Kathie Therese Hodge is an Associate Professor at Cornell University's School of Integrative Plant Science, specializing in fungal systematics and plant/insect pathogens. She leads the Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium (CUP), a globally significant biodiversity repository with 300,000+ specimens. Her research focuses on fungal biodiversity, mycotoxin production in food systems, and evolutionary relationships among fungi. She also serves as Associate Director of Teaching for the School. Education: Ph.D. (1998), M.S. (1993) from Cornell University; B.Sc. (1990) from University of Toronto. Teaching includes courses like 'Magical Mushrooms, Mischievous Molds' and field-based 'Mushrooms of Field and Forest,' reaching over 300 undergraduates annually. Research Interests: Fungal classification and evolution Pathogens impacting global food systems Biohybrid robotics using fungal networks Public outreach on mycology Notable Achievements: 2024 Donald C. Burgett Distinguished Advisor Award Recipient of NSF-funded herbarium digitization projects Pioneered Paecilomyces niveus research linking fungal spoilage to patulin contamination Outreach: Leads New York State 'Peck' mushroom foray, maintains the Cornell Mushroom Blog and @cornellfungi Instagram, and advises on mushroom poisoning emergencies.
John Albeck is a Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of California, Davis, within the College of Biological Sciences. He leads the Albeck Lab, which is dedicated to understanding the dynamic behavior of signaling pathways such as ERK, Akt, AMPK, and mTOR in regulating cell growth, survival, and metabolism. His research combines live-cell imaging with computational modeling to decode how temporal signaling patterns determine cell fate decisions. He is affiliated with the Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (BMCDB) Graduate Group and actively mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Position: Professor Institution: University of California, Davis Department: Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program: BMCDB Lab Website: albecklab.ucdavis.edu Education: B.A. in Biological Sciences, Cornell University, 2000 Ph.D. in Computational and Systems Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007 Dr. Albeck's research focuses on the information flow in signal transduction networks , particularly how dynamic activation patterns encode specificity in cellular responses. His lab uses genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors to track signaling events in real time across single cells, integrating this data with computational models to predict cellular behaviors. This approach addresses how a limited set of pathways can control diverse outcomes like proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy. A major goal is to improve cancer therapies by predicting how cells respond to targeted inhibitors, especially in the context of heterogeneous and adaptive responses. His recent publications highlight work on ERK signaling dynamics , inflammatory responses in airway cells , and the development of biosensors for FGF and AMPK. These studies employ advanced techniques such as cyclic immunofluorescence (4i) , machine learning , and ordinary differential equation (ODE) modeling to infer signaling history from fixed-cell data. The lab also develops computational tools for data analysis, including automated cluster detection and spectral unmixing. Scientific Contributions and Trends: Deciphering how temporal patterns in ERK activity correlate with downstream gene expression (e.g., Fra-1, pRb, Egr-1) Modeling signaling dynamics to predict cell fate under therapeutic inhibition Investigating spatiotemporal signaling clusters in epithelial inflammation Developing Red-FRET biosensors for AMPK and ERK Exploring metabolic signaling and immune modulation by lactate Dr. Albeck advises a diverse group of graduate students and has trained several postdoctoral researchers who have gone on to careers in academia and biotechnology. His lab fosters a collaborative environment that bridges experimental biology and computational analysis. While no formal awards are listed in the provided text, his lab's recognition through publications in high-impact journals and integration into major research initiatives (e.g., UC Davis Lung Center T32 training) underscores his impact. The lab also supports research through internal grants and collaborative projects focused on cancer signaling and lung biology. Laboratory and Team: The Albeck Lab includes graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff scientists working on projects ranging from biosensor development to single-cell data analysis. Current team members include Christi Abbate, Elijah Kofke, and Marion Hardy (graduate students), and staff such as Michael Pargett and Carolyn Teragawa. The lab emphasizes interdisciplinary training and open science, with code and methods shared via GitHub.
