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Current Pharmacology & Toxicology Students

    Karen Acuna Pilarte

    Dissertation Project: Elucidating the Role of the Hypoxia Associated Factor in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Initiation

    Undergraduate School: University of Sheffield, UK (MSc Biology); Universidad de Costa Rica (BSc Biology) 

    Faculty Mentor: Mei Koh

    Marysol Almestica-Roberts

    Dissertation Project: Investigating the Mechanisms Underlying the Impact of CYP2C8*3 Allele Expression on Asthma Symptom Control 

    Undergraduate School: Seton Hill University (BS Chemistry and Forensic Science)

    Faculty Mentor: Christopher Reilly

    2021-2022 Skaggs Fellow

    Orlando Antelope

    Dissertation Project: Determining the role of E3 ubiquitin ligases during early development 

    Undergraduate School: University of Utah (BS Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology)

    Faculty Mentor: Randall Peterson

    Publications

    Carena Cornelssen

    Biomedical Engineering PhD Student

    Dissertation Project: 

    Undergraduate School:

    Faculty Mentor: Karen Wilcox

    NSF GRFP Fellow

     

    Min-Jee Goh

    Dissertation Project: 

    Undergraduate School: University of Utah (PharmD, BS Chemistry)

    Faculty Mentor: Cameron Metcalf  

    Qwynn Landfield

    Neuroscience PhD Student

    Dissertation Project: NG2 Glia in the Theiler's Murine Encephalomyelitis (TMEV) model of viral induced Epilepsy

    Undergraduate School: SUNY New Paltz

    Faculty Mentor: Karen Wilcox

    Autumn McKnite

    Dissertation Project: Investigation of Drug-Drug and Drug-Circuit Interactions in Children on continuous Renal Replacement Therapy

    Undergraduate School: University of Minnesota (BSc Biology)

    Faculty Mentor: Kevin Watt

    NIDDK F31 Fellow

    AFPE Fellowship

    2021-2022 Gehlert Fellow  

    Jeffrey Mensah

    Dissertation Project: A pharmacokinetic and efficacy study of a relevant combination therapy in a mouse model of Dravet Syndrome

    Undergraduate School: University of Ghana (MPhil; BSc Biochemistry)

    Faculty Mentor: Karen Wilcox

    2022-2023 Gehlert Fellow

    2021-2022 Skaggs Fellow

    Linked In

    Karen Odeh

    Undergraduate School: University of Pavia, Italy (MS); University of Eastern Piedmont, Italy (BS)

    Faculty Mentor: Marco Bortolato  

    Uzoamaka Nwagbo

    Dissertation Project: Investigating the role of very-long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) in age-related macular degeneration

    Undergraduate School: The American University of Nigeria (BS Natural & Environmental Sciences)

    Faculty Mentors: Paul S. Bernstein and Karen Wilcox

    Linked In

    Simin Rahimi Aliabadi

    Dissertation Project: Determining the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of NMDAR hypofunction in development of cognitive impairment

    Undergraduate School: Shahid Behesti University of Medical Sciences, Iran (MS Human Genetics); Kharazmi University, Iran (BS Cell and Molecular Biology)

    Faculty Mentor: Randy Peterson   

    Samantha Serna

    Dissertation Project: Coordinated Regulation of Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin-1 and Vanilloid-3 in Lunch Epithelial Cell Damage and Repair Following Air Pollutant Exposure

    Undergraduate School: University of Arizona (BS Biochemistry, BS Molecular and Cellular Biology)

    Faculty Mentor: Christopher Reilly

    2022-2023 Skaggs Fellow

    Linked In

    Emily Tippetts

    Dissertation Project: The role of redox balance in cyanide toxicity and mitochondrial disease 

    Undergraduate School: University of Utah, BS ’19 Cell & Molecular Biology

    Faculty Mentor: Randall Peterson

    F31 Recipient  

    Easton Van Luik

    Undergraduate School: Utah Valley University (BS Behavioral Science)

    Faculty Mentor: Marco Bortolato  

    Kaliana Veros

    Neuroscience PhD Student

    Dissertation Project:  

    Undergraduate School: 

    Faculty Mentors: Kristen Keefe and Karen Wilcox  

    Lakshmini Balachandar (Mini), PhD

    I am a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Karen Wilcox's lab with a background in glial biology, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering. I am currently investigating the mechanisms of microgliosis, microglial responses to damage cues and their alteration in epilepsy and health, using a mouse model of viral infection-induced epilepsy.

    Post-Doc: Wilcox Lab

    Phone: 305-799-7102

    Office: SMBB 4800

    Florida International University, PhD Biomedical Engineering

    Contact

     

     

    Zachary Brandt, PhD

    Post-Doc: Peterson Lab

    Phone: 801-581-5775

    Office:  3420 Skaggs

     

    Ana Beatriz DePaula-Silva (Bia), PhD

    I am a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Wilcox's lab, fascinated by the role of inflammation in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. I use my training in immunology, virology, and neuroscience to understand how macrophage infiltration from the periphery to the CNS contributes to seizure development using a unique mouse model of viral-induced epilepsy.

