SURFiN Program Lab Opportunities

Mentor: Sowmya Manojna Naraismha
Mentor Role: PhD Student
Principal Investigator: Gal Mishne
Institution: University of California, San Diego
Lab Website: http://mishne.ucsd.edu

Project Title: Compositional Structure in Neural Activity Underlying Motor Behavior

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how the brain produces complex movements by combining simpler movement elements. Humans are remarkably adept at performing flexible behavior by reusing previously learned movement components across tasks. For example, reaching to grasp a cup, turn a doorknob or pick up a pen involves recombining similar movement components in different sequences and contexts. How the brain seamlessly integrates and represents these elements remains an open question.

Together, we will develop models that identify patterns corresponding to simpler behavioral components. The SURFiN fellow will work on neural and behavioral data corresponding to different motor tasks and learn computational tools and techniques to analyze them. This project provides an opportunity to develop hands-on skills in Python programming, high-dimensional data analysis and computational modeling while contributing to fundamental advances in motor control research.

Mentor Information: Sowmya Manojna Naraismha is a fourth-year neuroscience Ph.D. student in Gal Mishne’s lab at the University of California, San Diego. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological engineering and a master’s degree in data science from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. Sowmya’s research lies at the intersection of neuroscience and AI, focusing on designing robust and generalizable neural decoders. Using deep learning and neuroscience tools, she aims to elucidate the neural activity underlying complex behavior for brain-computer interface (BCI) applications.

Mentor: Austin Coley (Assistant Professor)
Co-Mentor: Karen Safaryan (Project Scientist)
Principal Investigator: Austin Coley
Institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Lab Website: www.coleylab.com

Project Title: Investigating Cognitive Flexibility and PFC Dynamics

Project Description: Cognitive flexibility is a core component of executive function that integrates new information, shifts strategies and adapts to contextual environmental changes. The medial prefrontal cortex—a higher order cortical region primarily responsible for decision-making processes; attention, learning and memory consolidation, as well as working memory, social cognition and emotional processing—is highly susceptible to patients diagnosed with neuropsychiatric disorders. It remains unknown how mPFC reward-encoding neuronal populations function during cognitive flexibility and during helpless conditions. We hypothesize that prefrontal cortical neurons and facial expressions can predict cognitive flexible performance and is disrupted in response to helplessness. We designed a novel head-fixed Go/No-Go Delay Variation Task to assess cognitive flexibility in male and female mice. We then exposed the mice to the acute Learned Helplessness (LH) stress protocol. We perform in vivo 2-photon calcium imaging to longitudinally track mPFC reward-encoding neuronal population activity and dynamics and utilize behavioral pose-estimation tracking system to detect facial features. These experiments point to the need for measuring both behavior and neural activity, as these factors can decode the induction conditions of stress-induced helpless behaviors.

Mentor Information: Austin Coley is an assistant professor in the neurobiology department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the David Geffen School of Medicine. Coley’s laboratory investigates the neural populations and circuits involved in stress-induced depression. Prior to his faculty appointment, he was a postdoctoral fellow at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies and an adjunct instructor in cellular neurobiology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). His work investigated the effect of neural circuits on behavior and state-dependent and region-specific cellular aberrations implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders (Coley et al., 2025, Coley et al., 2021).

Co-Mentor Information: Karen Safaryan is a project scientist in the Coley Laboratory in the neurobiology department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the David Geffen School of Medicine. Safaryan earned his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, where he investigated pattern recognition in large-scale network models of the cerebellar cortex. He then completed his postdoctoral research in UCLA’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, studying hippocampal neural dynamics during virtual reality navigation. As a project scientist in UCLA’s Department of Neurology, he explores local and extended brain network mechanisms underlying adaptive decision-making and cognitive flexibility in dynamic environments, using large-scale neural recording techniques (Neuropixels probes) in rodents.

Mentor: Rujuta Wilson (Assistant Professor)
Co-Mentor: Jeff Anderson (Ph.D. Student)
Principal Investigator: Rujuta Wilson
Institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Lab Website: https://wilsonmotorlab.org/

Project Title: Quantitative Phenotyping in FOXP1 Syndrome

Project Description: This project will utilize in-person and remote deep phenotyping to examine motor function, language, cognition and autism symptoms in individuals with FOXP1 syndrome ages 1 to 20 years. The project uses novel methods to obtain granular measures of motor function. From the data, the team will examine key areas necessary for clinical trial readiness such as meaningful change and variation in motor function overtime, reproducibility of measures across contexts and days, and association of motor measures to other developmental domains. The fellow will engage in the FOXP1 natural history study and learn about clinical assessments as well as quantitative motor phenotyping. The fellow will learn methods in computer vision/pose estimation analysis and examine how motor differences in individuals with FOXP1 are related to cognition function, language, adaptive skills and autism symptoms. They will also engage in examination of change in motor measures over time. Through this work, the fellow will gain hands-on experience in clinical research design, data analysis and computer vision methods to obtain granular aspects of motor function. Furthermore, they will learn about clinical trials and the development of clinical trial endpoints.

Mentor Information: Rujuta B. Wilson is a pediatric neurologist specializing in autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders. She is an assistant professor in psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine and the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART). Wilson is the director of research for the UCLA Tarjan (UCEDD) Center and leads the motor phenotyping core for CART. Her NIH funded research is focused on developing quantitative methods of motor phenotyping to improve characterization of atypical motor development, better understand how atypical motor skills can impact cognition and language and applying this information to understand the underlying neural mechanisms implicated in autism. She has a strong history of mentoring undergraduate and graduate student trainees who have gone on to successful postgraduate and career positions.

Co-Mentor Information: Jeff Anderson is a second year Ph.D. student in the department of education and a graduate student researcher in Rujuta Wilson’s lab. His main project focuses on using video-based pose estimation models to characterize motor functioning, including gait and arm/hand function. He supports undergraduate students in the lab who work in this area and provides training on video preparation, processing and variable extraction.

Mentor: Rune Bøen
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Scholar
Principal Investigator: Carrie Bearden
Institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Lab Website: https://beardenlab.semel.ucla.edu/team/

Project Title: Hemispheric Asymmetry in Cortical Thickness Among Individuals with 22q11.2 Deletion and Duplication Syndromes

Project Description: This project will investigate hemispheric asymmetry in cortical thickness among individuals with 22q11.2 deletion and duplication syndromes—genetic variants associated with markedly elevated risk for autism and impairments in language and social cognition—compared with typically developing controls. Because hemispheric specialization is critical for the development of language and social–communicative processing, atypical lateralization may represent a key neurobiological mechanism linking 22q11.2 variation to autism-related phenotypes. Using preprocessed structural MRI data, the student will compute regional asymmetry indices in cortical areas implicated in language and social cognition (e.g., temporal, inferior frontal and medial prefrontal regions) and test group differences using linear mixed-effects models in R, controlling for age, sex and scanner effects. The project will further examine longitudinal developmental trajectories by modeling age-related changes in asymmetry and group-by-age interactions, identifying deviations in hemispheric specialization that may distinguish deletion carriers, duplication carriers and controls. Through this work, the student will gain hands-on training in neuroimaging analysis, longitudinal statistical modeling and scientific communication, while contributing to a mechanistic understanding of altered brain lateralization underlying language and social–cognitive difficulties in autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions.

Mentor Information: Rune Bøen is a postdoctoral scholar working under the supervision of Carrie Bearden at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He holds a Ph.D. in genetics and genomics from the University of Oslo, as well as an M.Phil. and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a specialization in cognitive neuroscience from the University of Oslo. His research focuses on how rare recurrent copy number variants, particularly 22q11.2 variants, influence brain structure, neurodevelopment and risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. He is a recipient of the UCLA Stephen R. Mallory Research Award.

Mentor: Victor Ansere
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Bérénice Benayoun
Institution: University of Southern California
Lab Website: http://gero.usc.edu/labs/benayounlab/

Project Title: Impact of Gonadal Hormones on Mouse Brain Aging

Project Description: Victor Ansere’s project involves understanding the mechanisms that drive sex differences in the brain, particularly with aging. We intend to identify molecular pathways and genomic targets that could help delay brain aging and disease. SURFiN fellows will help characterize the contributions of gonadal hormones on brain function and cognitive aging. In addition, we will determine the impact of gonadal hormones on the transcriptomic and epigenomic landscapes of microglia subtypes. Fellows will gain experience with novel mouse models through cognitive behavioral assessments, as well as generating and analyzing bulk and single-nuclei RNA sequencing and chromatin accessibility data from mouse brain issues.

Mentor Information: Victor Ansere is a postdoctoral fellow in the Benayoun lab at Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. He holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and a master’s degree in clinical pharmacology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. He received his Ph.D. in physiology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. His research interests include understanding the fundamental mechanisms of microglia aging, sexual dimorphisms in brain aging and developing anti-aging interventions to extend brain health.

Mentor: Aaron Lemus
Mentor Role: Graduate Research Assistant
Principal Investigator: Bérénice Benayoun
Institution: University of Southern California
Lab Website: http://gero.usc.edu/labs/benayounlab/

Project Title: Establishment of Behavioral Assays to Measure Cognitive Aging in the African Turquoise Killifish

Project Description: In this project, we will establish and validate behavioral assays to assess age- and sex-related differences in brain function and cognition in the rapid aging model, the African turquoise killifish. While killifish are widely used to study aging, many cognitive and behavioral assays have not yet been systematically compared between young and old animals or between males and females. The goal of this project is to generate foundational behavioral data that define cognitive changes during aging. SURFiN fellows will help implement and optimize a series of behavioral assays, including Y-maze tests, open field assays, territorial behavior assessments and feeding-based memory tasks. These experiments will allow us to measure learning, memory, exploration and decision-making in young and old, male and female killifish. Fellows will assist with experimental setup, behavioral tracking, data collection and quantitative analysis and will learn how to interpret behavioral outcomes in the context of brain aging. By establishing these protocols, this project will help validate the killifish as a model of age-related cognitive decline and provide a framework for future studies testing pharmacological or genetic interventions aimed at preserving brain function during aging.

Mentor Information: Aaron Lemus is a Ph.D. candidate in Bérénice Benayoun’s laboratory at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in biology from California State University, Northridge. His research focuses on hallmarks of aging that influence brain function, cognition and memory, with prior work examining stem cell–based approaches in a neurodegenerative ataxia model and identifying master regulators of stem cell function. He currently serves as vice chair of the trainee chapter of the American Aging Association.

Mentor: Jake Gavenas
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow|
Principal Investigator: Ueli Rutishauser
Institution: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Lab Website: www.rutishauserlab.org

Project Title: Neural Mechanisms of Performance Monitoring

Project Description: In this project, we will work on deciphering the mechanisms by which we detect that we’ve made an error. Although error signals have been long documented in the medial frontal cortex, a part of the frontal lobe, much remains unknown about how error signals are computed and how they are used to improve behavior. Using single-unit electrophysiology data recorded from epilepsy patients, the SURFiN fellow will examine how individual neurons in the human brain respond when one makes mistakes. Work may also involve analysis of eye movement and biophysiology data.

The fellow will learn how to work with real human neural signals, including preprocessing and spike-sorting single-unit electrophysiology data, visualization of spiking activity, and statistical analysis of neural firing rates. We will also introduce machine-learning approaches to compare neural responses across conditions (e.g., correct vs. error trials). In addition, the fellow will receive training in other important skills, including literature review, interpreting results, presenting and scientific writing.

By the end of the project, the fellow will gain experience in hypothesis-driven data analysis, neuroscience data visualization and scientific communication, while contributing to ongoing research on how the brain monitors for and adjusts performance in response to errors.

Mentor Information: Jake Gavenas is a postdoctoral scientist in Ueli Rutishauser’s lab at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Ph.D. in computational and data sciences from Chapman University. Gavenas’ research focuses on mechanisms of performance monitoring and cognitive control in the human medial frontal cortex. He is the recipient of the 2026 Center for Neural Science and Medicine Postdoctoral Fellowship Award and Chapman University Provost’s Dissertation Fellowship.

Mentor: Jineun Kim
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Researcher
Principal Investigator: David Anderson
Institution: California Institute of Technology
Lab Website: https://davidandersonlab.caltech.edu/

Project Title: Body-brain Axis Mechanism and Neural Dynamics for Flexible Afferent Processing

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how the brain integrates information from the body (such as hunger) and the environment (such as social conspecifics and available nutrients) to guide flexible behavior and how these processes change under chronic perturbations. These perturbations may include prolonged social stress, long-term dietary interventions or appetite-regulating drugs such as Ozempic. We will use mice as a model to study situations in which animals must choose between competing actions, such as eating versus engaging in social behavior.

