People

People are our most important asset and our most successful lab product!

Current Laboratory Members

**Martha Bhattacharya** is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience. Please visit this page for a more detailed biography and CV.

Liz Wright is a PhD student in the Neuroscience GIDP program. She graduated from Bradley University with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Psychology in 2019.

**Hannatu Ismail** is a Research Technician II in the lab who started in August 2022. She is a 2022 graduate of Alcorn State University.

**Zac Yahiku** is a PhD student in the Neuroscience GIDP program. He hails from Hawai’i and graduated from the University of Hawai’i.

**Kiara Bachtle** is a PhD student in the Pharmacology and Toxicology PhD program. She joined the lab in 2023.

**Andy Powell** is a Research Technician who joined the lab in May 2022.

**Marissa Vivaldo** is an undergraduate researcher in the lab. She started in Summer 2021.

**Gamaliel Luna** is an undergraduate student researcher in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science program.

**Aditi Ghosh** is an undergraduate student researcher who is majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

**Susan Sharpe** is an undergraduate research student who is majoring in Plant Science.

**Sophia Buchanan** is an undergraduate student who is majoring in Physiology and Medical Sciences.

Lab Alumni

Postdoctoral Alumni:

Edward Wickstead – Postdoc at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, NYC

Eric Janezic, Ph.D. – Principal Scientist, Pharmacology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA

Bhagyashree Manivannan, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Frank Porreca, University of Arizona

Graduate Alumni:

Erik Larsen, Ph.D. – postdoctoral fellow at the University of Arizona Cancer Center

Technician Alumni:

Tiffany Cho – Medical student at Liberty University

Nat Klein – Former Research Technician at UCLA

Matt McBride, M.S. – Senior Research Associate at Avery Therapeutics, Inc., Tucson, AZ

Chelsea Jarvis, B.S. – Research Associate in lab of Dr. Hua-Ying Fan, University of New Mexico

Undergraduate Alumni:

Cecilia (Cece) Roessle – Behavioral Health Technician, future MD/PhD student!

Rachel Becker – PhD student at the University of Wisconsin

Gaige Tucker – Research Technician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Hannah Hart – Medical Student at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Martha Kiela – Lawyer in Chicago, IL (Former Law Student at Northwestern University)

Hector D. Garcia-Verdugo, B.S. – Research Technician in Dr. Lisa Nagy’s lab, University of Arizona