Prof. Dr. Jörg Hackermüller is a computational biologist with expertise in Omics data integration Toxicology Environmental risk assessment Non-coding RNA biology . He serves as Head of the Department of Computational Biology and Chemistry at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) since 2024 and holds a Professorship at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at Leipzig University since 2021. His research focuses on Developing AI methods for chemical toxicity prediction Multi-omics integration for mechanistic toxicology Data standardization in environmental monitoring Non-coding RNAs as biomarkers in disease and toxicity and has produced 15+ recent publications spanning tools like multiGSEA and deepFPlearn+ . He collaborates with teams across UFZ Leipzig University Novartis Fraunhofer Institute and leads projects like InCeTo and SafePol , integrating exposome research with systems biology.
Sandra Rieger is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami's College of Arts and Sciences with research bridging basic science and medical applications. Her work has significant connections to the Miller School of Medicine through the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and University of Miami Health System. Dr. Rieger's research focuses on mechanisms leading to peripheral neuropathy, particularly those induced by chemotherapy or diabetes. Her laboratory discovered that chemotherapeutic agents like paclitaxel and high glucose levels increase hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) formation in epidermal keratinocytes. This elevated H2O2 activates the matrix-degrading metalloproteinase MMP-13, which induces cell adhesion defects and degeneration of unmyelinated sensory axons. Her work further demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of MMP-13 prevents paclitaxel and glucose neurotoxicity in rodent models, suggesting potential therapeutic applications for human patients. Current research focuses on identifying how paclitaxel induces H2O2 production and elucidating MMP-13's precise role in axon degeneration. Dr. Rieger leads the Rieger Lab specializing in neural-epithelial interactions research. Her findings have important implications for developing treatments for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and diabetic neuropathy, conditions affecting millions of patients worldwide. She maintains active research collaborations across the University of Miami system, working toward translating basic science discoveries into clinical applications.
Noa Pinter-Wollman is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, within the College of Life Sciences . Her work integrates field experiments, laboratory assays, computational modeling, and social network analysis to understand how individual variation among animals translates into emergent collective behavior, and how these dynamics intersect with conservation challenges. Research Focus: Mechanisms underlying collective decision-making in social insects (especially Argentine ants and harvester ants) Social network structure and its ecological consequences in endangered griffon vultures Interface between spatial ecology and social behavior, including impacts on disease transmission and conservation management Biomimetic insights from social animals to inform resilient human-designed systems Across 2023–2025, her team has produced a steady stream of high-impact articles that collectively advance four thematic pillars: (1) microbiome–behavior feedbacks in ants, (2) conservation technology for scavengers, (3) network-analytic methods for disentangling spatial versus social drivers of interaction, and (4) cooperative strategies that underlie invasion success in ants. The work is notable for integrating high-resolution tracking technologies with rigorous statistical modeling. Funding & Collaborations: Current NSF awards include the collaborative grant “ The causes and consequences of Higher Order Interactions (HOI) ” and prior support for “ Uncovering how links between social and spatial interactions affect ecological processes .” These grants foster interdisciplinary partnerships spanning ecology, computer science, and conservation practice. Laboratory & Team: The Pinter-Wollman Lab at UCLA houses graduate researchers, post-docs, and undergraduates who conduct integrative studies on ants, paper wasps, spiders, and vultures. The lab website ( https://pinter-wollmanlab.weebly.com ) provides protocols, data resources, and outreach materials that translate basic findings into actionable conservation guidance for wildlife managers.
Felix Schweizer is Professor of Neurobiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, and concurrently serves as Interim Director of the Brain Research Institute and Chair of the Graduate Interdepartmental Program for Neuroscience, reflecting his leadership in both research and graduate training. Education Ph.D. in Biochemistry (summa cum laude), University of Basel, 1989 Research Interests Schweizer’s laboratory focuses on the molecular mechanisms of synaptic transmission and neuronal communication. Using electrophysiology, optical imaging, and quantitative proteomics, his group investigates how protein ubiquitination dynamically regulates neurotransmitter release and neuronal excitability. Recent projects explore microbial metabolite sensing by vagal afferents, the synaptic impact of environmental toxicants linked to Parkinson’s disease, and how gravitational load alters vestibular synaptic architecture. Collaborations with Drs. James Wohlschlegel (multiplexed SILAC proteomics), David Krantz (pesticide neurotoxicology), and Larry Hoffman (vestibular biology in altered gravity) extend the lab’s reach from molecular mechanisms to systems-level neuroscience. Scientific Awards No specific awards are listed in the provided text. Advising & Grants As Chair of the Graduate Interdepartmental Program for Neuroscience, Schweizer oversees interdisciplinary Ph.D. training across UCLA. The laboratory continuously hosts post-doctoral fellows and graduate students, and recent funding supports work on ubiquitin-mediated synaptic modulation, pesticide-induced neurodegeneration, and spaceflight-induced synaptic plasticity in the vestibular system. Labs & Teams The Schweizer laboratory, located in the Center for Health Sciences at UCLA, integrates electrophysiology, advanced imaging (serial EM and EM tomography), and biochemical approaches to dissect synaptic function across rodent, Drosophila, and human tissue models.