The SURFiN fellow will help design, conduct and analyze behavioral experiments that combine dietary manipulations (for example, nutrient imbalance) with naturalistic assays including feeding, social interaction and choice tests. The student will learn how flexible innate behaviors are expressed and measured and how modern computational tools can automatically quantify behavior using machine–learning–based analysis. In parallel, the fellow will be introduced to how neural activity is measured using in vivo calcium imaging or electrophysiology and how these signals can be linked to behavior using time-series analysis. Through this project, the student will gain hands-on experience in experimental neuroscience, data analysis and computational thinking while contributing to ongoing research throughout the academic year.

Mentor Information: Jineun Kim is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of David J. Anderson at the California Institute of Technology. She holds a doctorate in neuroscience from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and completed doctoral training with co-mentorship at New York University. Kim’s research examines how the brain integrates exteroceptive and interoceptive signals and how metabolic states such as hunger interact with affective states to regulate flexible survival behaviors. She is supported by an HHMI–Helen Hay Whitney Foundation fellowship.

Mentor: Christopher Brozdowski
Mentor Role: Software Engineer
Principal Investigator: Loren Frank
Institution: University of California, San Francisco
Lab Website: https://franklab.ucsf.edu/

Project Title: Automated Quality Metrics in the Spyglass Framework

Project Description: In this project, we will expand the functionality of the Spyglass framework to include automated quality control metrics at the point of data ingestion. Spyglass is a software package that ingests, analyzes and visualizes multimodal neuroscience data to support reproducible research. Specifically, we will explore various options for ensuring the quality of electrophysiology and behavioral recordings and develop data infrastructure to automatically apply these tests to newly ingested data. The SURFiN fellow can expect to learn about (a) the principles of software development in Python, including collaboration and versioning via GitHub and writing code that is easy to maintain; (b) tools for data handling and workflow orchestration, including DataJoint, relational databases, and cronjob; and (c) various means of assessing datasets for artifacts and collection errors, including signal processing tools like spikeinterface and visualization tools like matplotlib. This project will collect and explore code from existing projects in the Frank lab as candidates for inclusion in Spyglass. The fellow can expect to turn one-off python scripts into robust Spyglass extensions that are ready for distributed computing with lessons from professional software development, including error handling, multi-threading and job queuing. The fellow can expect to engage in the lab at the University of California, San Francisco. The fellow’s interactions with the mentor will be virtual, because the mentor, Christopher Brozdowski, is based in Chicago.

Mentor Information: Christopher Brozdowski is a computational and data science research specialist working under Loren Frank at the University of California, San Francisco physiology department. He received his doctorate in language and communicative disorders jointly from the University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University and his Bachelor of Science in cognitive sciences from the University of Connecticut. Since 2021, Brozdowski has specialized in software development and data engineering for computational neuroscience using relational databases to orchestrate computational resources.

Mentor: Amin Shakhawat
Mentor Role: Instructor
Principal Investigator: Jennifer Raymond
Institution: Stanford University
Lab Website: https://raymondlab.stanford.edu/

Project Title: Readiness to Learn? How Recent Experience Alters the Capacity for Subsequent Leaning

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how the brain’s readiness to learn is shaped by recent experience. The core prediction is that the same training experience can produce strong learning, weak learning, or no learning depending on where synapses sit along a progression of hidden states—from highly labile (easy to modify) to more stable or “stubborn” (harder to change). We will test whether this control of learning by the history of experience and neural activity is altered in a mouse model of fragile X Syndrome compared to wild type mice.

The SURFiN fellow can expect to gain hands-on experience with a quantitative motor skill learning behavioral assay in mice, optogenetic stimulation to deliver defined activity patterns that should shift synapses into more or less modifiable states, and pharmacology to identify the molecular signaling pathways that tune the threshold for neural plasticity and learning. Day-to-day tasks will include running experiments, careful record-keeping, data analysis and generating clear visual summaries of results. No prior research or coding experience is required—step-by-step training will be provided, and students will be encouraged to build independence in the laboratory over the course of the fellowship year.

Mentor Information: Amin Shakhawat is an instructor at Stanford University in Jennifer Raymond’s lab. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in organic chemistry from Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Bangladesh, and a Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. Shakhawat’s research investigates how experience alters a neural circuit’s capacity for learning through a process called “metaplasticity” (the plasticity of neural plasticity). He was the inaugural recipient of the Stanford Postdoc JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) Champion Award for his work at Stanford and internationally to create opportunities for students in neuroscience.

Mentor: Hyun Geun Shim
Mentor Role: Research Scientist
Principal Investigator: Jennifer Raymond
Institution: Stanford University
Lab Website: https://raymondlab.stanford.edu/

Project Title: How Does Experience Shape the Timing Rules Controlling Learning?

Project Description: In this project, we will investigate a phenomenon known as metaplasticity—the idea that the rules governing synaptic plasticity and learning are themselves optimized through experience. We will focus on how mice use visual feedback to learn a new motor skill and how this varies with the history of visual experience. By combining these behavioral assays with recordings of neural activity and molecular biological approaches, we will explore how neural “timers” regulate learning rules in neural circuits.

The SURFiN fellow will assist with daily data collection, analysis of behavioral and neural data, and discussions about the results and scientific ideas being pursued. During the fellowship year, they will gain experience across behavioral, systems and cellular neuroscience. No prior research or coding experience is required. All necessary training, mentorship and support will be provided. Participation in lab meetings and neuroscience events at Stanford will be encouraged.

Mentor Information: Hyun Geun Shim is a research scientist at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Jennifer Raymond’s laboratory. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in biology from Chung-Ang University, Korea, and a Ph.D. in biomedical science (physiology) from Seoul National University College of Medicine. Shim’s research focuses on understanding how experience reshapes the rules governing synaptic plasticity and, ultimately, learning—a process known as metaplasticity.

Mentor: Brian Angeles
Mentor Role: Research Scientist
Principal Investigator: Jennifer Raymond
Institution: Stanford University
Lab Website: https://raymondlab.stanford.edu/

Project Title: How Do Error Signals Drive Trial-by-Trial Changes in Behavior?

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how the brain uses error signals to update behavior on a moment-to-moment basis. The cerebellum receives signals that provide ongoing evaluation of the performance of skilled movements, but how these signals support the optimization of performance remains unclear. We will use computational approaches to analyze datasets capturing both neural activity and behavior, aiming to link single error events to measurable changes in motor output.

The SURFiN fellow will work closely with the mentor to design, build and refine analysis pipelines for extracting meaningful patterns from complex neural and behavioral data. Daily tasks will include data preprocessing, signal quantification, visualization and exploratory analysis across diverse experimental conditions. Fellows will develop practical skills in scientific programming, data analysis, critical interpretation of results and collaborating with experimentalists. Over the course of the year, they will gain exposure to questions at the intersection of neuroscience, data science and computational modeling. Step-by-step training and mentorship will be provided, and students will be supported in developing independence and ownership of their contributions. Participation in weekly lab meetings and neuroscience events at Stanford will be encouraged.

Mentor Information: Brian Angeles is a staff researcher at Stanford University in Jennifer Raymond’s lab. He is an army veteran with seven years of experience supporting the health and readiness of active-duty military personnel. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of California, Berkeley and conducted research at Berkeley modeling molecular diffusion in semiconductor surfaces. In the Raymond lab, Angeles is developing new data analysis pipelines and computational approaches to uncover principles of learning in cerebellar circuits.

Mentor: Keren Haroush
Mentor Role: Assistant Professor
Principal Investigator: Keren Haroush
Institution: Stanford University
Lab Website: https://profiles.stanford.edu/keren-haroush

Project Title: Group Decision Making

Project Description: In this project, we aim to unravel how social group decision making is shaped by reciprocity and accountability by studying marmoset group interactions. Our overarching hypothesis is that other-regarding preferences shape non-human primates provision decisions in a way that is tied to their reputation in the group. We will use machine vision in iterated provision tasks to agents’ preferences and social ties to predict reciprocity.

The SURFiN fellow will gain hands-on experience with training non-human primates, refining behavioral assays, using machine vision existing code to analyze behavior, and design of optogenetic experiments to drive reciprocity. Day-to-day tasks will include running experiments, careful record-keeping, data analysis and communication of results in graphic form. No prior research experience is needed; coding experience is encouraged. Students will receive guided, step-by-step training and progressively develop increasing independence in the project.

Mentor Information: Keren Haroush is an assistant professor of Neurobiology at Stanford University school of medicine. The team at Haroush’s laboratory studies the mechanisms by which highly complex behaviors are mediated at the neuronal level, mainly focusing on the example of dynamic social interactions and the neural circuits that drive them. Haroush is the recipient of multiple awards, including the SfN international Gruber award, the SFARI BTI award, Sloan award and the NIH director’s New Innovator award.

Mentor: Jiaming Lu
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Keren Haroush
Institution: Stanford University
Lab Website: https://profiles.stanford.edu/keren-haroush

Project Title: Prediction Error in Social Decision Making

Project Description: In this project, we aim to unravel how social decision-making computations are shaped by past experiences. We leverage existing neuronal data from non-human primates playing game theory paradigms showing adaptability of social decisions based on the other agent’s prior decision and shared outcome. We will model how agents adapt their iterated decisions based on their prior experience with the other agent by taking into account each agent’s strategic decision making.

The SURFiN fellow will gain hands-on experience with fitting reinforcement learning models to the monkeys’ trial-by-trial choices, testing whether models’ variables, such as predicted value and prediction error, are reflected in neural activity at decision and outcome time. Trial-wise estimates of value and error signals will then be used as regressors for neural data decoding of decisions and outcomes. Day-to-day tasks will include running models/simulations, careful record-keeping, data analysis and communication of results in graphic form. No prior research experience is needed, any coding experience is helpful. Students will receive guided, step-by-step training and progressively develop increasing independence in the project.

Mentor Information: Jiaming Lu is a Ph.D. student in physics in Keren Haroush and Shaul Druckmann’s lab at Stanford University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from ShanghaiTech University. Jiaming’s research focuses on neuronal encoding and temporal correlations of monkeys involved in social interactions.

Mentor: Andrea Gaspert
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Keren Haroush
Institution: Stanford University
Lab Website: https://profiles.stanford.edu/keren-haroush

Project Title: Internal Model of Other Agents

Project Description: In this project, we aim to uncover how internal models of other social agents in our environment are shaped and updated over iterative interactions. To do so, we leverage existing neuronal data from non-human primates playing an iterated prisoner’s dilemma game. Our previous work found orthogonal encoding of self and other decisions in the cingulate cortex, enabling accurate predictions of the other’s upcoming actions from the neuronal activity. However, how this internal model of the other is updated with repeated interactions and how it is retrieved and used to guide one’s own decision-making remains unknown. In this project, we will dive into social prediction by employing neuronal population decoding, single cell analysis and modeling approaches.

The SURFiN fellow will gain hands-on experience with analyzing large-scale neural data, fitting computational models to understand how changes in behavior are guided by social prediction. Day-to-day tasks will include running models/simulations, careful record-keeping, data analysis, and communication of results in graphic form. Students will receive guided, step-by-step training and progressively develop increasing independence in the project.

Mentor Information: Andrea Gaspert is a Ph.D. candidate in Keren Haroush’s lab within the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Montreal. Her research focuses on developing a model of how we dynamically update our internal representations to predict others’ actions in social contexts.

Mentor: Frances Cho
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Lisa Giocomo
Institution: Stanford University
Lab Website: https://giocomolab.weebly.com/

Project Title: Investigating Thalamocortical Circuits Enabling Flexible Spatial Cognition

Project Description: Spatial learning and memory depend on dynamically updating an internal representation or “cognitive map” of the environment. Neurons in the medial entorhinal cortex and hippocampus encode an animal’s position, orientation and motion and can remap these representations in response to changes in the physical environment or changes in cognitive demands. When and how this flexible updating of spatial representations is supported by other brain regions is not well understood.

In this project, we address this question by investigating distinct regions of the thalamus which provide inputs to the entorhinal cortex and hipppocampus. We perform single-unit electrophysiological recordings of hundreds of neurons across multiple brain regions and perform optogenetic manipulations of thalamic inputs as rodents navigate environments with distinct memory demands.