    I am also investigating the role of microbiota in seizure development following CNS viral infection.

    Post-Doc: Wilcox Lab

    Phone: 801-587-2522

    Office: 4800 SMBB

    NIH/NINDS K22 Awardee

    CURE Taking Flight Awardee

    Stephanie Heard (Billie), PhD

    Post-Doc: Winter Lab

    Office:  3400 Skaggs Research Building

     

    Changshan Niu, PhD

    Post-Doc: Winter Lab

    Office:  3400 Skaggs Research Building

     

    Marco Orru, PhD

    I’m a behavioral pharmacologist and I have obtained my Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 2007 from the University of Cagliari, Italy.

    During my over 10 years of scientific experience in the US, I focused my research on the characterization of the biological bases of neurodevelopmental disorders through the employment of behavioral tests in animal models, and on the characterization of biochemical and molecular mechanisms of psychoactive drugs acting at the level of the basal ganglia. I did my first postdoctoral at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA/IRP) working on the mechanisms of action of addictive drugs acting at the level of the basal ganglia. I have been mainly involved in projects examining functional and pharmacological significance of receptor heteromers, particularly the adenosine A2A receptor forming heteromers with the adenosine A1 receptor and D2 receptor, in animal models of drug abuse with different in vivo approaches.

    My first experience at the Bortolato lab was in 2016 when I worked on a project for the identification of biomarkers and therapeutical targets for the prevention and treatment of pramipexole-increased risk-taking behaviors in a rodent animal model of gambling. From years 2020 to 2022 I combined research and teaching activities at PNU (Precarpathian National University) in Ukraine where I focused my research on the characterization of biochemical and molecular mechanisms of phytobiotic compounds on neurodevelopmental disorders in animal models of aging.

    My current projects at the Bortolato’s lab are to examine the functional and pharmacological significance of neurosteroids using a 6-Hydroxy Dopamine (6-OHDA) animal model of neurotoxicity in animal models of Parkinson’s disease and to study the effects produced by brain-selective knock-down molecular constructs (KD) using viral approaches. The goal of this research is to clarify the role played by neurosteroids in the modulation of behavioral responses in animal models of PD.

    Post-Doc: Bortolato Lab

    Office:  28 Skaggs

    Saba Parvez, PhD

    Post-Doc: Peterson Lab

    Phone: 801-581-6312

    Office: 3420 Skaggs Research 

     

     

    Alexandra Petrucci, PhD

    Post-Doc: Wilcox Lab

    Office: 4800 SMBB

     

     

    Lili Sun, PhD

    Post-Doc: Reilly Lab

    Phone: 801-587-8814

    Office: 3861 Skaggs Research 

     

     

    Peng Zhang, PhD

    Post-Doc: Winter Lab

    Office: 3400 Skaggs Research Building

     

     

     

       
      Karen Acuna Pilarte u0719082@utah.edu
      Marysol Almestica-Roberts m.almestica@utah.edu
      Orlando Antelope orlando.antelope@pharm.utah.edu
      Laura Bell laura.bell@utah.edu
      Carena Cornelssen carena.cornelssen@utah.edu
      Min-Jee Goh min-jee.goh@pharm.utah.edu
      Qwynn Landfield  qwynn.landfield@utah.edu
      Autumn McKnite autumn.mcknite@neuro.utah.edu
      Jeffrey Mensah JeffreyAmoako.Mensah@utah.edu
      Uzoamaka Nwagbo u.nwagbo@utah.edu
      Karen Odeh karen.odeh@pharm.utah.edu
      Simin Rahimi Aliabadi simin.rahimialiabadi@hci.utah.edu
      Samantha Serna samantha.serna@utah.edu
      Emily Tippetts emily.tippetts@utah.edu
      Easton Van Luik easton.vanluik@utah.edu
      Kaliana Veros kaliana.veros@utah.edu

       

      Lakshmini Balachandar, Ph.D. lakshmini.balachandar@utah.edu
      Zachary Brandt, Ph.D. zachary.brandt@pharm.utah.edu
      Ana Beatriz DePaula-Silva, Ph.D. bea.silva@path.utah.edu
      Stephanie (Billie) Heard, Ph.D. stephanie.heard@utah.edu
      Changshan Niu, Ph.D. changshan.niu@utah.edu
      Marco Orru, Ph.D. marco.orru@utah.edu
      Saba Parvez, Ph.D. saba.parvez@pharm.utah.edu
      Alexandra Petrucci, Ph.D.

      alexandra.petrucci@utah.edu

      Lili Sun, Ph.D. lili.sun@utah.edu
      Peng Zhang, Ph.D. u6024660@utah.edu