College
College of Life Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Campus
Center City
Format
On Campus
Duration
4 - 5 Years
Contact Information
Leadership
900 Walnut Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Program Information
1020 Locust Street
M-46 JAH
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Connect with Us
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Current Students
The close-knit student body of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience is an integral part of the Jefferson Community and continues the time-honored tradition of scholarly exchange. Our interdisciplinary curriculum allows students from all departments to work collectively toward the common goal of progress in the field of neuroscience.
Current Students
Tyler Alexander (MD/PhD)
Tyler.Alexander@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2020
Thesis Advisor: Manuel Covarrubias, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Abneil Alicea-Pauneto
Abneil.Alicea-Pauneto@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Chang-Gyu Hahn, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Victoria Baccini
Victoria.Baccini@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2018
Thesis Advisor: Matthew Dalva, PhD
Project: TBD
Bridget Boyle
Bridget.Boyle@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Elena Blanco-Suarez, PhD
Project: To study the spatiotemporal-dependent roles of Chrdl1 in ischemic stroke-driven GluA2-AMPAR distribution and its role in differential neuronal vulnerability to stroke.
Joseph Buchler
Joseph.Buchler@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Lin Guo, PhD
Project: TBD
Kerry Buckhaults
Kerry.Buckhaults@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: TBD
Project: TBD
Rachel Cain
Rachel.Cain@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2020
Thesis Advisor: Matthew Dalva, PhD
Project: TBD
Debotri Chatterjee (MD/PhD)
Debotri.Chatterjee@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Richard Smeyne, PhD
Project: I'm interested in looking at the interplay of environmental toxins and viral infections in the etiology of Parkinson's disease.
Lara Cheslow (MD/PhD)
Lara.Cheslow@students.jefferson.edu
Thesis Advisor: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Kallon Crowther
Kallon.Crowther@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Thesis Advisor: Richard Smeyne, PhD
Project: TBD
Gabriela Daszewka-Smith
Gabriela.Daszewka-Smith@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: TBD
Project: TBD
Alison DePew
Alison.DePew@students.jefferson.edu
Thesis Advisor: Timothy Mosca, PhD
Project: My project is focused on investigating a novel mechanism for the cell surface receptor LRP4 in synapse development at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction in order to better understand its role in disease and the overall development of the nervous system.
Jesse Humenik
Jesse.Humenik@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2019
Thesis Advisor: Timothy Mosca, PhD
Project: 1) Identifying Cell Surface and Secreted Proteins used in synaptogenesis 2) The role of transcription factors in neurogenesis
David Jaffe (MD/PhD)
David.Jaffe@students.jefferson.edu
Maticulation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Angelo Lepore, PhD
Project: TBD
Jordyn Karliner
Jordyn.Karliner@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Thesis Advisor: Diane Merry, PhD
Project: My project is investigating the mechanisms of aberrant neurite outgrowth in SBMA and the involvement of androgen receptor transcriptional activity in this process.
Siddharth Karthikeyan (MD/PhD)
Siddharth.Karthikeyan@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2022
Thesis Advisor: Le Ma, PhD
Project: TBD
Kyle Kennedy
Kyle.Kennedy@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: TBD
Project: TBD
Nikolas Kinney (MD/PhD)
Nikolas.Kinney@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2023
Thesis Advisor: Hristelina Ilieva, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Thomas Kuret (MD/PhD)
Thomas.Kuret@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2023
Thesis Advisor: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
James Lim
James.Lim@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Thesis Advisor: Mijail Serruya, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Brianna Lisi
Brianna.Lisi@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Piera Pasinelli, PhD
Project: TBD
Adam Marc (MD/PhD)
Adam.Marc@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Chang-Gyu Hahn, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Ivette Martorell Serra
Ivette.martorellserra@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Thesis Advisor: Richard Smeyne, PhD
Project: TBD
Elizabeth Moese
Elizabeth.Moese@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Le Ma, PhD
Project: I study how posttranslational modifications of neuronal microtubule associated proteins, MAP7 and tau, influence kinesin based transport and axon branching.
Msema Msackyi
Msema.Msackyi@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2020
Thesis Advisor: Chang-Gyu Hahn, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Megan Muench
Megan.Muench@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2023
Thesis Advisor: TBD
Project: TBD
Tabitha Rodriguez
Tabitha.Rodriguez@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2021
Thesis Advisor: Richard Smeyne, PhD
Project: TBD
Cyrus Rostami
Cyrus.Rostami@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2022
Thesis Advisor: Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, PhD
Project: TBD
Katelyn Russell
Katelyn.Russell@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2016
Thesis Advisor: Aaron Haeusler, PhD
Project: TBD
Selin Seckin
Selin.Seckin@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2022
Thesis Advisor: Gyorgy Hajnoczky, MD, PhD
Project: TBD
Benjamin Seitz
Benjamin.Seitz@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Summer 2023
Thesis Advisor: TBD
Project: TBD
Medha Sengupta
Medha.Sengupta@students.jefferson.edu
Marticulation Term: Fall 2019
Thesis Advisor: Diane Merry, PhD
Project: TBD
Gabrielle Spagnuolo
Gabrielle.Spagnuolo@students.jefferson.edu
Matriculation Term: Fall 2018
Thesis Advisor: Lorraine Iacovitti, PhD
Project: I am interested in understanding how glial interactions affect post-stroke outcomes in ischemic stroke.