Jean-Luc Thiffeault is a Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, serving as Chair of the Department of Mathematics. His research spans applied mathematics, fluid dynamics, and topological chaos, with a focus on mixing mechanisms in viscous flows, biogenic mixing by microorganisms, and computational modeling. Key research themes include: Topology-driven fluid mixing via braid theory; Chaotic advection in low-Reynolds environments; Microswimmer interactions with boundaries and waves; Development of numerical tools for dynamical systems analysis. He has authored significant software packages like braidlab (braid analysis), rodent (ODE integration), and jlt lib (utility functions for scientific computing). Collaborative projects include studies on hagfish slime unraveling, burger flipping dynamics, and Brownian particle winding around vortices. His work is supported by NSF grants DMS-0806821 and CMMI-1233935, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches combining mathematics, physics, and computational methods.
Ju Lu serves as an Assistant Professor at Lehigh University with office location in Iacocca Hall (room 0111), contactable via phone (610.758-3687) and email (jul724@lehigh.edu). Her academic position reflects active engagement in neuroscience research and education within the university's life sciences framework. Education Background: Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Harvard University (2008) B.Eng. in Microelectronics from Tsinghua University (2002) Research Focus: Dr. Lu's work pioneers investigations into neural circuit dynamics and synaptic plasticity mechanisms using advanced optical imaging technologies. Her research spans: Cortical circuit reorganization during motor skill acquisition across species Stress-induced synaptic alterations mediated by microglia in prefrontal circuits Therapeutic applications of psychedelic compounds for neural circuit restoration Development of three-photon microscopy for deep-brain imaging Genetically-encoded neurotransmitter sensors for in vivo studies This multidisciplinary approach bridges molecular neuroscience, systems-level circuit analysis, and translational mental health applications. Publication Trends: Analysis of Dr. Lu's 15 most recent publications (2016-2023) reveals an evolving trajectory from foundational studies on dendritic spine plasticity toward translational neuroscience. Early work emphasized optical imaging methodology and basic plasticity mechanisms, while her 2021-2023 publications increasingly focus on stress-related circuit disruptions and psychedelic therapeutics. A consistent thread involves combining high-resolution in vivo imaging with behavioral models to establish causal links between neural circuit dynamics and cognitive functions. Honors and Awards: No scientific awards or fellowships were documented in the provided materials. Mentorship and Funding: While specific student mentees and grant funding details are not specified in the source text, her extensive collaborative publication record indicates active supervision of research personnel and successful acquisition of research support. Research Infrastructure: Her methodological expertise in advanced microscopy suggests utilization of specialized imaging facilities, though no dedicated laboratory or research team is explicitly identified in the available documentation.
Richard Born is a Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School , focusing on the circuitry of the mammalian cerebral cortex and its role in visual perception. His lab employs multi-species approaches, combining primate psychophysics and electrophysiology rodent 2-photon imaging and optogenetics hierarchical Bayesian modeling of perceptual inference to investigate cortico-cortical feedback, neural variability, and context-dependent visual processing. Research Interests span visual systems neuroscience, with emphasis on top-down modulation of sensory processing binocular rivalry and perceptual states gamma oscillations and neural synchrony input-gain control in V1/V2/V3 Bayesian brain frameworks neuroanatomical connectomics Recent work explores layer 1 dendritic interactions with somatostatin interneurons and collaborations with institutions like Boston University and the University of Rochester. Advising includes mentoring postdoctoral fellows (Ariana Sherdil, Camille Gómez-Laberge, Abhinav Grama) and students at Harvard Medical School. The lab utilizes advanced techniques including multi-electrode arrays laminar probes optogenetic perturbation DTI tractography validation for circuit analysis.