Jaime Napier is an Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University and a Global Network Associate Professor at NYU Abu Dhabi. She is actively engaged in research and teaching in the field of social psychology, with a focus on gender, inequality, and ideological belief systems. Her work bridges psychological theory and real-world social issues, contributing to both academic and public discourse. Her research interests include gender, inequality, heteronormativity, system justification, political ideology, and subjective well-being . She investigates how social structures influence individual beliefs and behaviors, particularly how ideologies can both reflect and reinforce social hierarchies. Her work often explores the psychological mechanisms that sustain inequality, including prejudice, stereotyping, and identity management among marginalized groups. The recent articles highlight a consistent focus on ideology, gender, and well-being , with an emphasis on how psychological processes maintain or challenge social systems. Her research combines experimental methods with statistical rigor, often examining cross-cultural and interdisciplinary dimensions of social attitudes. Themes include the happiness gap between liberals and conservatives, the palliative function of system justification among LGBTQ+ individuals, and the role of power in reducing benevolent sexism. Early Career Contribution Award, International Society of Social Justice Research, 2018 Dr. Napier mentors undergraduate students through the Capstone Project in Psychology, supervising original research and guiding students in scientific writing and presentation. She has taught a range of courses including Prejudice , Psychology of Sex and Gender , and Lab in Psychology of Inequality . She has not disclosed external grant funding in the provided text, but her publications suggest active research engagement. She is affiliated with the Department of Psychology within the Faculty of Arts and Science at NYU. She teaches and conducts research at NYU Abu Dhabi, contributing to the global academic mission of NYU. While no formal lab or research team is named, her collaborative publications indicate active engagement with scholars in social and political psychology.
Lars Andreas Akslen is a Professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, and serves as the Centre Director of CCBIO (Centre for Cancer Biomarkers). He is based at Haukeland University Hospital and leads a major translational cancer research group focused on biomarker discovery and validation. Position: Professor, Centre Director of CCBIO Institution: University of Bergen Department: Department of Clinical Medicine Location: Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway Email: lars.akslen@uib.no His research is centered on translational oncology, with a strong emphasis on identifying and validating novel biomarkers for improved biological classification and grading of malignant tumors. His work spans breast cancer , malignant melanoma , prostate cancer , and gynecologic cancers . By integrating human tumor sample analysis with experimental cell and animal models, his team aims to enhance the clinical utility of biomarkers in predicting aggressive tumor behavior and guiding personalized treatment strategies. The recent publications highlight a consistent focus on tumor microenvironment, immune biomarkers, imaging mass cytometry, AI in diagnosis, and age-related phenotypes in cancer. There is a strong trend towards high-dimensional spatial profiling and integration of molecular and clinical data to refine prognostic and predictive models. Lars Andreas Akslen has no listed scientific awards in the provided text. He leads the Tumor Biology Research Group (established in 1995) and the CCBIO center, indicating significant mentorship and leadership in cancer research. While specific students are not listed, his extensive collaboration network suggests active supervision of PhD and postdoctoral researchers. No specific grants are mentioned, but leadership of a national research center implies substantial funding acquisition. He is affiliated with CCBIO and the Tumor Biology Research Group, both based at the Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, and operating from Haukeland University Hospital. These teams focus on translational cancer biomarker research using advanced molecular and imaging technologies.
Katrin Vogt is a Group Leader at the University of Konstanz and an Affiliated Scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. She serves on the IMPRS Board and Faculty, focusing on behavioral neuroscience in Drosophila larvae. Her research explores how social context and internal states (e.g., hunger) modulate neural circuits and behavior, utilizing genetic tools like optogenetics, RNAi, and CRISPR. Key Research Areas: Behavioral flexibility under internal state changes Neural integration of sensory and state signals in the antennal lobe Role of serotonin (CSD neuron) in modulating output pathways Computational modeling of state-dependent circuit dynamics Notable Achievements: Discovered state-dependent olfactory valence switching (e.g., geranyl acetate shifts from aversion to attraction under food deprivation) Elucidated glutamatergic inhibition mechanisms in picky local interneurons Identified 5-HT7 receptor's role in upregulating uniglomerular projection neuron activity Recent Publications: 2025: PLoS Biology on multimodal sensory neurons 2024: Current Biology commentary on behavioral neuroscience 2023: Current Biology on multisensory memory merging Academic Affiliations: University of Konstanz (Group Leader, Department of Collective Behavior) Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (Affiliated Scientist) IMPRS for Organismal Biology (Faculty Member) Scientific Awards: DFG Research Fellowship (Project No. 345729665) Students & Collaborators: PhD students: Hari P. Narayanan, Akhila Mudunuri Research assistants: Nora Tutas, Julius Klein, Constantin Dyroff DAAD summer student: Élyse Zadigue-Dubé Recent graduates: Amelie Edmaier (BSc 2023), Constantin Dyroff (BSc 2023)
Professor Cynthia H.Y. Fu is a leading researcher in the Department of Psychology & Human Development at the University of East London's School of Childhood and Social Care. She serves as an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and holds a Visiting Professor position at the Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London. Her research focuses on identifying brain regions affected by depression and how they change with various treatments including talking therapies, antidepressant medication, and neurostimulation techniques like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Professor Fu pioneered work demonstrating that neural activation patterns during sad facial processing can accurately diagnose depression in individual patients and predict treatment response. Her research has direct translational potential in developing biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis based on brain imaging. Professor Fu's work spans multiple disciplines including affective neuroscience, computational psychiatry, and neuromodulation. Her recent publications reveal strong trends in applying machine learning to neuroimaging data for depression classification, investigating home-based tDCS treatment protocols, and exploring the relationship between physiological markers and psychological states in real-world contexts like driving and commuting. British Association for Psychopharmacology Award National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (Brain & Behavior Research Foundation) Award Professor Fu has secured significant research funding from major organizations including the Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, GlaxoSmithKline, and Eli Lilly. Her work regularly appears in top-tier journals and is consistently cited among the most influential publications in psychiatry. She leads research investigating how brain responses can predict individual treatment responses, potentially enabling personalized depression treatment approaches. Her laboratory focuses on multimodal neuroimaging approaches combined with machine learning to identify neural signatures of depression and treatment response. Current projects include home-based tDCS treatment protocols with remote supervision, biomarker development for predicting antidepressant response, and computational approaches to understanding stress responses in everyday contexts.