The SURFiN fellow can expect to gain hands-on experience assessing rodent behavior during spatial navigation tasks to develop skills in behavioral analysis and performing histological reconstruction of recording sites to gain familiarity with rodent brain anatomy. The fellow will also participate in lab meetings and department seminars to gain exposure to other research projects and techniques within the lab and the broader neuroscience community.

Mentor Information: Frances Cho is a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Lisa Giocomo at Stanford University. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavior from Columbia University and a doctorate in neuroscience from the University of California, San Francisco. Her current research leverages large-scale, multi-region electrophysiological recordings to dissect how the neural substrates of spatial learning and memory are shaped by subcortical regions like the thalamus. She has received several fellowships to support her past and current research, including the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and National Institutes of Health predoctoral and postdoctoral National Research Service Awards.

Mentor: Lexie Mathis
Mentor Role: Ph.D. Student
Principal Investigator: Gabriela Rosenblau
Institution: George Washington University
Lab Website: https://dsnlab.org/

Project Title: Computational Characterization of Heterogeneity in Autistic Social and Rigidity Profiles

Project Description: Autistic traits are understood as existing along a spectrum across neurotypes, yet little is known about qualitative differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals or about latent dimensions that distinguish subgroups within autism. In this project, a large sample of autistic early adolescents (N = 850; ages 8–12) and an age-matched, non-autistic comparison group (N = 450) completed an online study assessing cognitive rigidity and social learning. In the social learning paradigm participants rated the preferences of three peers using an emoji-based slider scale and received trial-by-trial feedback. Learning was quantified using prediction errors, defined as the discrepancy between predicted and observed peer preference profiles. The project integrates computational models of social learning with data-driven clustering approaches to identify dimensions that meaningfully differentiate neurotypes and autistic subgroups.

The fellow will take an active role in all stages of the project, gaining training in autism-focused individual differences research, multivariate analysis techniques, and computational modeling pipelines, including programming and statistical analysis. Weekly supervision and lab meetings will support skill development, exposure to related projects (including fMRI research), and opportunities to build science communication experience through lab meeting presentations and conference dissemination.

Mentor Information: Lexie Mathis is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Gabriela Rosenblau’s lab at the George Washington University. She received her M.A. in experimental psychology at Towson University in 2023. Her research focuses on stratifying heterogeneity in autism using behavioral measures of cognitive rigidity and social functioning, and more broadly, on cognitive rigidity as an underlying transdiagnostic dimension. She has a solid background in experimental design and research with clinical populations, as well as strong data analytic skills, including expertise in R handling large datasets and implementing Bayesian analyses.

Mentor: Gabrielle Williams
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Tingting Wang
Institution: Georgetown University
Lab Website: https://www.wangtingtinglab.org/

Project Title: Investigating the Intersection of Synaptic Homeostatic Plasticity and Neurological Disease

Project Description: Homeostatic modulation of synaptic transmission is a fundamental, evolutionarily conserved mechanism that stabilizes neural function. To keep synaptic strength within physiological ranges, presynaptic neurotransmitter release is dynamically adjusted in response to perturbations such as toxins, genetic mutations or disease-associated stress. When homeostatic plasticity is disrupted, synapses and neural circuits can become hyper- or hypo-excitable, contributing to neurological disorders including epilepsy, schizophrenia, autism and neurodegeneration. Our recent findings highlight a critical role for glia–neuron interactions in maintaining synaptic stability through homeostatic mechanisms. However, the molecular basis of this regulation remains poorly defined, particularly in the context of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease. In this project, we will investigate how glia–neuron interactions shape synaptic homeostatic plasticity in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, biochemical assays and imaging. By elucidating the homeostatic mechanisms that preserve synaptic stability, this work will provide insight into the pathophysiology of synapse-related neurological disorders and may inform the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disease.

Mentor Information: Gabrielle (Gabbi) Williams is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at Georgetown University. She is interested in the molecular mechanisms of synaptic homeostatic plasticity, with a particular focus on how impaired homeostatic regulation contributes to neurological disorders. Williams earned a master’s degree in pharmacology and previously worked with rodent epilepsy models before entering the Ph.D. program. Her research examines glia–neuron interactions in synaptic transmission and homeostatic plasticity to uncover mechanisms that support neural network stability and to understand how these interactions become dysregulated during neurodegeneration. She has received multiple predoctoral fellowships, including the Patrick Healy Fellowship and the BGE Merit Scholarship.

Mentor: Junyi Wang
Mentor Role: Research Assistant
Principal Investigator: Tingting Wang
Institution: Georgetown University
Lab Website: https://www.wangtingtinglab.org/

Project Title: Investigating the Intersection of Synaptic Homeostatic Plasticity and Neurological Disease

Project Description: Autism-associated genes play key roles in epigenetic regulation and synaptic function, yet their contributions to synaptic homeostatic plasticity remain poorly understood. Our electrophysiology-based genetic screening in Drosophila has identified neuron- and glia-expressed genes that are essential for maintaining synaptic homeostasis. Although intercellular communication, particularly glia–neuron signaling, is crucial for synaptic development and function, its specific role in synaptic homeostatic plasticity remains largely unexplored. Our preliminary electrophysiological and computational analyses have identified candidate glial signaling molecules that may act downstream of epigenetic regulators to influence synaptic stability. This project will dissect the signaling networks governed by these epigenetic regulators, using Drosophila and electrophysiology to define their roles in synaptic homeostatic plasticity. We will test how specific glial factors modulate neuronal responses to perturbations and identify the molecular pathways mediating these effects. By investigating how intercellular communication supports synaptic stability, this research will provide mechanistic insight into neurodevelopmental disorders and may reveal new therapeutic targets for autism, where synaptic dysfunction is a central pathological feature.

Mentor Information: Junyi (Jim) Wang is an incoming research assistant in Tingting Wang’s laboratory in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at Georgetown University. Most recently, he was an undergraduate research assistant supported by the SURFiN fellowship. Wang studies how the autism risk genes and its downstream signaling network regulate synaptic homeostatic plasticity using electrophysiological approaches. This work has sparked his strong interest in the molecular and cellular foundations of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, motivating him to pursue further training in neuroscience with an emphasis on synaptic plasticity. Before entering medical school, Wang will continue as a research assistant in Tingting Wang’s lab, where his current research explores the function of autism risk genes in regulating synaptic homeostatic plasticity and animal behavior.

Mentor: Jose Vigil
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Nancy Padilla-Coreano
Institution: University of Florida
Lab Website: https://www.padillacoreanolab.com/

Project Title: Amygdalar-Prefrontal Dynamics During Social Decision Making

Project Description: In this project, we will examine how neural activity in the basolateral amygdala influences social decision making in mice. We will also examine whether bidirectional communication between the basolateral amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex is sufficient or necessary to drive pro-social decision making in mice. The SURFiN fellow can expect to learn how to perform operant behavioral tasks in mice including the pro-social choice task and dominance testing. The fellow will also learn how to utilize miniature microscopes in behaving animals to record calcium responses in basolateral amygdala neurons and will aid in calcium image processing utilizing MATLAB and Python scripts. The fellow will also assist in performing optogenetic experiments in which we will either silence or enhance, with light, communication between the basolateral amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex during social decision making in mice. Post-behavior, the fellow will learn to prepare and process the brain for subsequent histological analysis. In addition to the technical skills above, the fellow can also expect to learn professional skills like science communication, through lab meetings and presentations and learning to read and interpret scientific literature.

Mentor Information: Jose Vigil is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Nancy Padilla-Coreano at the University of Florida-McKnight Brain Institute. He holds a bachelor’s degree in cellular/molecular biology from Colorado State University-Pueblo and his doctorate in neuroscience from the University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus. Vigil’s work examines the role of the amygdala and its communication with the anterior cingulate cortex in social decision-making in mice. He has been the recipient of an AHA predoctoral fellowship and is a current recipient of the F99/K00 pre-doctoral to postdoctoral transition fellowship.

Mentor: Sequioa Smith
Mentor Role: PhD Student
Principal Investigator: Nancy Padilla-Coreano
Institution: University of Florida
Lab Website: https://www.padillacoreanolab.com/

Project Title: Social Memory Evolution Across Social History

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how the brain encodes social familiarity and social rank. Over time, individuals become familiar with one another and establish stable social hierarchies, but how these changes are represented across interacting brain regions is still not well understood. We will study a network involving the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc) and mediodorsal thalamus (MD), which together support social behavior and decision-making. We will record neural activity from this PL–NAc–MD network in mice during social interactions at two key stages: during early encounters with unfamiliar animals and again after extended co-housing, when long-term familiarity and social rank have formed. By comparing brain activity across these time points, we will examine how coordinated activity across regions changes as social relationships become established. Behavioral observations collected throughout the co-housing period will be used to identify dominant and subordinate animals and relate social rank to neural dynamics. The SURFiN fellow can expect hands-on training in animal behavior observation, electrophysiology experiments, data organization and basic neural data analysis using Python. No prior research experience is required. This project will provide an accessible introduction to systems neuroscience while contributing to ongoing studies of how distributed brain networks support long-term social relationships.

Mentor Information: Sequioa Smith is a graduate student research assistant in Nancy Padilla-Coreano’s lab at the University of Florida. They earned a B.S. in psychology from Sam Houston State University (2023) and are currently pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Florida. Their research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying social memory, particularly how the medial prefrontal cortex encodes long-term social relationships and recognition. Sequioa is also a T32 predoctoral fellow, exploring how chemosensory signals, including respiratory dynamics, influence these social relationships.

Mentor: Vaibhav Dhyani
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Associate
Principal Investigator: Ryoma Hattori
Institution: University of Florida
Lab Website: https://hattori.scripps.ufl.edu/

Project Title: Probing Circuit Dysfunction to Restore Reinforcement Learning in Autism

Project Description: Disruptions in neuronal circuits for reward-based learning are believed to underlie the cognitive and social challenges faced by individuals with autism. In this project, we will investigate the neural circuit dysfunctions in the reinforcement learning system in autism. We will harness a cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) platform to precisely control visual stimuli while tracking neuronal dynamics in head-fixed mice by fiber photometry and two-photon calcium imaging. The SURFiN fellow will gain hands-on experience in state-of-the-art behavior experiments, optogenetics, imaging techniques and their data processing Through these multifaceted approaches, we seek to map the neural circuits responsible for abnormal reinforcement learning in autism and identify actionable therapeutic targets. The resulting insights will not only deepen our fundamental understanding of the neural mechanism of cognition but also pave the way for novel interventions to enhance quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Mentor Information: Vaibhav Dhyani is a postdoctoral associate in Ryoma Hattori’s lab at UF Scripps. He holds a joint Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, India and Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. Dhyani integrates advanced imaging, computational modeling and in vivo approaches to investigate how circuit-level disruptions drive neurodevelopmental disorders. He enjoys teaching and has mentoring experience.

Mentor: Adriana P. Amrein Almira
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Ryoma Hattori
Institution: University of Florida
Lab Website: https://hattori.scripps.ufl.edu/

Project Title: Neural Dynamics of Number Abstraction

Project Description: In this project, we will explore the roles of various brain regions in the process of number abstraction and the dynamics of the neural circuits involved. Our aim is to determine not only where in the brain numerical information is processed, but also how, at the level of individual neurons. We will image and manipulate the activity of neurons in live mice performing number-related activities in a virtual reality setup. The SURFiN fellow will train the mice in these tasks, learn how brain activity is imaged and manipulated during the behavior, and process the data for analysis. The fellow will gain exposure to state-of-the-art techniques in behavioral neuroscience using optical tools, such as optogenetics for inactivation of candidate brain regions, and in vivo large field-of-view two-photon microscopy for simultaneous imaging of various cortical regions during behavior.

Mentor Information: Adriana Amrein is a graduate student in Ryoma Hattori’s lab at the UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from George Mason University. Her research in the Hattori lab focuses on the neural dynamics of number processing.

Mentor: Elizabeth Lekah
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Ryoma Hattori
Institution: University of Florida
Lab Website: https://hattori.scripps.ufl.edu/

Project Title: Neural Dynamics in Mice Running Virtual Reality Behavior Tasks

Project Description: In this project, we will investigate the neural dynamics underlying learning and cognitive functions. We will establish virtual reality behavior tasks for head-fixed mice, image the neural dynamics during animal behavior, and manipulate the neural activity to show the causal relationship between the activity and behaviors. The SURFiN fellow will learn animal experiments and how to process experimental data.