Blanka Sharma, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida's Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Her research focuses on nanomedicine, stem cells, biomaterials, and targeted delivery systems for regenerative medicine and cancer therapy. She holds a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo (1999), a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University (2005), and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic (2005–2008). Dr. Sharma’s work explores material-cell interactions to develop therapies addressing inflammatory mechanisms in diseases like osteoarthritis and cancer. Notable achievements include pioneering biomaterials for cartilage repair and nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. She has received prestigious awards, including the NSF CAREER Award (2019) and the UF Pramod P. Khargonekar Junior Faculty Award (2019–2020). Her research spans nanomedicine, tumor microenvironment engineering, and immunotherapy optimization. Recent studies include ROS-scavenging manganese dioxide nanoparticles for osteoarthritis and NK cell mechanosensing in tumors. She leads the Sharma Laboratory, advancing translational research in regenerative medicine and oncology.
Kaye Morgan is an Associate Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University, specializing in X-ray imaging technologies with applications in medical and respiratory research. She holds an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship and has held prestigious positions including a Hans Fischer Fellowship at Technische Universität München. Her research focuses on advancing X-ray optics methodologies, particularly phase contrast X-ray imaging (PCXI) and dark-field imaging, to enhance resolution, speed, and sensitivity. These techniques are applied to study airway health in cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases, using synchrotron facilities like SPring-8 and the Munich Compact Light Source. She has pioneered single-grid imaging and propagation-based dark-field approaches, enabling real-time visualization of lung dynamics and treatment efficacy. Morgan leads multiple high-impact projects funded by ARC and international collaborations, with over 85 publications in journals like Optics Express and Scientific Reports. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and innovation. Key achievements include developing lab-based X-ray sources for clinical translation and quantifying lung microstructure through advanced imaging algorithms.
Prof. Laura Busse is a Professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), leading the Research Group in the Department of Biology II, Division Neurobiology. She holds roles as a Regular Member of MCN, Full Member of GSN, and Deputy Head of the GSN Examination Board. Her research focuses on cellular and systems neuroscience, particularly investigating how contextual information influences visual perception through neural circuits in mice. Key areas include feedback mechanisms, behavioral state effects, and thalamocortical interactions. Her work employs advanced techniques like high-density extracellular recordings and optogenetics to study active behavior in rodents. Current students include Simon Renner, Gregory Born, and others. Recent research highlights include studies on corticothalamic feedback effects, thalamic spatial integration, and the role of pupil dynamics in neural activity. She leads the Vision Circuits Lab (https://visioncircuitslab.org), exploring how sensory inputs and brain states shape visual processing. Her articles reveal trends in understanding thalamocortical communication, adaptive sensory systems, and the biological basis of neural network models. She coordinates the SPP2411 project on cortico-subcortical loops, emphasizing interdisciplinary neuroscience.
Dr. Rebecca Glineburg is an Assistant Professor in the Biological Sciences department at Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University . She holds a Ph.D. in Neurology from the University of Pennsylvania and is affiliated with the University of Michigan's Department of Neurology. Education: Colgate University (B.A.) George Washington University (M.F.S.) University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D.) Her research focuses on stress granules and their role in neurodegenerative diseases , particularly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) . She investigates how stress granule dynamics interact with TDP43 protein aggregation and C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeats using Drosophila and rodent neuron models . Recent work published in Nucleic Acids Research demonstrates that inhibiting stress granule formation via Semliki Forest virus nsP3 protein does not mitigate neurodegeneration but instead exacerbates disease phenotypes in ALS/FTD models. This challenges prevailing hypotheses about stress granules' pathogenic role and suggests they may have neuroprotective functions.