Abigail Kimmitt is an Assistant Professor of Biology specializing in the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying seasonal behaviors in songbirds. Her research integrates endocrinology, molecular biology, behavioral ecology, and genomics to study how hormonal regulation links migration and reproduction. PhD in Biology, Indiana University Bloomington BS in Bio, University of Mary Washington She teaches courses in human physiology, genomics, bioinformatics, and neuroscience at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Her work combines field, lab, and computational approaches to provide hands-on research opportunities for students. Her recent publications explore topics like: Genomic consequences of migratory strategies Stress hormone impacts on behavior Photoperiod thresholds in breeding Hybridization dynamics in wild populations Evolutionary divergence due to seasonal sympatry
Dr. Yonas Tekle is a Professor of Biology at Spelman College, where he has been a faculty member since 2010. His research laboratory at the Albro-Falconer-Manley Science Center focuses on evolutionary approaches to understanding microbial diversity and infectious diseases. Dr. Tekle received his educational training at prestigious institutions: Ph.D. from Uppsala University, Sweden B.S. from University of Asmara, Eritrea Dr. Tekle's research program implements fundamental principles of evolution to investigate the diversity, origins, and relationships of both medical and non-medical microbes. He is particularly fascinated by interdisciplinary research approaches that address challenging questions affecting everyday life. His laboratory specializes in integrating bioinformatics and phylogenetics with mathematical modeling to understand the evolution and epidemics of infectious diseases. This multidisciplinary approach bridges microbiology, evolutionary biology, computational methods, and public health applications. Analysis of Dr. Tekle's publication record reveals a strong focus on two primary research trajectories: amoeboid organism systematics and evolutionary biology, and mathematical modeling of infectious disease transmission. His earlier work established him as an expert in amoeboid taxonomy and phylogenetics, with numerous publications describing new species and elucidating evolutionary relationships within Amoebozoa. More recently, his research has expanded to include genomic analyses of microbial organisms and sophisticated mathematical models of infectious disease dynamics, particularly focusing on antibiotic-resistant pathogens and vaccination strategies. Dr. Tekle teaches a range of courses including Biological Communities, Evolution and Biodiversity (Bio 110), Cellular & Molecular Biology (BIO 471), Microbial Origins Research (BIO 416), and specialized courses on Microbial Diversity and Evolution (SBIO 491N). He also mentors undergraduate research through SBIO 491. While specific grant information isn't provided in the available materials, his extensive publication record suggests successful research funding and active laboratory operations. Dr. Tekle's laboratory appears to be an active research environment focused on evolutionary microbiology, with particular expertise in amoeboid organisms and infectious disease modeling. His work bridges fundamental evolutionary questions with practical applications for understanding and controlling infectious disease transmission.
Ayla Humphrey is an Assistant Professor and Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the University of Cambridge Department of Psychiatry . Her research focuses on early identification of mental health needs in children, cognitive therapy for trauma-exposed youth, and developmental disorders like autism and Tuberous Sclerosis . She serves as Course Director for the MPhil Foundations of Clinical Psychology and co-founded the NHS Cambridge Centre for Paediatric Neuropsychological Rehabilitation . Her research spans Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) integration with social care, trauma-focused cognitive therapy , and developmental disorder screening . Key collaborations include the NIHR-funded COACHES study and the PYCES (Parents and Young Children under Extreme Stress) project. Scientific awards include the 2017 British Psychological Society Award for Outstanding Contribution to Applied Practice . She actively supervises PhD students and contributes to school-based mental health identification frameworks . Her work emphasizes evidence-based service transformation and cross-sector collaboration.
