Current and Alumni Ph.D. Students

UF NEUROSCIENCE

Where passion meets innovation

Welcome to our vibrant community of neuroscience Ph.D. students, where passion meets innovation in the exploration of the brain and nervous system. Our students come from diverse academic backgrounds, united by a shared commitment to advance our understanding of complex neural processes and their implications for health and disease. Through a rigorous curriculum, collaborative projects, and interdisciplinary seminars and journal clubs, our graduate students are not only developing their expertise but also contributing to groundbreaking discoveries that have the potential to transform clinical care and improve patient outcomes.

collage of phd students in labs and in class

Current trainees

Name Faculty Mentor Email
Jacqueline Aloumanis Amanda Elton, Ph.D. jaloumanis@ufl.edu
Conner Angelle Paramita Chakrabarty, Ph.D. connerangelle@ufl.edu
Estelle Ayomen Carol Mathews, Ph.D. eayomen@ufl.edl
Steven Beck Sung Min Han, Ph.D. sbeck2@ufl.edu
Cristina Besosa Andrew Maurer, Ph.D., and Sara Burke, Ph.D. cbesosa@ufl.edu
Emma Brock Matthew LaVoie, Ph.D. emmabrock@ufl.edu
Valerie Cabrera Adrienn Varga, Ph.D. valerie.cabrera@ufl.edu
Katelyn Caldarone Michelle Bedenbaugh, Ph.D. katelyncaldarone@ufl.edu
Elizabeth Chapman Matthew LaVoie, Ph.D. echapman239@ufl.edu
Ian Colello Erica Dale, Ph.D. colello.ia@ufl.edu

Meet some of our Alumni

Study Director Manager, LabCorp

Latoya Allen, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor: Gordon Mitchell, Ph.D.

Latoya

assistant professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Rachel Bailey, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor: Jada Lewis, Ph.D.

Dr. Bailey

Assistant Professor, Department of neurobiology, university of alabame, Birmingham

Blanca Sofia Beas, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentors: Jen Bizon, Ph.D. and Barry Setlow, Ph.D.

Dr. Beas

associate professor, department of anesthesiology, university of minnesota

Jeff Boissoneault, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor: Sara Jo Nixon, Ph.D.

Jeff

Corporate Counsel, Gilead Sciences

Brittany Butler, MSPL, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor: Habibeh Khoshbouei, Ph.D.

butler

Senior Medical Liason, Linus Health

Marissa Ciesla, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor: Gordon Mitchell, Ph.D.

Female with brown hair wearing white coat and black flower top.

Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Washington and Lee

Tara Cooper, Ph.D

Graduate Mentor: Sara Burke, Ph.D.

Tara Cooper Headshot

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Abbi (Rosen) Hernandez, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor: Sara Burke, Ph.D.

Abbi & Caesar Hernandez

postdoctoral fellow, university of Alabama at Birmingham

Caesar Hernandez, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentors: Jen Bizon, Ph.D. and Barry Setlow, Ph.D.

caesar

Postdoctoral fellow, baylor college of medicine

Emily Koller, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor: Paramita Chakrabarty, Ph.D.

Emily Koller

Professor and Chair, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, George Washington University school of medicine and health sciences

Sally Moody Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor:

Female with Blonde hair. Wearing glasses and blue top.

Feasibility Research Analyst, IQVIA Biotech

Michael Pace, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor: David Borchelt, Ph.D.

Pace

Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Science Education Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Kristofer Rau, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor:

Male with brown hear. Wearing glasses, blue shirt and tie.

Postdoctoral Fellow, Emory University School of Medicine

Sruti Rayaprolu, Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor: Jada Lewis, Ph.D

former student

Neurosurgery Fellow, Johns Hopkins University

Amanda Sacino, M.D., Ph.D.

Graduate Mentors: Ben Giasson, Ph.D. and Todd Golde, M.D., Ph.D.

sacino

resident in psychiatry, university of pittsburgh

Alfredo Sklar, M.D., Ph.D.

Graduate Mentor: Sara Jo Nixon, Ph.D.

solar

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