Mentor Information: Elizabeth Lekah is a graduate student at the University of Florida-Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology in the Hattori lab. She completed her bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology and public health from Vanderbilt University. During this time, she worked on research related to RNA biology and bioinformatically identifying targets of disease. Currently, she works to uncover causal trends in the neural dynamics of mice completing a variety of learning and cognitive tasks.

Mentor: Ahmad Abdal Qader
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Chethan Pandarinath
Institution: Emory University
Lab Website: http://snel.ai

Project Title: Multimodal Augmentation of Intracortical and Residual Surface EMG Signals in Humans with Tetraplegia.

Project Description: Tetraplegia due to injury or disease drastically reduces quality of life and sense of autonomy. Restoring a degree of lost motor function in individuals with paralysis remains a top priority in the domain of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). In BCIs, electrodes are placed on the motor cortex of the brain to monitor the activity of populations of neurons. Complex decoders are then used to translate those neural signals into control commands for controlling end-effectors such as computer cursors and robotic arms. However, the performance of such systems still falls short of normal control. The goal of this project is to improve this decoding performance and enable better functional control in individuals with paralysis by supplementing the recorded neural activity with residual EMG signals recorded non-invasively as a complementary modality. This is a multidisciplinary project spanning clinical data collection, realtime acquisition systems, machine learning and neuroscience. The SURFiN fellow can contribute to analyzing human neural and EMG data, building gamified functional tasks within a real-time acquisition environment, or helping with data collection efforts in a clinical setting.

Mentor Information: Ahmad Abdal Qader is a Ph.D. student in Chethan Pandarinath’s lab at Emory University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Rochester. His research is part of the BrainGate2 clinical trial where he focuses on using intracortical activity and residual surface electromyography (EMG) signals from individuals with paralysis to restore lost motor function. He has experience in the mentoring and teaching domains, having served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate biomechanics for two semesters, and mentored undergraduate research assistants during his graduate studies, including students who are underrepresented in neuroscience.

Mentor: Nathan Govindarajan
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Chethan Pandarinath
Institution: Emory University
Lab Website: http://snel.ai

Project Title: Bilateral Spinal Population Dynamics in the Intact Mouse During Locomotion

Project Description: During locomotion, both hemicords of the spinal cord work as a coupled system to coordinate left-right alternation of the legs to maintain balance. In the face of an unforeseen perturbation such as a trip, within milliseconds, hemicords communicate and modulate their activity in order to maintain balance and continue locomotion. However, the mechanism by which this communication and subsequent control occurs remains unclear, particularly in an awake, behaving animal model. In this project, we will explore how the spinal cord drives locomotor behavior by recording neural spiking activity from the spinal cords of locomoting mice and use advanced machine learning and computational techniques to infer how the spinal cord maintains control. The SURFiN fellow will develop wet lab skills, such as animal handling, real-time acquisition of neural activity and histology skills. Additionally, the SURFiN fellow will develop dry lab skills, such as using machine learning models for joint tracking, curating acquired neural data, and applying machine learning models on curated neural data.

Mentor Information: Nathan Govindarajan is a third machine learning Ph.D. student, jointly advised by Nicholas Au Yong and Chethan Pandarinath at Emory University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Purdue University. His research involved recording neural spiking activity from intact mice and deciphering how the hemicords communicate to drive locomotion.

Mentor: Kareem Chambers
Mentor Role: Graduate Student in Neuroscience
Principal Investigator: Sarah Shultz
Institution: Emory University
Lab Website: N/A

Project Title: Interpreting Social Behavior During Neural Synchrony in Infant–Caregiver Interactions: Implications for Autism

Project Description: In this SURFiN project, we will examine infant and caregiver social behaviors that are expressed during moments of neural synchrony observed in naturalistic infant-caregiver interactions. This work builds directly on an ongoing Simons Foundation funded project that identifies behaviors and interaction patterns using machine learning. A key challenge that this project will address is the interpretation of these machine-identified behavioral patterns, determining how they relate to clinically meaningful, theory-driven constructs of infant and caregiver behavior. More specifically, there will be a direct comparison of hand-coded behavioral measures with data-driven behavioral outputs.

Under the mentorship of lab member Kareem Chambers, the undergraduate fellow will be trained to code infant-caregiver interactions using a validated coding scheme, allowing direct comparison between hand-coded behavioral metrics and behaviors identified by the automated pipeline. The fellow will receive structured training and mentorship in several domains. This includes conducting guided literature reviews in: 1) social interaction and early development in infants at low- and elevated-likelihood for autism; 2) neural synchrony/EEG hyperscanning methods; and 3) observational behavioral coding approaches. Hands-on training will include exposure to dual-EEG data collection and preprocessing, best practices for working with families in research-clinical settings, and conducting research in a rigorous and reproducible manner.

Mentor Information: Kareem Chambers is a second-year doctoral student in Sarah Shultz’s lab at Emory University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in cognitive neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University. Kareem’s research focuses on mediators of infant-caregiver interactions in infants at high familial likelihood for autism. He is a recipient of his institution’s NIH T32 award for training in systems and integrative biology neuroscience.

Mentor: Morris Benveniste
Mentor Role: Professor and Director of Master of Neuroscience
Principal Investigator: Morris Benveniste
Institution: Morehouse School of Medicine
Lab Website: https://www.msm.edu/about_us/FacultyDirectory/Neurobiology/MorrisBenveniste/index.php

Project Title: Analysis of Neuronal Activity in Dravet Syndrome

Project Description: Dravet Syndrome is a genetic epilepsy in which mutations in a child’s DNA causes them to experience seizures either sparked by fever or unprovoked at 6 months of age and continuing throughout their life. 70% of mutations causing Dravet Syndrome occur in a gene encoding a sodium channel that is important in producing action potentials, an essential electrical signal for rapid communication between neurons in the brain. Additionally, there are no good treatments that alleviate seizures of Dravet Syndrome patients over the long-term. We have recorded activity of neurons in a mutant mouse model for Dravet Syndrome and need to compare that activity to normal mice born to the same mother. Analysis of these data will help us determine changes in brain circuitry in the epileptic, Dravet Syndrome condition. Also in the same experiments, we have administered a drug known to reduce seizures in the Dravet Syndrome mice, and we wish to observe how the neuronal activity changes to reduce seizures. Although much of the data has been collected, an abundance of data analysis still needs to be performed. Fellows will learn how to analyze the recorded spontaneous electrophysiological activity and compare the different experimental cohorts.

Mentor Information: Morris Benveniste is a professor in the Department of Neurobiology and the director of the B.S./M.S. program in neuroscience at Morehouse School of Medicine. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles and a doctorate in biophysics from the Weizmann Institute of Science. Benveniste studies plasticity and communication between individual neurons using electrophysiological techniques in normal and pathological conditions with a focus on epilepsy. He is also involved in unique analyses of electrophysiological data and fluorescence imaging data that help elucidate changes in circuitry in different parts of the brain.

Mentor: Christopher Ehlen
Mentor Role: Associate Professor
Principal Investigator: Christopher Ehlen
Institution: Morehouse School of Medicine
Lab Website: https://www.msm.edu/about_us/FacultyDirectory/Neurobiology/JChristopherEhlen/index.php

Project Title: Sleep and Resilience to Stress

Project Description: The processes regulating sleep in mammals are not entirely clear. Specifically, the brain mechanism that increases the desire to sleep with increasing time awake, the homeostatic mechanism, has not been identified. In this project, we will explore the involvement of specific genes in this homeostatic mechanism. The SURFiN fellow can expect to learn and experience many aspects of sleep research involving rodent models, including, electroencephalographic recording, classifying sleep waveforms, analysis of electrophysiological data, histological methods, microscopy and the use of conditional/inducible genetic models.

Mentor Information: Christopher Ehlen is an associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Morehouse School of Medicine. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Kent State University. Ehlen’s research is focused on understanding how sleep is regulated and how the interactions between sleep and stress lead to neuropsychiatric conditions.

Mentor: Zhigang Xiong
Mentor Role: Professor
Principal Investigator: Zhigang Xiong
Institution: Morehouse School of Medicine
Lab Website: https://www.msm.edu/about_us/FacultyDirectory/Neurobiology/ZhigangXiong/index.php

Project Title: Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Development in Physiological and Pathological Conditions

Project Description: Neuronal development and maturation are essential for normal structure and functions of the nervous system. The specific proteins and signaling pathways involved in the processes, however, are not fully understood. One focus of the lab is to determine the role of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a), a proton-gated and Ca2+-permeable cation channel, in neuronal development/maturation, using a combination of molecular biology, pharmacology, electrophysiology, imaging, in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal models. Understanding the fundamental function of ASIC1a in neuronal development/maturation may advance the field of neuroscience and help establish new therapeutic strategies for treating developmental neurological disorders.

Mentor Information: Zhigang Xiong is a professor in the Department of Neurobiology. He holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Anhui Medical University, a Master of Science in pharmacology from Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Science, and a doctorate in pharmacology from University of Ottawa. Xiong studies physiological functions and pathological roles of voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion channels in normal and pathological conditions with a focus on neuronal development and ischemic brain injury.

Mentor: Tiandong Leng (Associate Professor)
Co-Mentor: Kyra Brewer (Ph.D. Candidate)
Principal Investigator: Tiandong Leng
Institution: Morehouse School of Medicine
Lab Website: https://www.msm.edu/about_us/FacultyDirectory/Neurobiology/TiandongLeng/index.php

Project Title: Role of TRPM7 in Neuroinflammation and Stroke

Project Description: The transient receptor potential ion channel subfamily M member 7 (TRPM7) is a unique bifunctional protein that functions as both a nonselective cation channel and an alpha kinase (“chanzyme”). It is ubiquitously expressed across a wide range of tissues and cell types. Through its chanzyme activities, TRPM7 plays critical roles in intracellular cation homeostasis and regulates key cellular processes, including growth, proliferation, differentiation and cell cycle progression. Increasing evidence indicates that TRPM7 is essential for peripheral immune cell development, activation and inflammatory responses; however, its role in immune cells of the central nervous system remains poorly understood. In this project, we will investigate the role of TRPM7 in microglial pathology and its impact on stroke outcomes. Pharmacological inhibition and gene knockdown approaches will be used to define the contribution of TRPM7 to microglial activation and immune responses in both in vitro and in vivo models. Microglial responses to proinflammatory stimuli and ischemic insult will be evaluated by assessing morphological changes, fluorescence-based biomarkers, phagocytic activity and the production of proinflammatory cytokines.

Mentor Information: Tiandong Leng is an associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology in neuroscience at Morehouse School of Medicine. He holds a doctorate in pharmacology from Sun Yat-sen University. Leng studies the role of ion channels in neurological diseases with a focus on stroke and related drug development.

Co-Mentor Information: Kyra Skye Brewer is a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical sciences and a Master of Science in clinical research student at Morehouse School of Medicine, working in Tiandong Leng’s laboratory in the Department of Neurobiology. She holds a Bachelor of Science in cell biology and biotechnology from Georgia Gwinnett College. Brewer’s research examines the mechanisms of acute neuroinflammation following neurological injury and the development of therapies to reduce secondary damage after ischemic stroke. She served as an instructor for the Summer Training to Enhance Ph.D. Success (STEPS) program, where she taught scientific writing and communication to Ph.D. trainees.

Mentor: Firas Kobaissy
Mentor Role: Professor
Principal Investigator: Firas Kobaissy
Institution: Morehouse School of Medicine
Lab Website: https://www.msm.edu/about_us/FacultyDirectory/Neurobiology/FirasKobaissy/index.php

Project Title: Chronic Edaravone and Environmental Enrichment to Modulate Recovery Mechanisms in Traumatic Brain Injury

Project Description: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common neurological condition in which external mechanical force disrupts normal brain function and can lead to long-term cognitive, behavioral and emotional impairments. A major consequence of TBI is mitochondrial dysfunction, characterized by excessive production of reactive oxygen species, impaired energy metabolism and persistent neuroinflammation. Currently, there are limited therapies that selectively target these underlying mechanisms or prevent chronic neurodegeneration. We are investigating mitoquinone (MitoQ), a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant designed to accumulate within mitochondria and reduce oxidative stress at its primary source. Using a repeated mild TBI mouse model, we examine mitochondrial bioenergetics, redox balance and molecular alterations in brain tissue compared to uninjured controls. In parallel experiments, injured mice receive MitoQ treatment to determine whether mitochondrial function and behavioral outcomes improve. Although much of the experimental data has been generated, extensive molecular and bioinformatic analyses remain. Fellows will learn to analyze mitochondrial assays, behavioral data and multi-omics datasets across experimental cohorts.

