Trainees

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Mark Burns
Research Interests: Neurodegeneration, neural plasticity
Education:
James Madison University, B.S. Biotechnology, 2023
About: Logan’s most significant research experience came as a technician in the laboratories of Dr. Malkova and Dr. Forcelli at Georgetown. This included contributions to projects involving the pharmacological modulation of brain structures in non-human primates as well as studying cellular senescence and senolytic interventions in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Logan gained extensive experience with confocal imaging and histological techniques, as well as a range behavioral experiments in this time. Logan is now interested in further exploring a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases and synaptic plasticity mechanisms. He hopes to work with novel approaches in vivo, including pharmacological interventions for neurodegenerative diseases and conditions.
Rotations:
Dr. Mark Burns
Dr. Hong-Yuan Chu
Dr. Italo Mocchetti
Academic Appointment(s)
Primary
PhD Student, PhD Program in Pharmacology & Physiology

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Patrick Forcelli

Research Interests: Neuropharmacology

Education:

Western Kentucky University, B.S. Chemistry, 2019

Georgetown University, M.S. Pharmacology, 2022

About: Abbas is currently exploring the contribution of cellular senescence to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). After examining the role of senescent cells in epileptogenesis and how ablating them rescues cognitive deficits and mitigates seizure burden, the scope of the project has shifted to exploring cellular senescence in a different disease model. Senescent cells accumulate in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease, and it is hypothesized that the progression of HAND will lead to a higher number of cells exhibiting the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). This research aims to characterize the senescent phenotype in HAND using gp120 transgenic mice that manifest neuropathological features seen in human HIV brains. In addition, the research aims to elucidate what types of neural and glial cells colocalize with senescent cells, as well as how ablating them will improve motor and cognitive function through the progression of HAND.

Rotations:

Dr. Nady Golestaneh

Dr. Ludise Malkova

Dr. Patrick Forcelli

Research Interests: Neurodegeneration, Molecular Biology, Neuropharmacology

Thesis Research: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition in a LRRK2 Model of Parkinson’s Disease
Advisor(s): Charbel Moussa MBBS (MD), PhD

Education: 

Case Western Reserve University, Biochemistry, BA, 2018, 

Georgetown University, Integrative Neuroscience, MS, 2021

Prior Research: Sean’s first exposure to research was under Dr. Hatsuo Ishida’s mentorship in CWRU’s department of macromolecules, synthesizing and characterizing benzoxazine polymers. Shortly thereafter, Sean joined Dr. Kun Ping Lu’s laboratory at Harvard Medical School. Here, he focused on elucidating the role of protein conformational regulation after proline-directed phosphorylation in cell signaling with regards to health and disease. He focused on translational research to develop novel diagnostics and therapeutics specifically targeted towards peptidyl-prolyl cis- trans isomerase 1 (Pin1) related diseases such as cancer, vascular dementia,
Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. After completing his masters degree, Sean was awarded the international JSPS Graduate Research Fellowship to study abroad in Kyoto, Japan. Under the mentorship of Dr. Masaya Ikegawa at Doshisha University, Sean utilized MALDI-IMS and other imaging techniques to analyze monoamine activity and metabolism in a “2-hit” animal model of psychiatric illness.
Rotations: Dr. Alexey Ostroumov, Dr. Charbel Moussa, Dr. Bill Rebeck

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Gerard Ahern

Research Interests: Ion Channels, Sensory Receptors, Electrophysiology

Education:

Southern Utah University, B.S. Biology, 2021

Northeastern University, M.S. Pharmacology, 2023

About: Daniela aims to explore a novel role of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in vascular biology, specifically focusing on pulmonary vasoconstriction. Utilizing a combination of techniques, including calcium imaging, electrophysiology, and quantitative RT-PCR, to assess TRP channel function and expression in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells. The outcome of this research may provide new insight into the TRP channel’s role and contribute to the development of innovative therapeutics for respiratory disease.

Rotations:

Dr. Tinatin Brelidze

Dr. Gerard Ahern

Dr. Ian Gallicano

hesis Advisor: Dr. Patrick Forcelli, Dr. Eric Glasgow

Research Interests: Neurophysiology, Neuropharmacology, Developmental Biology

Education:

University of Maryland, B.S. Neurobiology & Physiology, 2018

Georgetown University, M.S. Physiology and Biophysics, 2023

About: Anjik is researching the toxicological profiles of anti-seizures medications(ASMs) to determine the safety & efficacy of clinical pharmacotherapies that are administered to early-life patients. Developmental toxicology experiments are conventionally conducted in rodents, but have notable drawbacks: experiments take significant time and expenditure to design, conduct, and analyze adequately-powered studies to observe the toxic effects of drugs.

Anjik’s research uses zebrafish to more efficiently model ASM-induced developmental toxicity compared to rodent models. This zebrafish model of developmental toxicity will be used to conduct large-scale screens of ASMs whose toxicological profiles have not been well-characterized.