Dr. Cristiane Duarte is a Professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University - New York State Psychiatric Institute. She holds the prestigious title of Ruane Professor for the Implementation of Science for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Dr. Duarte also serves as Co-Director of the NewYork-Presbyterian Youth Anxiety Center in Washington Heights. Dr. Duarte's educational background includes a PhD and MPH, though specific institutions aren't mentioned in the available text. Her academic journey has led her to become a prominent figure in child and adolescent mental health research. Her research focuses on innovative population-based studies examining the development of mental disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. Through state-of-the-art sampling, recruitment, and culturally appropriate assessment methodologies, she generates knowledge relevant to diverse, often underserved and understudied populations. She is particularly known as the leader of the Boricua Youth Study, the only multi-national source of information about how mental disorders develop from childhood to young adulthood in Puerto Ricans. Dr. Duarte's publication record shows a strong trajectory of research from early work on child mental health in Latin America and post-9/11 trauma effects to more recent large-scale studies on prenatal influences, child development, and health disparities. Her work spans multiple disciplines including psychiatry, epidemiology, public health, and developmental psychology. Her research has received significant support from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and multiple institutes of the National Institutes of Health including NIDA, NIMH, NIAAA, and NICHD. Dr. Duarte is a key member of international collaborations in global mental health, particularly focused on improving child mental health services and implementing interventions in low-resource settings. Her work bridges cross-cultural measurement of psychiatric disorders with addressing mental health disparities across diverse populations.
Patrick Desrosiers serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physics, Physical Engineering and Optics within Université Laval's Faculty of Science and Engineering, while conducting neuroscience research at the CERVO Brain Research Center. He co-directs Dynamica, a multidisciplinary complex systems research group, and participates in UNIQUE (neuroscience-AI integration) and CIMMUL (mathematical modeling applications). His academic training spans physics and mathematics at Université Laval, the University of Melbourne, and CEA-Saclay. Dr. Desrosiers' research centers on mathematical and computational neuroscience , with signature contributions in dimensionality reduction and network resilience analysis . His work bridges biological and artificial neural networks , zebrafish brain mapping , and neurovascular coupling using advanced techniques from spectral graph theory , random matrix theory , and dynamical systems . Current investigations focus on neural decoding under chronic stress and structural-functional relationships in brain networks. Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals three dominant trajectories: (1) Low-dimensional representations for predicting cognitive decline and neural dynamics, (2) Network reconstruction methodologies applied to neuroscience and biodiversity, and (3) Development of computational tools like NeuroTorch for neural data analysis. His work consistently integrates mathematical rigor with biological relevance across species and scales. His recognition includes: Professeur étoile prize for exceptional teaching (Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, 2018) As Dynamica co-director, he mentors a research team comprising Antoine Légaré, Arthur Légaré, Benjamin Claveau, Jordan Charest, Marziyeh Pourmousavi, Pierre-Luc Larouche, Vincent Savard, Vincent Thibeault, and Zahra Yazdani. His collaborative framework connects physics, mathematics, and neuroscience to address fundamental questions in neural network organization, with funding evident through sustained publication output and lab operations. Dynamica Lab ( https://dynamicalab.github.io/ ) serves as the operational hub for his interdisciplinary research, maintaining active collaboration with CERVO Brain Research Center and international institutions.
Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith is a leading mammalian developmental geneticist and epigeneticist at the University of Cambridge, holding the Arthur Balfour Professorship of Genetics. As Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, she oversees the university's research strategy while maintaining her laboratory's focus on genomic imprinting and epigenetic inheritance . Her work bridges experimental and computational approaches through affiliations with the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge Neuroscience, and the Centre for Trophoblast Research. Research in her lab investigates epigenetic mechanisms in developmental processes , particularly through the lens of Dlk1-Dio3 imprinted domain studies. Current themes include: Stem cell epigenetic programming Environmental modulation of epigenetic states Role of repetitive elements in genomic regulation Her group integrates mouse and zebrafish models with high-throughput genomics and mathematical modeling . Key collaborations include: Wellcome Trust UKRI Medical Research Council BBSRC NIH Scientific honors include: Elected EMBO Member (2006) Academy of Medical Sciences (2012) Fellow of the Royal Society (2017) Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) The lab maintains family-friendly research practices and actively participates in interdisciplinary collaborations across Cambridge and internationally.