Mentor Information: Firas H. Kobaissy is a professor of neurobiology at the Morehouse School of Medicine and associate director of the Center for Neurotrauma, Multi-Omics & Biomarkers. He earned his Ph.D. in neurobiology and has established a research program focused on traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurodegeneration and precision medicine. Dr. Kobaissy integrates proteomics, glycomics, metabolomics and advanced bioinformatics to identify translational biomarkers and therapeutic targets. His work bridges basic science and clinical application, emphasizing mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation and multi-omics network modeling to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment strategies for TBI and related neurological disorders.

Mentor: Kenkichi Baba
Mentor Role: Associate Professor
Principal Investigator: Kenkichi Baba
Institution: Morehouse School of Medicine
Lab Website: https://www.msm.edu/about_us/FacultyDirectory/PharmacologyToxicology/KenkichiBaba/index.php

Project Title: The Role of Bmal1 in Retinal Cellular Metabolism

Project Description: A high-fat diet (HFD) and high-calorie intake are associated with numerous adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders such as diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Previous studies have shown that HFD can impair retinal function and reduce retinal cell viability. In addition, circadian disruption, such as jet lag or knockout of the core clock gene Bmal1, has been demonstrated to negatively affect retinal physiology. Unexpectedly, our preliminary data revealed that HFD feeding in retinal Bmal1 knockout (BKO) mice partially restored retinal function. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that increased glucose availability and/or fatty acid supplementation may compensate for mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced glycolytic capacity in circadian disrupted BKO retinal cells, thereby improving retinal function. The overall goal of this study is to elucidate the mechanisms by which HFD partially rescues retinal dysfunction caused by circadian clock disruption. These findings may provide insight into potential metabolic or nutritional interventions for diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and other metabolism associated disorders. Participating fellows will gain hands-on experience conducting both in vivo and in vitro experiments, analyzing data and interpreting experimental results.

Mentor Information: Kenkichi Baba is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and a member of the Neuroscience Institute. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of Arkansas and earned doctorates in medicine and brain science from the Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine. Baba’s research focuses on circadian biology in ocular systems using both cell-based and rodent models. He employs physiological and molecular biology approaches to investigate how the endogenous circadian clock regulates and alters visual system function.

Mentor: Ben Kelvington
Mentor Role: Graduate Research Assistant
Principal Investigator: Edwin Abel
Institution: University of Iowa
Lab Website: https://tedabel.lab.uiowa.edu/

Project Title: Molecular Mechanisms Underlying 16p11.2 Deletion

Project Description: The 16p11.2 hemi-deletion (16p11.2 del) is one of the most common genetic changes associated with autism. Because the human 16p11.2 region is highly conserved in mice, we can study this genetic risk factor using a construct valid mouse model. We have previously reported alterations in the structure and function of striatal circuits, which is consistent with recent studies reporting changes in striatal structure and function in autism patients.  The striatum is the input structure of the basal ganglia, the key neural substrate for reward processing and motor control, and these functions are often disrupted in individuals with autism. In this project the student will investigate how 16p11.2 deletion leads to changes in the molecular and cellular mechanisms mediating male-specific reward learning deficits. The SURFiN fellow can expect to be immersed in cutting-edge molecular biology and in vivo fiber-photometry recordings during reward learning behavior to address this question. These findings will identify the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning sex-specific striatal dysfunction in autism. We hope that this research will help to develop novel therapeutic approaches and lead to tangible benefits for individuals with autism.

Mentor Information: Ben Kelvington is a graduate research assistant in Ted Abel’s lab at the University of Iowa. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Augustana University. Kelvington’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms mediating autism-relevant behavior in the 16p11.2 deletion mouse model. He is the recipient of a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship.

Eligibility: Students not currently enrolled at the University of Iowa must enroll in the university for a minimum of one semester hour in order to receive funds through this program. Individuals appointed on student hourly appointments are limited to 20 hours per week during the academic year as per University policy:  https://hr.uiowa.edu/careers/student-employment/info-students/hours-week-limitations

Mentor: Neto Canton
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Lucas Pinto
Institution: University of Chicago
Lab Website: https://www.pintolab.org

Project Title: Neuronal Timescales and Connectivity in Frontal Decision-making Circuits

Project Description: Complex decision making depends on the brain’s capacity to flexibly store, integrate and update information over time. These computations rely on activity properties like intrinsic timescales, which are thought to emerge from underlying cellular features—morphology, connectivity and gene expression. However, we still lack a mechanistic understanding of how population-activity patterns during behavior arise from features of single neurons, in part because these datasets are rarely collected from the same cells. As shown in my early postdoctoral work, certain prefrontal cortex (PFC) connectivity motifs could help set activity patterns, thereby affecting how local circuits integrate incoming signals. My central hypothesis is that decision-related recruitment in the PFC depends on the specific features of its single neurons. I test this using a head-fixed, virtual-reality, task-switching paradigm developed in our lab that requires task-specific working memory processes. Combined with detailed trial-by-trial single-cell and population analyses, it provides a powerful approach to uncover how specific cellular features shape activity during distinct types of decision making. Combining in vivo 2P imaging, connectivity mapping and morphological reconstruction, I am testing the hypothesis that both connectivity and morphology determine intrinsic timescales and govern how PFC neurons participate in decision making.

Mentor Information: Neto Canton received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University and has been a postdoctoral fellow in the Lucas Pinto lab for over three years. His work combines two-photon imaging and optogenetics and morphological reconstruction of neurons with known functional properties.

Mentor: Shariq Qayyum
Mentor Role: Research Fellow
Principal Investigator: Gregory Wyant
Institution: Massachusetts General Hospital
Lab Website: https://cvrc.massgeneral.org/gregory-a-wyant-phd/

Project Title: Golgi Apparatus Control of Neuronal Homeostasis

Project Description: In this project, our lab will be focused on the basic mechanisms by which organelle homeostasis contributes to neuronal physiology and when these processes go awry can lead to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. We have been focused on characterizing a Golgi apparatus quality control pathway in neurons and how disruption of this pathway leads to cerebellar atrophy and brain dysfunction. This project is multidisciplinary, spanning basic biochemistry, protein purification and neuronal cell biology to induced pluripotent stem cell modeling of neuronal cell types and genetic engineering using Crispr-Cas9. There are several potential sub-projects of which new trainees can substantially contribute. We will work with students to design a project that is both appropriate for their current skill set and designed to equip them with the experiences and skills necessary for their career aspirations.

Mentor Information: Shariq Qayyum is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Cardiovascular Research Center/Heart Vascular Institute at the Massachusetts General Hospital under the mentorship of Gregory Wyant. Shariq has a unique background, having earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, a master’s degree in microbiology, and a doctorate in biotechnology from the Aligarh Muslim University in India. Following, he was awarded a National fellowship by the Govt. of India to pursue post-graduate training in proteomics. He has since continued his training at the University of Alabama to understand vitamin D metabolism and muscle biology. He joined the Wyant lab in 2023, and his postdoctoral research focuses on understanding essential cellular quality control pathways and their role in neuronal physiology and homeostasis using a combination of biochemical and genetic tools with in vivo mouse modeling. Shariq has received numerous awards, such as a Young Scientist Award from the NCOBE, National Postdoctoral Fellowship (Govt. of India) and a National Travel Award from the Indian Association of Cancer Research.

Mentor: Sarah Al Abdullatif
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Mark Bathe
Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lab Website: http://bathebionano.org/

Project Title: DNA Nanostructures for Mapping Synaptic Architecture in Psychiatric Disease Models and Targeted Delivery of Therapeutics

Project Description: This project aims to understand synaptic dysfunction in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders such as autism. The first aim is to map how genetic risk factors alter the structure, activity and protein composition of individual synapses using advanced multiplexed imaging tools. This reveals how disease-associated changes emerge at the level of single synapses. The second aim is to develop programmable DNA nanostructures that can deliver therapeutic molecules to specific cells in the brain with high precision. The student can expect to gain skills in culturing primary and stem cell derived neurons, bioconjugation chemistry, DNA origami synthesis and characterization, immunohistochemistry and fluorescence imaging.

Mentor Information: Sarah Al Abdullatif is a postdoctoral fellow in the Bathe lab. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. from Emory University. Sarah uses her background in chemistry to develop tools for studying biological systems and is particularly interested in fluorescence imaging. She is a recipient of the Ibn Rushd Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Mentor: Davi Drieskens
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Cynthia Moss
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Lab Website: https://www.batlabatjohnshopkinsuniversity.org/

Project Title: Discovering the Functional Organization of the Bat Superior Colliculus During Natural Behaviors

Project Description: In this project, we will record neuronal activity across multiple brain regions while bats fly through a complex maze, land and rest. The goal is to uncover the neural dynamics underlying memory, sensory processing and motor commands that support naturalistic behaviors.

The SURFiN fellow will have the opportunity to participate in research activities that best align with their interests and background. These may include developing and executing behavioral paradigms, training bats, analyzing behavioral (video and acoustic) and neural data, processing tissue for histological verification of brain implants and tract tracing, and developing custom research tools such as 3D-printed components. Participation can be tailored in scope and focus and may span multiple components of the project.

The fellowship will also include regular journal clubs centered on literature relevant to the project. The fellow will join a vibrant, interdisciplinary research environment and interact closely with motivated researchers spanning neuroscience, engineering and animal behavior.

Mentor Information: Davi Drieskens is a postdoctoral scientist in Cynthia Moss’s lab at the Johns Hopkins University. He holds a master’s in cognitive neuroscience and behavior from Federal University of Paraiba, Brazil and a doctorate in neuroscience from Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Drieskens’s research focuses on brain and body interactions during naturalistic behaviors.

Mentor: Keegan Eveland
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Cynthia Moss
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Lab Website: https://www.batlabatjohnshopkinsuniversity.org/

Project Title: Landmark Use by Navigating Egyptian Fruit Bats

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how Egyptian fruit bats use landmarks to navigate to a goal perch in a challenging environment. While fruit bats are known to rely on memory and sensory cues during navigation, the role of landmarks during flight remains poorly understood. In this project, bats were trained to associate a visually and acoustically salient landmark with a small landing perch. We then alter the spatial relationship between the landmark and the perch to test how these changes influence navigation.

The SURFiN fellow will contribute to an ongoing behavioral study by analyzing data collected from bat free-flight experiments. The student will work with three-dimensional flight trajectories obtained from high-speed video to assess changes in flight paths and landing accuracy across conditions. They will also analyze acoustic recordings from a microphone array to examine how echolocation behavior, including sonar inspection and beam steering, changes as bats approach the target. Through this project, the student will gain hands-on experience with behavioral data analysis, data visualization and interpretation of animal navigation strategies, while contributing to research that complements the lab’s broader efforts to understand spatial cognition in animals.

Mentor Information: Keegan Eveland is a Ph.D. student in Cynthia Moss’s lab at Johns Hopkins University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology, with a minor in animal behavior, from the University of New Hampshire. Keegan’s research focuses on elements that aid in memory-based navigation in free-flying bats, particularly proximal and distal cues within an environment. She is a 2025 Quad Fellow.

Mentor: Rie Kaneko
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Cynthia Moss
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Lab Website: https://www.batlabatjohnshopkinsuniversity.org/

Project Title: Neural Basis of Sensory-action Integration and Planning in a Naturalistic Environment

Project Description: In this project, we will explore the neural mechanisms of voluntary action planning in echolocating bats during a navigational task. We will use a maze equipped with high-speed cameras, high-fidelity microphone arrays and real-time wireless neural recordings to understand how their brains evaluate action possibilities and execute flexible actions while they navigate it. The SURFiN fellow will gain widely applicable skills in neuroscience, including animal handling, conducting behavioral experiments and analysis of behavioral and neural data through training provided by the mentor. The SURFiN fellow can expect to work 2–4 times a week for up to 10 hours per week. This schedule includes at least one on-site session each week.