Samantha Thomas (MD/PhD)
Samantha.Thomas@students.jefferson.edu
Marticulation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Angelo Lepore, PhD
Project: Promoting circuit-specific synaptic reconnectivity after spinal cord injury
Alana Williams
Alana.Williams@students.jefferson.edu
Marticulation Term: Summer 2021
Thesis Advisor: Le Ma, PhD
Project: TBD
Recent Graduates
2024/2025
Haani Jafri (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: “Elucidating the Role of Synaptic Nanomodules in Synapse Organization and Function”
Advisor: Mathew Dalva, PhD
Current Position: MD/PhD 7, JeffMD Phase 2, SKMC 3
2023/2024
Joshua Barton (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: “Regulation of the Gut-Brain Axis by Guanylyl Cyclase C”
Advisor: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD
Current Position: MD/PhD 7, JeffMD Phase 2, SKMC 3
Layla Ghaffari
Thesis Title: “Neuronal excitation-driven gene expression in C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD”
Advisor: Aaron Haeusler, PhD
2022/2023
Michael Aimino
Thesis Title: “Synaptic development in different olfactory neuron classes uses distinct temporal and activity-related programs”
Advisor: Timothy Mosca, PhD
Matthew Byrne
Thesis Title: “Interactions between genetics, protein, and inflammation in modeling synucleinopathies”
Advisor: Richard Smeyne, PhD
Bridget Curran
Thesis Title: “Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Guidance of Bifurcating Sensory Axons During Development”
Advisor: Le Ma, PhD
Vibol Heng (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: “Neurobiological and Behavioral Characterization of Adult Male and Female Mice in Prolonged Social Isolation”
Advisor: Richard Smeyne, PhD
Elana Molotsky
Thesis Title: “THE IMPACT OF ANDROGEN RECEPTOR POLYGLUTAMINE EXPANSION ON THE MOTOR UNIT IN SBMA: NMJ PATHOLOGY, MOTOR UNIT VULNERABILITY, AND NEUROFILAMENT DYSREGULATION”
Advisor: Diane Merry, PhD
Andrew Nelson
Thesis Title: “Altered brain glucose metabolism drives disease in C9orf72-ALS/FTD”
Advisor: Davide Trotti, PhD
2021/2022
Eric Brown
Thesis Title: “Differential activation of pain circuitry neuron populations in spinal cord injury induced neuropathic pain”
Advisor: Angelo Lepore, PhD
Nicolette Heinsinger
Thesis Title: “Modulating EphBs in the dorsal horn attenuates neuropathic pain after cervical spinal cord injury”
Advisor: Angelo Lepore, PhD
Brandie Verdone
Thesis Title: “Understanding the consequences of dipeptide repeat protein formation in C9orf72 ALS/FTD”
Advisor: Piera Pasinelli, PhD
Current Position: PostDoctoral Fellow/ IRACDA Posdoctoral Scholar, Department of Biomedical Engineering/Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
2020/2021
Brittany Charsar (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: “Respiratory axon plasticity drives recovery of diaphragm function after spinal cord injury”
Advisor: Angelo Lepore, PhD
Current Position: PGY-3 Resident, Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Rogan Magee (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: “Addressing Computational and Experimental Questions on tRNA-Derived Fragments (tRFs) to Define New Roles in Cell Behavior and Human Disease”
Advisor: Isidore Rigoutsos, PhD
Current Position: PGY - 3 Resident, Neurology, University of Pennsylvania
Sean O’Sullivan (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: “The Effect of Alcohol and Opioid Withdrawal on Single-Cell Glia and Neuronal Gene Expression in the Visceral Emotional Neuraxis“
Advisor: James Schwaber, PhD
Benjamin Yang (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: “Investigation of molecular mechanisms mediating MAP7 function in axon branching”
Advisor: Le Ma, PhD
Current Position: PGY-3 Resident, Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson
2019/2020
Jonathan Gorky (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: “THE EMERGENCE OF CARDIOPROTECTION FROM THE BRAIN-GUT-HEART NETWORK”
Advisor: James Schwaber, PhD
Dante Merlino (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: “Two distinct GUCY2C neuronal pathways in the hypothalamus and midbrain”
Advisor: Scott Waldman, MD, PhD
Tanziyah Muqeem (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: "The role of Kv3.4 channels in the neurotransmission of pain"
Advisor: Manuel Covarrubias, MD, PhD
2018/2019
Nathan Henderson
Thesis Title: "Trans-synaptic coordination of synapse development and plasticity: A focus on ephrin-B3 and PSD-95"
Advisor: Matthew Dalva, PhD
Lauren Rosenblum (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: "Alternative Pathway of EAAT2-Mediated Toxicity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis"
Advisor: Davide Trotti, PhD
Thomas Westergard
Thesis Title: "Dipeptide Repeat Proteins Associated With C9ORF72 ALS/FTD: Understanding How They Are Made And How They Potentiate Disease"
Advisor: Davide Trotti, PhD
Jason You (MD/PhD)
Thesis Title: “Epigenetic regulation of hippocampal function and cognition in Alzheimer's disease”
Advisor: Jeannie Chin, PhD