Gulce Dikecligil

Hi everyone ! My name is Naz and I am from Istanbul, Turkey. I graduated from Stony Brook with a double major in Biomedical Enginering and Applied Mathematics. I have worked in the laboratory of Dr. Lilianne Mujica-Parodi for four years as an undergraduate. Most of my research so far has focused on the pscyhopyshiology of fear and anxiety. I have absolutely loved doing research in this area. Outside of academia I enjoy watching independent movies and documentaries, dreaming about traveling the world some day and taking long naps. I am very excited to be joining the Neuroscience department and look forward to meeting everyone!

Patricia Enmore

Hi, my name is Patricia but most people call me Pat. I am from Georgetown, Guyana which is located in South America and I’ve been living in the US for a while. I have my undergraduate degree in Biology from Medgar Evers College. Being a former PREP Scholar at the University of Missouri-Columbia geared me on the path to neuroscience. While at Mizzou I worked in a neuroscience lab on Intermediate Filaments (Neurofilament). I enjoy spending time with my family, listening to music and watching soccer. As I start my new journey at Stony Brook University, I am looking forward to being part of the Neuroscience academic community.

Luisa Le Donne

Hello! My name is Luisa. I was born and grew up in Rome. I've been studying Theoretical Physics. I'm interested in Neural Networks and Neuroscience. I studied neural networks with D. Amit, P. Del Giudice and G.Parisi. My favorite activities include ice-skating, hanging out with friends, playing the piano and watching movies. I’m excited to join the Stony Brook community and look forward to meeting new friends.

Trevor Griffen

Hey! My name is Trevor. I grew up in and around Philadelphia, home of two of the best things on the planet: the Phillies and cheesesteaks. I studied neuro, psych and rowing at Brown University, graduating in 2007. I first began research there my senior year studying maternal behavior. After school and a long car ride, I moved to LA to work at USC for a couple of years exploring medicine and learning molecular biology. For the last two years, I have been here at Stony Brook working on my medical degree. Outside of science, my biggest passion is music (both concert going and playing my guitar & synth). I also enjoy going to ballgames, fishing, running and taking advantage of the many cultural offerings in New York.

Sean Kelly

Hi, my name is Sean Kelly. I am originally from St. Louis, MO and grew up an avid cardinals baseball fan. My first scientific experiences were as a high school student studying the fruit fly neuromuscular junction at Washington University in St. Louis. I attended Boston College and graduated in 2008 with a B.S. in Biology. After college I also spent one year at the University of Chicago studying muscular dystrophy and muscle progenitor cells, while applying to MD/PhD programs across the country. I landed in the Medical Scientist Training Program at Stony Brook University and have just recently finished my first two years of medical school. This winding path has led me to a new interest in N euroscience, so I have just begun my doctoral work in the laboratory of Josh Huang at Cold Spring Harbor Lab studying GABAergic neuron migration and specification in rodent brains. I enjoy live music and all kinds of athletic activity, as well as exploring both cities and wilderness. I look forward to meeting everyone in the program.

Ariel Negron

Hi there! My name is Ariel and I’m from the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. As a Biology major at the University of Puerto Rico I participated in drug addiction research, specifically studying the role of metabotropic glutamate receptors during environmentally-induced cocaine conditioning. This experience has made me interested in studying more on the effects of neurochemicals on behavior and social interaction, with a special interest in hormones. In my free time, I enjoy everything that has to do with music, film, and I also really enjoy reading about history. I’m glad to be joining the Neuroscience department at Stony Brook and excited to learn more about the inner workings of our brains and the mechanisms responsible for defining us as humans.

Sneha Rao

Hi, I am Sneha. I grew up in Mumbai, India, where I completed my undergraduate education in Life Science and Biochemistry at St. Xavier’s College. I recently graduated with a Masters degree in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. At Hopkins, my research involved identifying biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease using mass spectroscopy. Studying neuroscience has been a long cherished dream and I can’t wait to start! I am especially interested in cellular and molecular neuroscience and hope to explore these interests further at Stony Brook University. I also love reading, hiking, singing and playing the guitar. I look forward to meeting everyone.

Shaohua Wang

Hello everyone! My name is Shaohua Wang. I grew up in Xi’an, a famous ancient capital in China. I completed my undergraduate degree at Zhejiang University, majoring Biological Science. During my junior and senior year, I worked as a research intern in the Institute of Neuroscience at Zhejiang University, there I was involved in projects about the ER retention and downstream signal transduction of NMDA receptor. My final thesis was to verify that APPL1 protein was involved in NMDA receptor dependent neuroprotection. I’m eager to find out the molecular and cellular mechanism of how thoughts generate inside human brains. I like reading history, sociology and scientific books (including fictions), which can help me learn how people think in different ways from microcosmic research. Besides, I enjoy playing basketball, running and cooking in leisure time. Wish to meet you guys soon!