Justin Yao, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Justin graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Psychology. He then earned his Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior in the lab of John Middlebrooks at UC Irvine and pursued postdoctoral training in the lab of Dan Sanes at New York University. He recently joined Rutgers University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and the Brain Health Institute.

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Marissa Calvano
PhD Student, Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience
​Marissa graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and then earned a M.S. in Neuroscience from the City University of New York- College of Staten Island. She then went on to Rockefeller University where she studied the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease in Sidney Stricklands lab of neurobiology and genetics. Marissa is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience in Justin Yao’s lab at Rutgers University. She hopes to use her molecular background to provide a mechanistic explanation for hearing loss-related cognitive dysfunction and Alzheimer's risk. The overall goal of her current work is to discover novel therapeutic approaches to alleviate hearing loss and reduce cognitive dysfunction.

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Willems Mortimer
Laboratory Technician
Willems is a fourth year student pursuing a major in Cell Biology and Neuroscience at Rutgers University. He is currently interested in going to graduate school in order to obtain a PhD. He is interested in learning more about how the brain handles sensory input. Outside of the lab he enjoys playing video games and reading.

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Krishi Patel
​Undergraduate Research Assistant
Krishi Patel is a junior in SAS Honors College at Rutgers University, majoring in Cell Biology and Neuroscience with a minor in Business Administration on the pre-med track. In the Yao laboratory, she enjoys learning how the brain integrates sensory information to guide perception, with a particular interest in the relationship between hearing loss, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. Outside of research, Krishi works as a medical assistant at an OB-GYN office, is a member of the pre-medical fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon, and loves to travel.

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Mia Mohr
​Undergraduate Research Assistant
Mia is a Cognitive Science major with a Psychology minor. She is interested in pursuing graduate school. She is interested in learning more about how the auditory system functions in relation to the rest of the brain. Outside of research she is on a weightlifting team. 

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Mihika Shringarpure 
Undergraduate Research Assistant

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Hannah Kim
Master's student, Biomedical Sciences
Hannah graduated with a B.S. In Public Health from the University of Maryland in 2024. She is now pursuing her master's in biomedical sciences at Rutgers with the goal of attending Medical School upon graduation. She has previously worked on Alzheimer's research focusing on semantic associations and the N300 effect and is excited to look at the relationship between hearing loss and Alzheimer's. Outside of the lab, she enjoys yoga, skiing, and spending time with friends and family!​

Alumni
Divya Raskonda - Undergraduate Research Assistant
Prisha Patel - Undergraduate Research Assistant
Alexander Gu - Master's student, Biomedical Sciences
​Madeline Berns - Graduate Student, Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience 
​Genesis Nunez - Lab Technician
Anindita Chavan - Computer Scientist
Xingeng ("Shane") Zhang - Computer Scientist
Chase Hintelmann - MD candidate, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Bruce Zhang - MD candidate, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School