Rotations:

Dr. Alexey Ostroumov

Dr. Tinatin Brelidze

Dr. Daniel Pak

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Rebekah Evans

Research Interests: Neurodegeneration, Basal ganglia circuitry, exercise and motor learning

Education: North Carolina State University, B.S., Biological Sciences – Molecular, Cellular, Developmental, 2022

About: Lindsey is conducting her thesis research focused on understanding how exercise modulates circuitry and activity in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), a brainstem structure involved in motor learning. Lindsey uses a plethora of techniques including stereotaxic surgeries, two-photon calcium imaging, whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, and optogenetics. In conducting these experiments, Lindsey hopes to uncover how exercise alters circuitry and activity within the PPN, and ultimately it will provide more insight into the role that exercise plays in enhancing motor learning and in neuroprotection.

Rotations:

Dr. Tingting Wang

Dr. Rebekah Evans

Dr. Kathy Sandberg / Dr. Aline de Souza

Thesis Advisors: Dr. Tinatin Brelidze, Dr. Patrick Forcelli

Research Interests: Ion channels, Neuropharmacology

Education: University of California, Davis, B.S., Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, 2022

About: At the University of California, Davis, Clementine worked in Dr. Ricardo Maselli’s lab studying an AAV9-mediated gene therapy on mice with Choline Acetyltransferase deficiencies, which is one possible cause for presynaptic Congenital Myasthenic Syndromes. From there, she joined the Pharmacology & Physiology Ph.D. Program at Georgetown, and decided to do her thesis work in Dr. Tinatin Brelidze’s lab. The Brelidze lab studies ion channels, specifically KCNH channels, a family of potassium-selective voltage-gated ion channels that are expressed in the heart and brain. Clementine focuses her research on the KCNH4 channel, and uses biochemistry techniques, fluorescence-based methods, and zebrafish as an animal model.

Rotations:
Dr. Tinatin Brelidze

Dr. Gerard Ahern

Dr. Sreejith Nair

Thesis Advisors: Dr. Ludise Malkova, Dr. Patrick Forcelli

Research Interests: Neuropharmacology, Psychopharmacology, Primatology, Social Neuroscience

Education: Miami University, B.A., Psychology & Journalism – Biopsychology, 2017; Chicago School of Professional Psychology, M.A., Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2021

About: Carleigh’s undergraduate research was conducted under the mentorship of Terri Messman PhD at Miami University, investigating the relationship between specific traumatic experiences and the development of Hoarding Disorder. Additionally, she contributed to research studying the impact of traumatic life experiences on emotion regulation. Carleigh also worked as a post-baccalaureate research fellow for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from 2020 to 2022 in the Section on Behavioral Neuroscience under Yogita Chudasama PhD. Here, she investigated the effects of dopaminergic and adrenergic agents in decision-making and impulsivity. Carleigh’s thesis work, conducted under the supervision of Ludise Malkova PhD and Patrick Forcelli PhD, explores the effects of focal and systemic pharmacological modulation on social behavior.

Rotations:
Dr. Alexey Ostroumov

Dr. Ludise Malkova

Dr. Patrick Forcelli

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Patrick Forcelli

Research Interests: Neurodegeneration

Education: Princeton Universit, B.S. Molecular Biology

About: Dave is an MD-PhD student in the Forcelli Lab as a part of the IPN. Broadly, he is interested in neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and the pathogenesis of disease in the CNS. In the Forcelli Lab, he researches the contribution of senescent cells to the development of multiple forms of epilepsy, using techniques ranging from electrophysiology to behavior tests. When he isn’t in the lab, Dave spends his time winning pub trivia, baking, or hanging out with his wife, Chris, and his dog, Chip.

Rotations:

Dr. Patrick Forcelli

Dr. Italo Mocchetti

Dr. Jeffrey Huang

Thesis Advisor: Anna Riegel, Dr. Chunling Yi

Research Interests: Cancer Pharmacology, Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Education: University of Maryland, Biochemistry

About: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world, with metastasis playing a significant role. Rohith’s thesis project proposes to investigate the mechanism of action underlying TEAD inhibitors (TEADi) effects in triple-negative breast cancer through direct effects on the tumor and stroma along with how they could be used as potential adjuvant therapy to current standard of care therapeutics. This research will be important to assess clinical relevance of TEADi and provide further insight into metastatic breast cancer mechanisms leading to new molecular targets for future breast cancer therapies.

