Parise Lab Members

Katherine Willis

Katherine is a first year PhD student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at Florida Atlantic University. She conducts her research in Dr. Lyonna Parise’s laboratory, where she is studying neuroimmune function and Blood Brain Barrier integrity in a variety of settings. Her research interests are stress, alcohol use disorder, and Alzheimer's disease. 

Prior to joining the PhD program, Katherine worked at Sylamore Bio where contributed to the gene therapy and enzyme replacement therapy development for rare lysosomal storage disorders like Sanfilippo Syndrome.  She earned her BS in Psychology with a minor in Biology and a certificate of Neuropsychological Testing from Arkansas State University.

Suniyah Sohail

Sunyiah is a freshman majoring in Biomedical Engineering. She is very passionate about the intersection of engineering and medicine. She aspires to attend medical school to pursue a specialization in ophthalmology. Outside of academics, Sunyiah enjoys crocheting, chess, and spending time with friends.

Naïma L. Allonce

My name is Naïma L. Allonce, and I am a driven pre-med student and undergraduate researcher majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior with a minor in Psychology, constantly striving to learn and improve with each step. I currently serve as a Laboratory Assistant in the Parise Lab under Dr. Lyonna F. Parise, and I am a proud FAU LEARN 2025–2026 student under the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (OURI), as well as a Burger King Scholar. As a graduate of the College Academy dual enrollment program, I successfully earned both my high school diploma and my Associate of Arts degree from Broward College concurrently during my junior and senior years. My background combines data analysis and Excel proficiency with hands-on experience from independent research laboratories and core science lab classes, and showcases presentation skills at the 2026 OURI 16th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.