Mentor Information: Rie Kaneko is a doctoral student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. She holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in biology and summa cum laude from Beloit College and a master’s degree in ecology, evolution and environmental biology from Columbia University. Her research focuses on the neural basis of adaptive decision making at the system and circuit level. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Mentor: Efe Dogruoz
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Daniel Pederick
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Lab Website: pedericklab.com

Project Title: Development of Tonotopic Circuits in the Auditory System

Project Description: The auditory system has exquisitely organized connectivity that governs how we process and make sense of different sounds. The fundamental organization is tonotopy, where sound frequency is correlated with the position of neurons in space, and neurons that respond to the same frequency are connected across auditory regions. Despite the importance of tonotopic connections for frequency discrimination, it remains unclear how they are formed prior to hearing and what happens when this process goes wrong. In this project, we will tackle these questions by focusing on how precise tonotopic organization is formed in the cochlear nucleus (CN) and downstream auditory brainstem regions in the superior olivary complex (SOC). We will exploit an embryonic single cell RNA sequencing dataset of the CN and SOC to discover candidate wiring molecules that are enriched in these regions at the developmental timepoint when tonotopic connections are being established. We will apply genetic and viral strategies to disrupt these molecules and observe the impact on tonotopic wiring and activity. The SURFiN fellow can expect to learn how to fix and section mouse brains, label neural circuits with viral tracer and dye injections, perform RNAscope and immunohistochemistry, and quantify results from fluorescence microscopy.

Mentor Information: Efe Dogruoz is a doctoral student in Daniel Pederick’s lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Department of Neuroscience. He holds a bachelor of science with honors degree in neuroscience and a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Chicago. Dogruoz’s research focuses on the developmental programs that enable the formation of precise tonotopic connections in the auditory system.

Mentor: Sydney Pettit
Mentor Role: Predoctoral Fellow, BCMB Program
Principal Investigator: Mollie Meffert
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Lab Website: https://www.meffertlab.com/

Project Title: Non-Coding RNA Regulation of Metabolic Reprogramming in Typical Neurodevelopment and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Project Description: Small RNAs, termed microRNAs (miRNAs), provide a critical biological strategy for post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA transcripts which allows neurons to achieve precise spatiotemporal control of gene expression. Our lab developed a cell-type selective direct ligation approach to profile in vivo miRNA:target mRNA interactions through high-throughput sequencing. In this project, we apply this molecular approach to study genome-wide altered miRNA:target mRNA interactions contributing to neuronal differentiation and development. Developing neurons undergo a shift in metabolism to increase the efficiency of energy production as a mechanism to meet the high energy demands of synaptic activity in mature neurons. The SURFiN fellow can expect to investigate the impact of miRNA-mediated gene regulation of energy metabolism during the process of typical and atypical neurodevelopment in autism. The SURFiN fellow will gain experience with molecular, cellular and computational neuroscience during the course of this project, as well as with techniques involving the culture and differentiation of human neurons.

Mentor Information: Sydney Pettit graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with her B.S. in biochemistry. While there, she worked in Soma Dhakal’s lab to help design DNA-based single-molecule sensors. Later, she became a Postbaccalaureate IRTA Research Fellow at the NIH under the supervision of Richard Proia and studied gene editing as a treatment for specific neurodegenerative diseases. In the Meffert lab, Pettit is investigating the regulatory functions of small noncoding RNAs (microRNAs) in typical neurodevelopment and in autism.

Mentor: Rachel Reetzke (Assistant Professor)
Co-Mentor: Elizabeth Eiler (Senior Research Coordinator)
Co-Mentor: Hastings Lorman (Research Coordinator)
Principal Investigator: Rachel Reetzke
Institution: Kennedy Krieger Institute
Lab Website: https://www.kennedykrieger.org/patient-care/faculty-staff/rachel-reetzke-phd-ccc-slp

Project Title: Gleaning Language Outcomes using Wearable brain imaging

Project Description: Toddlerhood (18 to 36 months) marks a sensitive period for spoken language development, characterized by a rapid progression from communicating with single words to using increasingly complex multi-word sentences. Yet, most autistic toddlers at 18 months show significant language delays, using no words, and nearly half continue to exhibit delays when they enter preschool (36 months), even after intervention. We lack a clear understanding of why these different outcomes occur and a reliable way to predict who will gain spoken language versus who will not. Because early spoken language is one of the strongest predictors of long-term academic and social outcomes, there is an urgent need to understand the neural mechanisms underlying these heterogeneous language profiles and trajectories. Project GLOW aims to identify the neural correlates and predictors of spoken language acquisition throughout toddlerhood (18 to 36 months) using an innovative, wearable brain imaging technique: high‐density diffuse optical tomography (HD‐DOT). SURFiN fellows will have the opportunity to support in-person developmental assessments and HD-DOT experiments. Through this experience, they will learn how to code important social communication behaviors during parent-child interactions and learn best practices for conducting rigorous longitudinal studies with autistic and non-autistic toddlers.

Mentor Information: Rachel Reetzke is director of the EEG Core and a faculty member in the Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation, and the Center for Movement Studies at Kennedy Krieger Institute, and an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Leveraging behavioral, neuroimaging and biosensor methods, Reetzke’s research characterizes early developmental trajectories and predictors of different neurodevelopmental outcomes to advance early assessment and intervention efforts. A recipient of the 2023 ASHA Early Career Contributions in Research Award, Reetzke’s work has been funded by the U.S. Department of Defense Autism Research Program, the National Institutes of Health, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, Kennedy Krieger’s Goldstein Innovation Grant and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Wendy Klag Center for Autism & Developmental Disabilities Pilot Grant.

Co-Mentor Information: Elizabeth Eiler is a Senior Research Coordinator in the Reetzke Lab at the Center for Autism Services, Science & Innovation at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She holds a master of science in special education from Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Eiler is certified as a special educator for ages K-21 and as a board-certified behavior analyst. She brings over 14 years of experience as a curriculum specialist, assistant principal, and researcher to the Reetzke Lab. Eiler offers students mentorship in the assessment, treatment, and education of students with severe disabilities, including autistic children and youth who are minimally speaking and use alternative and augmentative communication. 

Co-Mentor Information: Hastings Lorman is a Research Coordinator in the Reetzke Lab at the Center for Autism Services, Science & Innovation at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Before moving to Baltimore, Lorman graduated with honors from the University of California, Davis with a bachelor of science in human development. Hastings has extensive expertise in coordinating longitudinal studies examining infants and toddlers at elevated familial likelihood for autism and ADHD. She offers mentorship in database architecture, video-based behavioral data collection/coding, and community-based support programs for autistic youth.

Eligibility: Per Training Administration guidance, Kennedy Krieger likely cannot offer work-study opportunities given our non-profit status, and we can offer a stipend as payment for a student research trainee.

Mentor: Julia Kravchenko
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Catherine Kaczorowski
Institution: University of Michigan
Lab Website: https://kaczorowski.lab.medicine.umich.edu/

Project Title: Characterizing Genes That Regulate Sleep in Alzheimer’s Disease Using Mice

Project Description: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is commonly associated with significant memory impairment and cognitive decline. However, sleep disruptions in AD can start up to 20 years prior to the onset of memory impairment and worsen with the progression of the disease. There is significant variation in human patients in the severity, onset and type of experienced sleep disruptions, which can be explained by specific genes that regulate AD-dependent sleep changes. In this project, we aim to discover the role of the Rbfox family of proteins in regulating sleep and cognition in AD, by performing a variety of sleep and neurocognitive behavioral assays in mice. SURFiN fellows can expect to learn (1) the basics of animal husbandry; (2) strategies for in vivo gene manipulation; as well as (3) methods of collecting and analyzing sleep and circadian data; and (4) data from learning and memory assays.

Mentor Information: Julia Kravchenko is a Ph.D. candidate in Catherine Kaczorowski’s lab, who collaborates closely with Ravi Allada’s lab at the University of Michigan. She received her B.S. and M.S. at the University of Michigan studying neuroscience. Her experiences researching the neural circuitry of reward and the role of the brainstem in epilepsy prior to her Ph.D., and activities studying the impact of sleep in graduate school informed her love for translational neuroscience. Julia’s Ph.D. work uses both mouse and drosophila models to identify and understand the pathways regulating sleep disruptions in Alzheimer’s Disease.

Mentor: Kennedy Kuchinski
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Catherine Kaczorowski
Institution: University of Michigan
Lab Website: https://kaczorowski.lab.medicine.umich.edu/

Project Title: Evaluating Novel Resilience Factors in Alzheimer’s Disease

Project Description: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for up to 80% of dementia cases. For years, most research into AD focused on the patients with the earliest and most aggressive disease progression. However, we want to look at AD from a different perspective. We are interested in understanding what causes patients with disease-causing mutations to develop AD much later in life and how these mechanisms prevent cognitive decline. This will allow us to understand what protects the brain from AD and to identify targets for genetic therapies. SURFiN fellows can expect to learn (1) the basics of mouse husbandry; (2) behavioral assays to test cognitive and motor function; and (3) molecular and histological techniques to assess gene and protein function.

Mentor Information: Kennedy Kuchinski is a Ph.D. student in Catherine Kaczorowski’s lab at the University of Michigan. She received her Bachelor of Science in biology from Xavier University. Kuchinski is focused on understanding mechanisms that prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and designing genetic therapeutics to promote resilience to cognitive decline.

Mentor: Yu Chen (Research Fellow)
Co-Mentor: Lauren Fish (Research Fellow)
Principal Investigator: Catherine Kaczorowski
Institution: University of Michigan
Lab Website: https://kaczorowski.lab.medicine.umich.edu/

Project Title: Neuron-Specific Proteomics Identifying Cognitive Resilience Factors in a Genetically Diverse Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s

Project Description: Some individuals are cognitively resilient to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), meaning they are cognitively functional despite high levels of amyloid and tau pathology in the brain, while others are susceptible. Our laboratory created a genetically diverse mouse model of AD by crossing a popular transgenic mouse model to a panel of different mouse strains. This AD mouse model exhibits variable levels of cognitive symptoms, much like humans. In this project, we will use a protein tagging enzyme to allow us to extract neuronal proteins from resilient and susceptible AD mouse brains to conduct cell-type specific proteomics and find proteins and pathways that protect memory formation and retrieval in the face of disease.

Students can expect to gain experience working with animals in the lab, including conducting behavioral assays. They will also learn to work with tissues at the bench, including protein extraction from brains, western blotting and quantification of tagged neuronal proteins for mass spectrometry, and assessment of expression of the tagging enzyme in target neurons via immunostaining and microscopy. Students will also learn about proteomics experimental design and some basic statistics and bioinformatic principles.

Mentor Information: Yu Chen is a research fellow in Catherine Kaczorowski’s lab in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan. He received his Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Toledo, where he studied the toxicity of synthetic cathinones in zebrafish model, followed by postdoctoral training in neuroimmune signaling pathway. Chen’s current research integrates genetically diverse mouse models, proteomics and systems neuroscience to identify molecular pathways underlying cognitive resilience in Alzheimer’s disease, with a particular focus on mitochondrial and metabolic mechanisms.

Co-Mentor Information: Lauren Fish is a postdoctoral research fellow in Catherine Kaczorowski’s lab at the University of Michigan. She completed her doctorate in neuroscience at Brown University, where her dissertation focused on the molecular underpinnings of neuromuscular junction structure and function, as well as the extrasynaptic function of a neuromuscular organizing protein. Fish’s current work is focused on identifying transcriptomic and proteomic signatures of cognitive resilience in a genetically diverse mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, with a particular interest in identifying conserved resilience factors using integrated human and mouse data.

Mentor: Lauren Fish
Mentor Role: Research Fellow
Principal Investigator: Catherine Kaczorowski
Institution: University of Michigan
Lab Website: https://kaczorowski.lab.medicine.umich.edu/

Project Title: Uncovering Muscle-Health Related Factors Mediating Cognitive Resilience to Alzheimer’s Disease

Project Description: Skeletal muscle plays a key role in systemic metabolic health and secretes molecules known as myokines that affect other organ systems, including the brain. However, the potential role of skeletal muscle in cognitive resilience in the face of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been understudied. In this project, we will study the impact of muscle health on cognitive resilience in a closely-monitored human aging cohort and a genetically diverse mouse model of AD. We will then use RNA-sequencing data from the human and mouse cohorts to find cognitive resilience factors linked to muscle health.

