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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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Madeline Berns
PhD Student 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.
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Marissa Calvano
PhD Student 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
Undergraduate Research Assistant 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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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.
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Prisha Patel
Undergraduate Research Assistant Prisha is a second year student pursuing a Cell Biology and Neuroscience major with a Psychology minor at Rutgers University, as part of the Arts and Sciences Honors Program. She is interested in learning about the neural circuits that integrate sensory information and is very excited to join the lab. After graduation, Prisha hopes to attend medical school. Outside of the lab, she enjoys experimenting with coffee, dancing, and volunteering as an EMT. |
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Alumni
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
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