• Hometown: San Diego, CA
• Favorite color: Vermillion
• Favorite disney character: Scar from the Lion King
• Scientific hero(es): Rosalind Franklin, Marian Diamond
• Favorite non-neuro/non-development arena: Performance studies
• Spirit animal: Elephant
• Lab call sign/nickname: Arpanara
• Personal motto:
  “There is no substitute for hard work.” -Thomas Edison

I graduated from UC Berkeley with a double major in Theater, Dance and Performance Studies and Molecular and Cell Biology. My early exposure to scientific research studying mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in Dr. Steve Finkbeiner’s lab at UCSF and as a Master’s student in Dr. Leslie Weiner’s lab at USC shaped my interests in stem cell biology and disease modeling. It was during my PhD at UCSF in the Panagiotakos lab where I became absolutely fascinated by the regulation and function of intraorganellar calcium stores and how they influence the behaviors of the stem and progenitor cells of the developing cortex. Now as a postdoc, I am excited to continue investigating how calcium signaling mechanisms and ion channel diversity influence cortical development. When I’m not at the bench, I enjoy playing the piano and attending the theater.

• Hometown: West Hempstead, NY
• Favorite color: Blue
• Favorite disney character: Mushu
• Scientific hero(es): Rosalind Franklin, Jonas Salk
• Favorite non-neuro/non-development arena: Hematology, Astronomy
• Spirit animal: Unicorn
• Lab call sign/nickname: Raq
• Personal motto:
  “Though she be but little she is fierce.” –Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

I graduated from Queens College CUNY with a major in Neuroscience and Biology. During my time there, I conducted research in the Tajerian lab, where I studied the effects of chronic pain on mouse behavior as well as the microvasculature of the hippocampus. My fascination with the human brain deepened when I participated in the BRAINterns webinar series through Lenox Hill Hospital. When I’m not in the lab, you can often find me in a Regal movie theater, capturing the beauty of nature through photography, or volunteering as an EMT at my local fire department.

• Hometown: Patchogue, NY
• Favorite color: Beige
• Favorite disney character: Stitch
• Scientific hero(es): Rosalind Franklin, Charles Drew
• Favorite non-neuro/non-development arena: Cardiology
• Spirit animal: Phoenix and ducks
• Lab call sign/nickname: Kat
• Personal motto:
  “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” -Louisa May Alcott

Hi! I am a proud Latina Long Islander studying Biology–Concentration in Neuroscience at Stony Brook University. My interest in neuro sparked early on when I entered a program throughout middle-high school and especially took off in my first neuro class in college. I unexpectedly came across Panagiotakos Lab one Tuesday night and now Tuesdays are my favorite. I love reading comics and watching dramas. When I’m not studying or working, you can find me reading at the beach or supervising a preschooler.

• Hometown: Tangshan, China
• Favorite color: any color looks pretty
• Favorite disney character: Elsa
• Scientific hero(es): Hedy Lamarr, Vera Rubin
• Favorite non-neuro/non-development arena: Sociology
• Spirit animal: Capybara
• Lab call sign/nickname: Meilin
• Personal motto:
  “No man has ever lived in the past, and none will live in the future; the present alone is the form of all life, and is its sure possession which can never be taken from it.” –Arthur Schopenhauer

I graduated from UW-Madison in Biochemistry. I was an undergrad researcher in Dr. William Hickey’s lab working on phosphorus solubilizing bacteria which can be used as biofertilizer. Following this, I pursued and obtained my Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. Shortly after graduation, I joined Dr. Yvette Yien’s lab as a technician and worked on the impact of iron deficiency during early developmental stages on red blood cell development, utilizing zebrafish as a model organism. My first exposure to brain development and calcium channel was during DRS-bytes event where Dr. Panagiotakos gave a compelling 5-min presentation on the regulation of calcium isoforms and their contribution to brain development. Her talk ignited my fascination with this field. My interest in brain development has been growing since I started my rotation in the lab.

• Hometown: Indiana, Canada, China
• Favorite color: Hot pink
• Favorite disney character: Baby Yoda
• Scientific hero(es): Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Roger Y. Tsien
• Favorite non-neuro/non-development arena: Hip-hop
• Spirit animal: tarsier
• Lab call sign/nickname: The Tone-ster
• Personal motto:
  “Heroes come and go, but legends are forever.” -Kobe

I was made in China but exported to America to study in middle school. Then I moved from Indiana to California, where I attended UC Berkeley for undergraduate studies with the focus of molecular and cell biology – neurobiology. At Berkeley, I pursued my interest in Neuroscience with Dr. Ehud Isacoff by investigating the significance of experience in brain circuitry and behavior in zebrafish larval prey capture. I also studied neuroanatomy and neurodevelopment of pediatric epilepsy using zebrafish models with Dr. Scott Baraban. Prior to joining the OCS PhD program, I worked in the Schneider Lab at UCSF, studying the molecular and cellular processes that give rise to mandibular size and shape. I have a keen interest in the mechanisms that govern craniofacial development and its intricate connections with brain development with the goal of finding potential clinical treatments for congenital defects. Outside of school and work, I enjoy a good pot of tea with friends, speed-dialing Kanye, and brushing my teeth.

• Hometown: California
• Favorite color: Hot pink
• Scientific hero: Whoever offers the most belly rubs
• Spirit animal: Skeptical Hummingbird
• Lab call sign/nickname: Ellie-girl
• Personal motto: “Did you say snackie?”