Students can expect to first learn how to properly conduct a literature search and evaluate the current state of the field. Together, we will then assess the correlation of muscle health outcomes (preservation vs. loss of muscle mass), as well as levels of circulating myokines, with AD and cognitive outcomes in human and mouse datasets. We will then process and analyze single nucleus RNA-sequencing data to find gene signatures in the brains of resilient people and mice that are associated with muscle health.

Mentor Information: Lauren Fish is a postdoctoral research fellow in Catherine Kaczorowski’s lab at the University of Michigan. She completed her doctorate in neuroscience at Brown University, where her dissertation focused on the molecular underpinnings of neuromuscular junction structure and function, as well as the extrasynaptic function of a neuromuscular organizing protein. Fish’s current work is focused on identifying transcriptomic and proteomic signatures of cognitive resilience in a genetically diverse mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, with a particular interest in identifying conserved resilience factors using integrated human and mouse data.

Mentor: Jacob Gable
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Researcher
Principal Investigator: Jean-Paul Noel
Institution: University of Minnesota
Lab Website: https://noel-lab.org/

Project Title: Explicit Measures of Causal Inference

Project Description: In this project, we will investigate how mice perceive synchrony versus asynchrony between auditory and visual signals. Mice report perceived synchrony by rotating a Lego wheel either leftward or rightward. Following acquisition of this behavior, we will record single-neuron activity in sensory cortices (primary visual and auditory areas) as well as frontal brain regions, with the goal of linking neural activity to behavior. The SURFiN fellow will receive training in rodent handling and head-fixation on experimental apparatus and will be responsible for behavioral training of animals. The fellow will also assist with surgical procedures and neurophysiological recordings. After initial training in experimental techniques, the fellow is expected to develop increasing independence, including opportunities to extend the project to examine cross-modal synchrony perception in mouse models of autism. The fellow will additionally participate in data analysis, gaining experience in computational methods and developing an understanding of the full research pipeline, from data collection to analysis and publication.

Mentor Information: Jacob Gable is a postdoctoral associate in Jean-Paul Noel’s lab in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota. He holds a doctorate in neuroscience from the University of Minnesota. His research focus is in understanding short-term network plasticity and how we build internal world model of the external environment. He has published multiple peer-reviewed manuscripts and received the MnDrive Graduate Fellowship in Neuromodulation.

Mentor: Shizhao Liu
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Researcher
Principal Investigator: Jean-Paul Noel
Institution: University of Minnesota
Lab Website: https://noel-lab.org/

Project Title: Implicit Measures of Causal Inference

Project Description: In this project, we will investigate how mice estimate the spatial location of auditory signals during concurrent visual stimulation. Mice report the perceived location of auditory cues by controlling a cursor using a Lego wheel. Following acquisition of this behavior, we will record single-neuron activity in sensory cortices (primary visual and auditory areas) as well as frontal brain regions, with the goal of linking neural activity to behavior. The SURFiN fellow will receive training in rodent handling and head-fixation on experimental apparatus and will be responsible for behavioral training of animals. The fellow will also assist with surgical procedures and neurophysiological recordings. After initial training, the fellow is expected to develop increasing independence, including the opportunity to extend the project to examine auditory spatial perception during concurrent visual stimulation in mouse models of autism. The fellow will additionally participate in data analysis, gaining experience in computational methods and developing a comprehensive understanding of the full research pipeline, from data collection to analysis and publication.

Mentor Information: Shizhao Liu is a postdoctoral associate in Jean-Paul Noel’s lab in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota. She holds a doctorate in brain and cognitive sciences from the University of Rochester. Her research focus is in understanding the neural implementation of probabilistic inference and how this applies in perception, during learning and in enabling task-switching. She has published multiple peer-reviewed manuscripts and received an NSF research traineeship during her doctorate.

Mentor Name: Apoorva Arora
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Adam Kepecs
Institution: Washington University in St. Louis
Lab Website: https://kepecslab.org/

Project Title: LEGO Maze to Study Adaptive Intelligence in Rats

Project Description: Survival in the wild hinges on rapidly learning the consequences of actions. A single mistake—like choosing a toxic food source or misjudging a leap—can be fatal. To avert such risks, brains evolved one-shot learning: predicting outcomes after just one exposure. In stark contrast, modern AI often requires thousands of iterations to master unfamiliar tasks. We aim to uncover the behavioral strategies enabling one-shot learning in an intelligent yet often underestimated agent: the rat.

Rats are adept navigators—think of rats thriving in the NYC subways. So, we designed a naturalistic LEGO maze where thirsty rats learn the path to a water reward in a single trial. We hypothesize their success depends on how they explore and encode potential routes. With prior SURFiN fellows, we have built a complete pipeline to generate mazes, train rats, record behavior via video and hardware (Bpod), and analyze their trajectories with deep learning. In parallel, we test reinforcement learning (RL) agents on virtual versions of the same mazes.

Our initial findings are compelling: rats primarily use a depth-first search strategy, and crucially, those that explore more thoroughly at the start perform better across all mazes. We plan to extend these findings for our ultimate objectives: (1) to augment RL agents with these rat-like search strategies to enable one-shot learning; and (2) to study the role of curiosity in driving such efficient exploration.

Undergraduate contribution: An undergraduate researcher will help train rats, record and label the video data and run data analyses to further characterize the rats’ search strategies as a Monte-Carlo Tree Search to refine and test our one-shot RL models.

Mentor Information: Apoorva Arora is a senior graduate student in the neuroscience Ph.D. program at Washington University in St. Louis doing her thesis project in the Kepecs lab. She received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Delhi, India, a master’s degree in biotechnology from Amity University, India, and a master’s degree in neuroscience from Brandeis University. During this time, she worked on research related to gene cloning, radiation biology and human speech processing. She then worked as a research technician for the late John Lisman to study the molecular mechanisms of long-term memory storage. In her doctoral research, she is studying value-guided decision making in rats using fiber photometry to record mesolimbic dopamine. She has set up a LEGO maze to study rapid learning in rats. In the future, she wants to study mechanisms of brain-wide coordination of activity. Arora is trained on the CIMER curriculum for bench-mentoring undergraduate students in biological sciences. Since 2021, she has been mentoring undergraduates in her lab and high school students as part of the Young Scientist Program. She has been organizing the Amazing Brain Carnival at the St. Louis Science center bi-annually since Aug 2022. Her mentoring and outreach efforts have been recognized through departmental and community awards.

Mentor: Elias Peters
Mentor Role: Clinical Research Specialist, Sr.
Principal Investigator: Elena Tenenbaum
Institution: Duke University
Lab Website: https://sites.duke.edu/risebattery/

Project Title: Remote Infant Studies of Early Learning (RISE) Battery

Project Description: This project continues the work of the Remote Infant Studies of Early Learning (RISE), a remote study examining predictors of cognitive and language development in infants at elevated likelihood for autism. The current effort includes continued assessment of infants from home who watch the RISE Battery, a set of tasks designed to examine cognitive development in infancy. In a follow-up study, we are conducting remote developmental assessments to determine which infants who participated in the original study may go on to receive a diagnosis of autism.

Mentor Information: Elias Peters is a senior clinical research specialist in the labs of Kimberly Carpenter and Elena Tenenbaum at Duke University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with minors in neuroscience and cognitive science, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Peters’ research is centered around sensory processing and neurophysiological differences in autism and ADHD.

Eligibility: Unless it is via a subaward agreement, Duke University is unable to administer funds to individuals not enrolled or employed at our institution.

Mentor: Arnaldo Ferreira Gomes Da Silva
Mentor Role: Researcher
Principal Investigator: Ipshita Zutshi
Institution: Rutgers, The State University
Lab Website: https://zutshilab.com/

Project Title: Hippocampal-Cortical Circuits in Goal-Directed Behavior

Project Description: In our lab, the SURFiN fellow will work on one of two complementary research projects aimed at understanding how brain circuits support goal-directed behavior by integrating ongoing intentions and external sensory evidence and rewards.

In the first project, we will study how cortical and subcortical brain regions interact with the hippocampus to support goal-directed planning. We will focus on brief patterns of neural activity (“theta sweeps”) that reflect upcoming actions or intended targets. The fellow will help design novel, naturalistic foraging behavior tasks in mice, assist with neural recordings and optogenetic manipulations during behavior, and learn to analyze neural population activity to identify goal-related patterns.

In the second project, we will investigate how neuromodulatory systems, such as acetylcholine or dopamine, influence reward processing, attention and decision-making. The fellow will contribute to developing behavioral tasks, collecting data using fiber photometry and optogenetics, and analyzing how neuromodulator signals relate to motivation and choice.

Across both projects, the fellow will gain hands-on experience in experimental design, coding and data analysis, neural recording techniques and scientific communication. The project emphasizes close mentorship, regular feedback and supporting the fellow’s exploration of future paths in neuroscience and related fields.

Mentor Information: Arnaldo Ferreira Gomes Da Silva is a postdoctoral fellow in Ipshita Zutshi’s lab in the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Bordeaux University and a doctorate in neurosciences from Aix-Marseille University in France. His research investigates how hippocampal-cortical circuits coordinate the co-firing of neuronal populations to support goal-directed behavior, with a particular focus on how sensory information is transformed into internal models that guide action. He is a recipient of a Fyssen Foundation postdoctoral fellowship.

Mentor: Katherine Bonefas
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Eirene Markenscoff-Papadimitriou
Institution: Cornell University
Lab Website: https://blogs.cornell.edu/papadimitrioulab/

Project Title: Investigating the Role of Rec8 in Neuronal Development

Project Description: This project will examine how the chromatin regulator Rec8 contributes to neuronal development and genome stability. Rec8 is the top down-regulated gene in mouse models of Pogz and Champ1 mutation, two neurodevelopmental disorder risk genes, suggesting that disruption of chromatin regulators converges on Rec8-dependent pathways. A central component of this project will involve validating Rec8 downregulation in our lab’s Pogz and Champ1 mutant mouse models using molecular and gene expression assays. One fellow may focus on characterizing Rec8 expression and regulation in Pogz mutant brains, while another may investigate Rec8 expression in Champ1 mutant models, allowing students to contribute to complementary aspects of this convergent pathway. Fellows will investigate Rec8 expression and function in defined neuronal subtypes using molecular, genomic, and imaging approaches. Through this project, fellows will gain hands-on experience in mouse neurobiology and tissue processing, gene expression analysis, chromatin profiling techniques, and quantitative data analysis and interpretation. Students will also participate in experimental design, lab meetings and presentation of results. When appropriate, fellows will have the opportunity to present their work at patient-focused research meetings, including the Champ1 patient advocacy group research conference and the White-Sutton syndrome (POGZ disorder) annual meeting. By the end of the year, each fellow will have developed foundational skills in neurogenomics, chromatin biology and critical scientific thinking while contributing to an active research question in autism research.

Mentor Information: Katherine (Katie) Bonefas earned her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Michigan, where she studied the functions of the autism risk gene KDM5C in brain development and gene regulation. Her research focuses on chromatin regulation in neurodevelopment and how epigenetic mechanisms contribute to neuronal gene expression programs. She mentors students in molecular neurobiology, experimental design and genomic data analysis, with an emphasis on rigorous and supportive training.

Mentor: Katerina Williams
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Eirene Markenscoff-Papadimitriou
Institution: Cornell University
Lab Website: https://blogs.cornell.edu/papadimitrioulab/

Project Title: Investigating Downstream Consequences of POGZ Mutations on Neuronal Gene Transcription

Project Description: This project will explore how mutations in the neurodevelopmental disorder risk gene POGZ alter gene transcription and chromatin organization in neurons. The fellow will analyze how changes in chromatin structure influence transcriptional programs critical for brain development. Through this experience, the fellow will learn core molecular biology techniques used to study transcription in the brain, analyze genomic datasets related to transcription and chromatin organization, develop computational and quantitative skills for interpreting gene expression data, and gain experience presenting scientific findings and participating in collaborative research discussions. The fellow may have the opportunity to present their work at the White-Sutton syndrome annual meeting, providing experience communicating science to both research and patient communities. The project will provide training at the intersection of neuroscience, genetics and epigenomics, equipping the fellow with both experimental and analytical skills relevant to modern biomedical research.

Mentor Information: Katerina (Katya) Williams is a Ph.D. student in the Genetics, Genomics, and Development program at Cornell University and a graduate of Princeton University. Her research investigates how mutations in chromatin regulators associated with neurodevelopmental disorders alter gene transcription and 3D genome organization during cortical development. She provides mentorship in genomics methods, quantitative analysis and scientific communication.

