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. |
Madeline Berns
Graduate Student (Starting Fall 2023) Madeline graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, she is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology through the Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience program at Rutgers. She is especially excited to apply auditory research in the Yao Lab to study mental illness through bioinformatic and computational approaches. When she isn’t in the lab, she enjoys watching movies and making digital art. |
Genesis Nunez
Laboratory Technician Genesis is a recent Rutgers University alumnus who graduated with a Biological Sciences major and a Psychology minor. She works as a full-time Laboratory Assistant at the Yao Lab and as a part-time Clinical Care Technician at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Genesis looks forward to spending her free time looking into Neuroscience master’s programs to continue her academic career with the ultimate goal of pursuing a medical degree. Her inspiration for Neuroscience comes from her interests in brain function and the development of new technologies in the medical field. Enthusiastic about working at the Yao Lab, she is excited to learn about the effects of hearing loss on cognitive functions. |
Divyanjali Raskonda
Undergraduate Research Assistant Divyanjali is pursuing a Cell Biology and Neuroscience major with a Cognitive Science minor at Rutgers University. She is interested in continuing research post-graduation and is currently on the pre-med track. Previously, she participated in plant pathology research in the Acimovic Lab at Cornell University, understanding the diseases that impact the growth of apples. Outside of research, Divya enjoys art, singing, and reading. |