Dr. Jonathan B. Clayton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Nebraska Omaha and holds cross-appointments at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Department of Food Science and Technology) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (Department of Pathology and Microbiology). He holds a D.V.M. and Ph.D. in Comparative and Molecular Biosciences from the University of Minnesota. His work focuses on host-microbiome interactions in humans and nonhuman primates, particularly exploring how dietary fiber, lifestyle, and environmental factors influence gut microbiome composition and metabolic health. He founded the Primate Microbiome Project (PMP) to map microbiome variation across all primates, linking it to health, evolution, and conservation. Research Interests include microbiome modulations of metabolic diseases (diabetes, obesity) and neurological disorders (stress), using in vitro/in vivo models like germ-free mice and marmosets. His methodologies involve next-generation sequencing, anaerobic culture, and marmoset models. Clayton is affiliated with the Callitrichid Research Center and GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Center, emphasizing translational research and conservation applications. Teaching focuses on Microbiology and Microbial Ecology. His lab (Clayton Lab) investigates causal mechanisms of microbiome-related diseases and has published extensively on gut microbiome dynamics in captive and wild primates. Recent work highlights antibiotic impacts on gut-brain axis interactions and conservation implications of microbiome diversity.
Nyeema Harris is the Knobloch Family Associate Professor of Wildlife and Land Conservation at the Yale School of the Environment (YSE), part of Yale University. She focuses on wildlife conservation, urban ecology, and the socio-ecological dimensions of human-wildlife interactions. Her work examines how urbanization impacts predator behavior, diets, and biodiversity, while advocating for inclusive sustainability approaches that address equity and justice in environmental scholarship. Education includes a PhD from North Carolina State University, an MS from The University of Montana, and a BS from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. These degrees span wildlife science and conservation biology. Her research interests emphasize urban carnivore ecology, community-based conservation strategies, and systemic racism’s ecological consequences. She integrates spatial modeling with social equity frameworks, as seen in her publications on textured species range maps and critiques of environmental landscapes of fear. Publications highlight trends in urban wildlife adaptation, interdisciplinary methods, and ethical considerations in conservation. Key themes include dietary shifts in predators due to environmental changes, the role of historical data in species forecasting, and mitigating health risks linked to urbanization and gentrification. Dr. Harris actively advises doctoral students and is involved in initiatives like SNAPSHOT USA and Michigan ZoomIN, leveraging citizen science for ecological monitoring. She has not been noted for specific scientific awards in the provided texts. Her office is located in Kroon Hall, Room 223, at 195 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT. She contributes to environmental justice discourse and has been featured in news articles discussing her work on African carnivore range loss, urban rodent control, and systemic racism in urban ecosystems.
Jessica A. Mong, PhD , is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine , where she also serves as Assistant Dean for Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies and Director of Graduate Education for the Program in Neuroscience. Her research focuses on the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying sex differences in sleep circuitry and the estrogenic modulation of sleep-wake cycles. Primary Appointment: Pharmacology & Physiology Administrative Title: Assistant Dean for Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies Laboratory Director: Program in Neuroscience Research Interests: Dr. Mong's work investigates how ovarian steroids influence sleep-wake behavior through sexually differentiated neuroanatomical substrates. Key areas include: Mechanisms of estrogenic modulation in the median preoptic nucleus (MnPN) Developmental programming of sex differences in sleep sensitivity Translational studies using rodent and nonhuman primate models of menopause Functional significance of hormonal influences on sleep quality and recovery Scientific Trends: Her recent publications (2023-2025) emphasize: Role of KCNMA1 channelopathy in sleep regulation Adenosinergic signaling in MnPN Translational menopause models Estrogen's protective effects against noise-induced hearing loss Sex-dependent responses to kynurenine pathway challenges Awards & Appointments: NIH BIRCWH Scholar (Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health) Co-Chair, Society for Women’s Health Research Interdisciplinary Research Network on Sex-Differences in Sleep Health NIH/NHLBI R01 HL129138 grant recipient Education & Training: B.S., Biology, Gettysburg College (1987-1991) Ph.D., Neuropharmacology, University of Maryland Baltimore (1994-2000) NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Endocrinology, Rockefeller University (2000-2003)
Rui M. Costa is a Professor of Neuroscience at Columbia University, with appointments in Neurology and the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. His research focuses on understanding how molecular networks in the brain influence neural circuits to shape behaviors, particularly in action control and disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Primary Affiliation: Columbia University Departments: Neuroscience, Neurology Institute: Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute Research Interests Molecular and neural circuit mechanisms of action control Goal-directed actions vs. habits Behavioral disorders: Autism and OCD Neural plasticity in motor learning Publication Trends His recent work explores corticostriatal dynamics, basal ganglia pathways, and endocannabinoid modulation in habit formation. Studies also investigate Foxp2 mutations, motor learning consolidation, and two-photon imaging of neural activity in rodents.