Jonathan L. Auerbach is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics at George Mason University . His work bridges statistics and public policy , focusing on causal inference , longitudinal data analysis , and official statistics . He has contributed to understanding urban myths (e.g., New York City rat populations, building height trends), election fraud , and policy evaluation for initiatives like Vision Zero. Education : PhD in Statistics (Columbia University, 2020), BA in Economics (Cornell University, 2010) Research Interests include data science , causal inference , survey methodology , and urban analytics . His recent work addresses climate change impacts on cherry blossom seasons, federal data security , and street vendor demographics in New York City. Scientific Awards include the 2024-2025 President of Washington Statistical Society , 2020-2021 American Statistical Association Science Policy Fellow , and 2019 Howard Levene Outstanding Teaching Award . He has served as an instructor for courses like Capstone in Statistics and Causal Inference , emphasizing technical communication and data ethics .
Aoife O'Donovan, PhD is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine and a member of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. Her research focuses on understanding how psychological stress drives the development of mental and physical disorders, with particular emphasis on identifying the psychological and biological factors that account for the adverse effects of stress. Dr. O'Donovan's educational background includes a PhD in Clinical Psychobiology from University College Dublin, an MPsychSc in Health Psychology from National University of Ireland, Galway, and a BA in Psychology from University College Cork. She completed postdoctoral studies in Health Psychology at UCSF and in Trauma and PTSD at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Her research interests center on traumatic stress, psychoneuroimmunology, inflammation, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and autoimmune disorders. She leads the THRIVE Lab at UCSF and is Principal Investigator on multiple significant NIH-funded research projects, including 'Inflammatory challenge and fear extinction: A model to enhance understanding of posttraumatic stress disorder' (2024-2028) and 'Effects of inflammation on neural mechanisms of threat sensitivity in posttraumatic stress disorder' (2016-2021). Dr. O'Donovan's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the intersection of mental health and physical health outcomes, particularly examining how trauma exposure influences biological processes like inflammation, epigenetic aging, and immune function. Her work has increasingly incorporated psychedelic-assisted therapies and their applications for PTSD and other trauma-related conditions. Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research Elected Fellow (2024) American Psychosomatic Society Herbert Weiner Early Career Award (2019) Society of Biological Psychiatry Travel Fellowship Award (2018) International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies Chaim and Bela Danieli Young Professional Award (2018) University of California Hellman Fellowship Award (2017) Dr. O'Donovan is actively involved in mentoring faculty on career development and research projects. Her work spans multiple interdisciplinary areas including the Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center and The Translational Psychedelic Research Program at UCSF. She has contributed significantly to understanding the connections between psychological stress and physical health outcomes, with implications for developing targeted interventions to reduce the negative effects of stress.
Emily Bayer is appointed as Assistant Professor of Neural Science and Biology at New York University, commencing January 2026. Her research program investigates neural mechanisms of visceral sensation and behavioral outputs, with emphasis on fertility status and sex differences using C. elegans and D. cerebrum (zebrafish) models. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Columbia University (2019) B.S. in Biology/German, Muhlenberg College (2014) Dr. Bayer's research explores how internal bodily sensations (visceral sensation) modulate behavior and environmental interaction, focusing on molecular and anatomical sex differences in neural circuits. Her lab examines how fertility status influences behavior through genetic and neural mechanisms, revealing conserved principles of neural circuit organization. Key approaches include C. elegans genetics, zebrafish neuroimaging, and behavioral analysis to dissect how reproductive state and sex converge in brain function. Analysis of her recent publications (2025-2016) demonstrates a cohesive focus on sexual dimorphism in neural development and behavior, with increasing integration of genomic and connectomic methodologies. Her work spans molecular genetics, neural circuit mapping, and behavioral phenotyping, consistently highlighting sex-specific differences in neural wiring and function across model organisms. Her scientific recognition includes: Research Fund for Excellent Junior Researchers (University of Basel, 2025) Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research Fellowship (2021-2023) Dr. Bayer has secured competitive fellowships supporting her independent research program. Her lab establishes innovative frameworks for studying visceral sensation-behavior relationships, with current work emphasizing monoaminergic signaling in experience-dependent neural plasticity and the role of conserved transcription factors in sexually dimorphic development. Future directions include expanding to vertebrate models to investigate evolutionary conservation of these mechanisms. She leads a research team utilizing C. elegans and zebrafish to dissect neural circuits underlying internal sensation, with particular focus on how fertility signals modulate social and mating behaviors through sex-specific neural pathways.