Rotations:

Dr. Ludise Malkova

Dr. Anna Riegel

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Kenneth Kellar

Research Interests: Neuropharmacology, Synaptic Plasticity, Translational Science

Education: University of Medical Sciences of Havana (UCMH), MD, 2012; State University of New York at Buffalo, MS, Pharmacology and Toxicology, 2022

About: After completing his medical school training, Reniel gained experience in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and earned his MS in Pharmacology and Toxicology from SUNY at Buffalo in 2022, where he conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Samir Haj-Dahmane. His work focused on employing electrophysiology and optogenetics to investigate how endocannabinoid signaling modulates synaptic plasticity in circuits associated with reward-negative processing. Currently pursuing his PhD at Georgetown University under the mentorship of Dr. Kellar, Reniel’s research is centered on exploring the role of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in animal models of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Rotations:

Dr. Daniel Pak

Dr. Patrick Forcelli

Dr. Kenneth Kellar

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Aykut Üren

Research Interests: Pediatric sarcomas, oncogenic fusion proteins, small molecule therapeutics

Thesis Research: I study an oncogenic fusion protein called PAX3::FOXO1 that is present in a
subset of pediatric rhabdomyosarcomas. My research focuses on the identification of small
molecule inhibitors of this protein, which I am testing in cell culture experiments and mouse
models. Our goal is to eventually translate these findings into new treatments for childhood
rhabdomyosarcoma.

Education: Georgetown University, B.S., Neurobiology, 2018

Prior Research: Role of ezrin in osteosarcoma metastasis, development of prophylactic
treatments for organophosphate nerve agent exposure, proteomics

Rotations:

Dr. Aykut Üren

Dr. Amrita Cheema

Thesis Advisors: Dr. Rebekah Evans and Dr. Kathleen Maguire-Zeiss

Research Interests: Electrophysiology, Neurodegeneration, Neuropharmacology, Synaptic Plasticity

Education: Northeastern University, B.S., Behavioral Neuroscience, 2014; Georgetown University, M.S., Pharmacology, 2019

About: Megan’s thesis research focuses on dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), a population known to degenerate in Parkinson’s disease. She studies the characteristics of SNc subpopulations and the differential effects of muscarinic activation on these neurons, primarily utilizing ex vivo patch clamp electrophysiology, two-photon imaging, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry.

Before entering the PhD program, Megan worked for Seracare Life Sciences in their Product Development and Custom Manufacturing teams, producing custom reference materials for diagnostic testing. While completing her Master’s, she worked with Dr. Dan Pak developing new GFP and Luciferase-based assays for understanding the roles of Alzheimer’s Disease risk factors APP and tau. As an undergraduate, Megan worked at Harvard Medical School with Dr. David VanVactor studying the role of microRNA’s in neuromuscular development in Drosophila melanogaster. She also worked in the Laboratory for Neurogenomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital under Dr. Clemens Scherzer contributing to the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Biomarker Study.

Rotations:
Dr. Rebekah Evans
Dr. Tingting Wang

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Tinatin Brelidze Dr. Anton Wellstein

Education: Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, B.Sc., Pharmaceutical Science, 2019

About: After graduating from the University of Freiburg in Germany in 2019, Joos participated in a post-baccalaureate research program at the National Institutes of Health. Here, he researched genetic risk factors associated with Parkinson’s Disease using genotyping technologies and bioinformatic approaches. In 2021, Joos started his Ph.D. at Georgetown University and joined Dr. Brelidze’s lab. Currently, he is researching the Ether-a-go-go 1 (EAG1) potassium channel, a voltage-dependent ion channel. While typically the expression of this channel is almost exclusively in the brain, the EAG1 channel has been shown to be overexpressed in many cancers. His current projects focus on how the EAG1 channel contributes to tumor progression, as well as characterizing several EAG1 channel modulators as potential cancer therapeutics.

Rotations:
Dr. Mark Burns
Dr. Anton Wellstein
Dr. Kathleen Maguire-Zeiss
Dr. Tinatin Brelidze

Thesis Title: Currently pre-thesis

Education:
University of Seattle, BS;
Georgetown University, MS in Integrative Neuroscience

Thesis Title: Currently pre-thesis

Mentor: Daniel Pak

Education: 
The University of Maryland – Baltimore County, BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The University of Iceland – Háskóli Íslands, MS in Medical Life Sciences

ejw68@georgetown.edu

Thesis Research: I use behavioral and molecular techniques to understand the acute and chronic outcomes of anti-seizure drugs on brain development
Advisor: Dr. Patrick Forcelli

Research Interests:
neurodegeneration, neurotoxicity, neuroinflammation, neuropharmacology

Education:
Morehouse College, B.S. in Biology, 2017

Prior Research: Eric graduated from Morehouse College with a B.S. in Biology in 2017. During his undergraduate matriculation he joined the lab of Dr. Kennie Shepherd where he studied the effects of fumaric acid (FA) on cell induced toxicity and dopaminergic neurodegeneration in a Parkinson’s Disease mouse model. Following graduation, Eric participated in the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at the University of South Carolina where he worked under the supervision of Dr. Marlene Wilson. His project focused on using a combination of molecular techniques to characterize acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) levels in subjects previously tested for fear extinction. Eric started his PhD at Georgetown University in 2018 and has several ongoing projects. He is currently examining the toxicity profiles of next-generation anti-seizure medications (ASMs) on brain development, and his doctoral thesis investigates the underlying mechanisms of how early life inflammation influenes anti-seizure medication associated toxicities.

Rotations:
Dr. Gerard Ahern
Dr. Tingting Wang
Dr. Patrick Forcelli