between the model assumptions in causal models (how causality is represented and implemented in models) and the complexity of the phenomenon that is to be modeled. Currently, I am working on computational models of brain function under the supervision of Dr. William Alexander at the Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences. I entered the program through GNTP after working in lab rotations with Drs. Emmanuelle Tognoli, Eric Engeberg, and William Alexander. Nationally competitive stipends and the interdisciplinarity were the attractions of GNTP. Pictured here I am discussing the ways to improve the runtime of my algorithm at a lab meeting.”

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2019
Integrative Biology/Neuroscience @ Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI)
Mentor: Ryohei Yasuda, Ph.D.
Thesis topic: TBD
dholder2019@fau.edu
MBA, Columbia University, New York, NY
BS Mechanical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

“I am in the Integrative Biology Neuroscience Ph.D. program in my 2^nd year, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2019. As an undergraduate, I majored in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, and as a masters graduate I majored in Business Administration at Columbia University in New York City. I'm particularly interested in the molecular signaling cascades that are associated with memory, focus, and attention. Currently under the tutelage of Dr. Ryohei Yasuda at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, I am developing a multi-photon mini-microscope. The flexibility that the GNTP program provided me was instrumental in finding my passion as I was also able to rotate in labs with Drs. David Fitzpatrick, and Yingxue Wang also at MPFI. I hope you will consider joining our program!”

"In my lab photo, am carefully inserting an aspheric lens into the laser path for a multi-photon mini-microscope. This head mounted microscope will allow for the investigation of molecular signaling dynamics in freely-behaving mice using fluorescence-lifetime imaging of forster resonance energy transfer.”

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2018
Complex Systems & Brain Sciences
Mentor: Elan Barenholtz, Ph.D.
Thesis topic: TBD
Rstclair2012@fau.edu
BS Neuroscience & Behavior/Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 

“I am in the Complex Systems & Brain Sciences Ph.D. program in my 3^rd year, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2018. As an undergraduate, I majored in Biology at Florida Atlantic University, and am particularly interested in applied deep learning and machine perception. Currently under the tutelage of Dr. Elan Barenholtz, I am investigating natural language techniques for protein binding site specificities and information processing in autonomous systems. I was able to rotate in labs across different disciplines with Drs. Ken Dawson-Scully and Elan Barenholtz. I was attracted to the GNTP because of the interdisciplinary integration and ability to be surrounded by other ambitious students. I hope you will consider joining our program!”

"I am coding a convolutional neural network to look at images of proteins and predict their binding ability to DNA."

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2018
Experimental Psychology
Mentor: Sang Wook Hong, Ph.D.
Thesis Topic: Individual Difference in Binocular Rivalry Dynamics
yyoon2018@fau.edu
MA & BA Psychology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, South Korea

“I am in the Experimental Psychology Ph.D. program in my 3^rd year, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2018. As an undergraduate and masters graduate student, I majored in Psychology at Chungbuk National University in Cheongju, South Korea. I am particularly interested in visual information processing, binocular rivalry, and brain imaging techniques. Currently under the instruction of Dr. Sang Wook Hong, I am investigating the mechanism of binocular rivalry by focusing on individual differences in rivalry dynamics. The GNTP provided me with being able to also work in a lab rotation with Dr. Edward Ester. I  was attracted to the GNTP because of the fact that there are many opportunities to experience diverse research fields and various research facilities. This is a great program!”

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2019
Complex Systems and Brain Sciences
Mentor: William Alexander, Ph.D.
Thesis topic: Decision-Making and Cognitive Control
gallagherr2016@fau.edu
BS Neuroscience & Behavior/Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

“I am in the Complex Systems and Brain Sciences Ph.D. program in my 2^nd year, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2019. As an undergraduate, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavior, and a 2^nd Bachelor of Science in Biology from Florida Atlantic University. I am particularly interested in value based decision-making, reward processing and learning reinforcement. Currently under the tutelage of Dr. William Alexander, I am investigating how multiple informational cues are integrated to then be used in executing the appropriate behavior. I was attracted to the GNTP because of faculty and resources available that best allowed me to pursue my intellectual interests in lab rotations with Drs. Teresa Wilcox, Elan Barenholtz, and William Alexander. I hope you will consider joining our program!” 

"I am working on fitting a computational model to data I had previously collected. The data was collected during a study that investigated learning rates and preferred sequencing of informational cues.” 

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2018
Experimental Psychology
Mentor: Sang Wook Hong, Ph.D.
Thesis topic: Decoding of Face Stimuli in Basic Facial Expression and Anti-Expression Conditions
bescobar2018@fau.edu
BS Psychology, Pennsylvania State University
GNTP Lab Rotations: Dr. Edward Ester

“I am in the Experimental Psychology Ph.D. program in my 3rd year, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2018. As an undergraduate, I majored in Human Development and minored in Psychology at Pennsylvania State University. I am particularly interested in Cognitive and Developmental Neuroscience. Currently under the tutelage of Dr. Sang Wook Hong, I am investigating the neurological responses surrounding the processing of basic emotional faces and anti-expression stimuli and decoding such patterns. Currently, I am in the phase of collecting the behavioral data of my research, which will allow us to see how people classify basic expressions and their anti-expression counterparts.  Soon we'll be collecting EEG data, that when combined with decoding techniques will allow us to examine if there is a nature and emotional value of anti-expressions in the brain.  Work such as this will provide us insights into how robust the brain is regarding the processing and coding of faces.  I was attracted to the GNTP because of the chance to gain guidance and support from multiple professors through GNTP lab rotations with Drs. Ed Ester and Sang Hong, and I desperately needed to leave behind the frigid winters up north. I hope you will consider joining our program!”

Entered: Graduate Neuroscience Training Program 2019
Integrative Biology/Neuroscience @ Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI)
Mentor: Yingxue Wang, Ph.D.
Thesis topic: Hippocampal Neuromodulatory Circuits
kcitrin2019@fau.edu
BS Psychology/Neuroscience, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

“I am a 2nd year student in the Integrative Biology Neuroscience Ph.D. program, entering through the GNTP in the Fall of 2019. As an undergraduate at the University of Connecticut, I majored in Psychology and minored in Neuroscience and English. I'm particularly interested in how and why the brain remembers certain events but not others. Under the guidance of Dr. Yingxue Wang at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI), I am investigating the role of hippocampal neuromodulatory circuits in working memory. I was attracted to the GNTP because of the wealth of resources shared between FAU, MPFI, and Scripps. This gave me the ability to work in three GNTP lab rotations on the Jupiter campus with Dr. Carmen Varela, Dr. Sathya Puthanveettil at Scripps Research, and with my mentor Dr. Yingxue Wang at MPFI. While neuroscience is just one of many programs at other universities, at FAU Jupiter campus, brain research is the focal point. I hope you will consider joining our program!”