Postdoctoral Fellows
David Cinalli, Ph.D.
Mentor: Randy Blakely, Ph.D.
Email: dcinalli2013@fau.edu
As a postdoctoral fellow focused in community outreach and engagement, my focus is on educational programs in neuroscience for middle school and high school students. As Director of the MobileMinds program, I lead a team of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students in engaging with students particularly at Title I schools in underserved communities across Palm Beach County and beyond. We hope to inspire the next generation of young scientists and encourage and empower them in their education journey to pursue STEM career pathways.
Sarah J. Cohen, Ph.D.
Mentor: Robert Stackman, Ph.D.
Email: scohen39@my.fau.edu
My research investigates the brain mechanisms underlying complex behaviors such a learning and memory. With a focus on the hippocampal formation, I employ multiple neuropharmacological and molecular techniques to examine how the brain stores and represents information. Read more about my research.
Paula Gajewski-Kurdziel, Ph.D.
Mentor: Randy Blakely, Ph.D.
Email: pgajewski@health.fau.edu
My research focuses on uncovering the cellular and molecular networks that support immune system modulation of CNS serotonergic signaling. I am exploring how these networks impact the regulation of the serotonin transporter and the specific serotonergic pathways that mediate immune system modulation of behavior. Read more about my research.
Tao Ke, Ph.D.
Mentor: Lucia Carvelli, Ph.D.
Email: tke@fau.edu
I joined the Carvelli lab following my postdoctoral research on dopaminergic neurotoxicity of methylmercury in Dr. Michael Aschner lab at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In the Carvelli lab, I am studying the effects caused by long-term exposure to the psychostimulants, such as amphetamine. I use C. elegans model and in vitro cell cultures to identify the epigenetic mechanisms implicated in the long-term effects caused by amphetamine in the dopaminergic neurons.
Lillian Onwuha-Ekpete, Ph.D.
Mentor: Greg Fields, Ph.D.
Email: lonwuhae@fau.edu
As a post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Gregg Fields, I oversee three research projects that focus on (1) cancer organoids, (2) rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and (3) multiple sclerosis (MS). In the cancer organoid project, we seek to characterize patient specific responses to chemotherapeutic drugs. In the RA project the goal is to elucidate the role of MMP-13 processing of type II collagen RA progression. In the MS project we will be elucidating the immunoregulatory role(s) of gelatinases (matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9).
Felix Mayer, Ph.D.
Mentor: Randy Blakely, Ph.D.
Email: mayerf@health.fau.edu
My research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that permit the dopamine transporter (DAT) to respond dynamically to dopamine and other modulatory neurotransmitters. My studies are designed to contribute to our understanding of how DAT is regulated, and ultimately, identify pharmacologically relevant targets for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders arising from disruptions in DA-ergic signaling. Read more about my research.
Dan Nemeth, Ph.D.
Mentor: Ning Quan, Ph.D.
Email: nemethd@fau.edu
Daniel Nemeth, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Ning Quan, Ph.D in the College of Medicine. Dr. Nemeth received his doctorate from The Ohio State University where he researched unique and cell-type specific signaling pathways associated with prolonged infection and persistent neuroinflammation. At OSU, he focused his research how the immune receptor, Interleukin-1 Receptor (IL-1R1), contributes to the bicellular communication between brain vasculature and resident immune cell of the brain, microglia, during prolonged inflammation. Nemeth’s current research utilizes transgenic mouse models created by the Quan lab to discover the function of neuronal IL-1R1 and to understand the contribution of IL-1R1 signaling in epilepsy.
Casey Rudzinski, Ph.D.
Mentor: Nicole Baganz, Ph.D.
Email: crudzinski@fau.edu
Casey Rudzinski, Ph.D., joined FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute as a postdoctoral fellow in scientific communications and community engagement. In his postdoctoral role, he serves as assistant to the director of Community Engagement and Programming for the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute. He received his doctorate degree in education from Northcentral University in California and researched social-emotional wellness in education-based athletics, assessing areas such as mental health literacy and community resources. In addition to his work in sport psychology and mental health advocacy, he spent more than a decade in athletics, K-12 education, and community relations.
Matthew S. Schrier, Ph.D.
Mentor: Ning Quan, Ph.D.
Email: mschrier@health.fau.edu
I am interested in how serotonin uptake is modified by inflammation in models of depression and fatigue. Increasing extracellular serotonin levels in the brain is believed to initiate the effects of many antidepressants. My research seeks to elucidate the contribution of various brain cell types (particularly glial cells) in regulating extracellular serotonin in response to pro-inflammatory mediators, such as the cytokine interleukin-1. I also aim to understand the mechanisms by which this may occur.
Katarzyna Targowska-Duda, Ph.D.
Mentor: Larry Toll, Ph.D.
Email: ktargowskaduda@health.fau.edu
My research focuses on the role of NOP (Nociceptin OPioid) and nicotinic receptors in migraine. Using a nitroglycerin mouse model of migraine I can effectively mimic symptoms observed in migraineurs. I am focusing on the evaluation of NOP and nicotinic ligands effects on parameters of sensory (sensitivity of paw) and affective (conditioned place avoidance) migraine pain as well as light aversion in mice. I am also interested in elucidating the function of these receptors in microglia system in trigeminal ganglion and trigeminal nucleus caudalis under acute and chronic migraine conditions. My two-year postdoctoral position at Dr. Toll’s lab is funded by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education grant "Mobility Plus"(1662/1/MOB/V/17/2018/0).
Idaly Velez-Uribe, Ph.D.
Mentor: Monica Rosselli, Ph.D.
Email: ivelezur@fau.edu
I work with Dr. Monica Rosselli to collaborate with the 1FloridaADRC (https://1floridaadrc.org), one of the NIH's Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRC). My research focus is to explore methods to evaluate and diagnose individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds in a sensitive manner, including cognitively normal individuals and those presenting early signs of neurodegenerative diseases, to find effective methods for early diagnosis treatment. This framework emphasizes the role of cultural factors, quality and level of education, and language experience (i.e., bilingualism) in assessments and interventions on the progression of abnormal aging in culturally and ethnically diverse samples; including the complex interplay between bilingualism, cultural factors, cognitive decline, and biological markers of neurodegeneration.