Mentor: Eirene Markenscoff-Papadimitriou
Mentor Role: Assistant Professor
Principal Investigator: Eirene Markenscoff-Papadimitriou
Institution: Cornell University
Lab Website: https://blogs.cornell.edu/papadimitrioulab/

Project Title: Genetic Control of Brain Development

Project Description: Eirene’s lab is focused on understanding the genetic control of brain development.  For her Simons-funded research, she studies the effect of mutations on POGZ on brain development, using mouse models and iPSC-derived neurons. This project will involve teaching students how to culture iPSCs from patients with POGZ mutations.

Mentor Information: Eirene Markenscoff-Papadimitriou is an assistant professor of molecular biology and genetics at Cornell University. Her research focuses on chromatin architecture, enhancer biology and genome stability in neurons, with particular emphasis on chromatin regulators implicated in autism and neurodevelopment. She has extensive experience mentoring undergraduate and graduate trainees in molecular genetics, epigenomics and neuroscience and is committed to structured, inclusive mentorship that supports scientific and professional development.

Mentor: Ruben Coen-Cagli
Mentor Role: Associate Professor
Principal Investigator: Ruben Coen-Cagli
Institution: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Lab Website: https://sites.google.com/site/rubencoencagli/

Project Title: Visual Attention and Segmentation of Natural Scenes in Autism

Project Description: In this project, we will study how visual attention is deployed to different parts of natural scenes. During normal visual experience, we move our eyes 3-5 times per second to direct attention to different objects in the environment. Much research focuses on eye movements because they can reveal the goals and internal state of the observer and are altered in several neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Our laboratory has found that eye movements are coupled with the perception of segments of images (a segment is the collection of pixels in an image that form a perceptual object). We have developed an experimental paradigm to measure simultaneously the subjectively perceived segments and the eye movements of a participant. We have also developed deep learning algorithms that take an image and its segmentation as an input and predict the eye movements of the observer. The SURFiN fellow can expect to become familiar with the data obtained through this experimental paradigm and to learn how to apply the algorithms. The goal will be to compare the predictive power of several variants of the algorithms, including w/out the segmentation, between neurotypical participants and participants with autism.

Mentor Information: Ruben Coen-Cagli is an associate professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Napoli, Federico II, Italy. Coen-Cagli’s research focuses on visual perception and neural coding in the visual cortex.

Mentor: Serena Nencini
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Scientist
Principal Investigator: Anna Penn
Institution: Columbia University
Lab Website: N/A

Project Title: From Placenta to Brain in Autism

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how placental hormones influence brain development using CRISPR technology to modify specific genes in living organisms. CRISPR acts as molecular “scissors” that allow us to precisely edit DNA sequences and study the changes these edits cause on biological processes such as brain development.

The SURFiN fellow can expect to gain hands-on experience with mouse experiments under close supervision. The fellow will learn essential laboratory skills including reagent preparation, instrument calibration and quality control procedures. Throughout the project, the fellow will assist with experimental setup, monitor parameters, maintain detailed records and participate in data analysis. The fellow will also participate in regular lab meetings to discuss results and experimental design.

Additionally, the fellow will have the opportunity to carry out a mini-project using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy to identify different brain cell types, including neurons and non-neuronal cells, in the developing mouse cerebellum, an important brain region involved in autism. This will provide valuable experience with histological techniques and imaging while exploring questions in neurodevelopment.

This project offers an excellent opportunity to experience modern molecular biology research while building essential laboratory and analytical skills in an emerging field that bridges placental biology and neuroscience in autism.

Mentor Information: Serena Nencini is a postdoctoral research scientist in Anna Penn’s lab at Columbia University Medical Center. She holds a doctorate in life sciences from the University of Siena, Italy. Nencini works in the field of neuroplacentology, an interdisciplinary field that studies the placenta’s contribution to brain development. Her research focuses on investigating how placental neuroactive hormones and environmental factors influence neurodevelopmental outcomes and autism likelihood, using gene editing techniques in in vivo mouse models.

Mentor: Yufeng Shen
Mentor Role: Associate Professor
Principal Investigator: Yufeng Shen
Institution: Columbia University
Lab Website: https://www.columbia.edu/~ys2411/

Project Title: Genetics and Mechanisms of Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Project Description: We will use genetic data (common and rare genetic variation) to identify risk genes and genomic regions that are associated with autism and neurodevelopmental disorders; then use risk genes as an instrument to identify plausible neurocircuits and brain regions underpinning the conditions. Additionally, we will study the population genetics of these risk variants and genes, with a goal to quantify stabilization selection in autism.

Mentor Information: Yufeng Shen is the principal investigator in Shen lab at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Peking University and a Ph.D. in computational biology from Baylor College of Medicine. Shen’s research focuses on developing computational and statistical methods to predict functional and genetic effect of genomic variations and to identify genetic causes of human diseases and traits, especially early onset conditions including neurodevelopmental disorders. His research is supported by grants from the National Institute of Health and Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative.

Mentor: Hanna Berk-Rauch
Mentor Role: Senior Research Scientist
Principal Investigator: Aravinda Chakravarti
Institution: New York University School of Medicine
Lab Website: https://aravindachakravartilab.org/

Project Title: Investigation of Sex Differences in Autism

Project Description: We will assess the role of the sex hormone androgen in neurodevelopment as a means of understanding how it might underlie some of the male-bias seen in autism prevalence. This work was funded by the Simons Foundation and has recently been submitted for NIH funding based on that preliminary data. The SURFiN fellow will work with the mentor to conduct cell culture assays aimed at assessing how androgen affects cell proliferation and neuronal maturation. They will be exposed to cell culture work, with both immortalized cell lines as well as iPSC derived neurons, antibody-based staining, microscopy and principally genetics techniques including PCR, nucleic acid extraction and RT-PCR. This work will complement ongoing studies in the lab.

Mentor Information: Hanna Berk-Rauch is a senior research scientist and scientific project manager in Aravinda Chakravarti’s group at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. She holds a B.A. in biology from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in molecular biology, cellular biology and biochemistry from Brown University. She has extensive research background in neurodevelopment disorders. The focus of her research is on sex differences in the prevalence of autism as part of a Simons foundation funded national network study.

Mentor: Alexandra Adams
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Jeremy Dasen
Institution: New York University School of Medicine
Lab Website: www.dasenlab.com

Project Title: Establishing Flexible Spinal Circuits for Locomotor and Postural Control

Project Description: The axial neuromuscular system plays a critical role in many essential motor behaviors in mammals, including breathing, postural stability and integration of movement by the trunk and limbs. While the mechanisms that allow for molecular and functional diversification of limb innervating motor neurons (MN) have been relatively well characterized, less is understood about how axial motor circuits are specified during development. In this project, we will explore the role of cell fate determinants in establishing synaptic specificity in the axial neuromuscular system and determine how developmental programs contribute to the emergence of specific motor behaviors. The SURFiN fellow can expect to learn molecular techniques, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine genotypes of our genetic mouse models and histological techniques to examine axial MN genetic expression at the cell level using confocal microscopy.

Mentor Information: Alex Adams is a postdoctoral fellow in Jeremy Dasen’s lab at the New York University School of Medicine (Neuroscience Institute). They hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from Rutgers University. Their research is focused on understanding the biological mechanisms through which motor circuits that allow for control of posture during development. They are a recipient of the Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32) supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD).

Mentor: Jeremy Dasen
Mentor Role: Professor
Principal Investigator: Jeremy Dasen
Institution: New York University School of Medicine
Lab Website: www.dasenlab.com

Project Title: Origin and Diversity of Sensory Neurons for Pain and Touch

Project Description: This project involves exploring the evolutionary origins of sensory systems in vertebrates using little skate embryos. The project will specifically examine the development of primary sensory neurons involved in pain and touch processing. The student will work with Dr. Dasen and other advanced trainees to explore molecular and functional diversity of somatosensory circuits in a basal vertebrate species. Skills learned will include histology, confocal imaging, embryology and functional assays of neuronal activity. The trainee will learn the basics of experimental design and rigorous data analyses.

Mentor Information: Jeremy Dasen is a professor at New York University School of Medicine. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of California, San Diego and was a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University. He has had extensive experience in training both undergraduates and graduate students with and without previous research experience.

Mentor: Joseph Del Rosario
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Scholar
Principal Investigator: Michael Long
Institution: New York University School of Medicine
Lab Website: https://longlab.med.nyu.edu/

Project Title: Interactive Communication Deficits in Autism

Project Description: In this project, we will explore the impact of autism on interactive communication in both human participants as well as a novel animal model. For the human project, the SURFiN fellow can expect to annotate previously recorded vocal interactions between participants and their caregivers. Our data set was provided by Drs. Helen Tager-Flusberg and Ben Scott (Boston University) consisting of 300 interactions (200 participants with autism and 100 age-matched neurotypical controls) lasting from 10 minutes to over an hour. Analysis primarily will focus on careful speech annotation using well-established software (Praat) and local expertise exists in the laboratory to assist with this endeavor. For the animal model project, we will investigate the behavior of a neotropical “singing mouse” that (unlike laboratory mice) regularly performs interactive vocal turn-taking with rapid timing that resembles human conversation. We are in the final stages of using CRISPR gene editing to construct a SHANK3 KO singing mouse, and we anticipate that these structured back-and-forth exchanges will be compromised in a manner resembling that seen in autism. The SURFiN fellow can expect to additionally analyze the vocal structure of the transgenic singing mice and learn about (and perhaps contribute to) the systems neuroscience efforts to characterize the underlying cortical deficits.

Mentor Information: Joseph Del Rosario is a postdoctoral scholar in Michael Long’s lab at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. He holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Arizona State University and a doctorate in biomedical engineering from Georgia Tech. Del Rosario’s research focuses on the circuit mechanisms involved in cortical processing in normal and disordered brain circuits, with a special emphasis on how autism affects networks that enable social communication. He has been recognized with awards from the NIH Outstanding Scholars in Neuroscience Award Program and the NSF Scholars Program.

Mentor: Harsha Gurnani
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Cristina Savin
Institution: New York University
Lab Website: https://www.savinlab.org

Project Title: Circuit Mechanisms of Value-based Decision Making in Rodents

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how rodents keep track of the rewards available in the environment in the form of beliefs and how they use that information to decide how long they are willing to wait for a promised delayed reward. The SURFiN fellow will get to engage with a unique and very rich dataset including behavioral data from hundreds of animals and recorded population activity from tens of animals using Neuropixel probes. They will learn how to analyze complex animal behavior, focusing on variability across animals in the way they solve the task. At the neural level, they will get to apply novel statistical tools to understand the circuit underpinnings of this behavioral variability. In the process, the fellow will get to develop or expand their knowledge of statistics, probabilistic machine learning and dynamical systems and get to have regular interactions with experimental collaborators collecting the data.

Mentor Information: Harsha Gurnani is a senior postdoctoral fellow in the group led by Cristina Savin, co-mentored by Christine Constantinople, in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. She earned a B.S. in biology and mathematics from the Indian Institute of Science and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from University College London. Gurnani uses data-driven and computational approaches to identify neural dynamics that support flexibility on slow and fast timescales and study how these dynamics are learned via multiple forms of errors. She was the recipient of a Schmidt Science Fellowship.

Mentor: Miles Martinez
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Cristina Savin
Institution: New York University
Lab Website: https://www.savinlab.org

Project Title: Statistics of Navigation Behavior Under Manipulation of Affordances

Project Description: In this project we will investigate how information about “which way can I go?”, what we sometimes refer to as spatial affordances, gets represented and used to guide animal behavior. The SURFiN fellow will learn to analyze data from mice running in navigate complex mazes as we change their navigational affordances (pathways can dynamically change between being locked, closed but unlocked, or directly passable). In parallel, they will get to explore the behavior of artificial ”mice” trained to do the same behavior. In the process, the fellow will get to develop or expand their knowledge of statistics and reinforcement learning and get to interact regularly with computational and experimental collaborators that are part of SCENE.

Mentor Information: Miles Martinez is an incoming postdoctoral fellow in the group led by Cristina Savin at New York University as part of the Simons Collaboration for Ecological Neuroscience (SCENE). He has a Sc.B. in cognitive neuroscience from Brown University with his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Duke University. Martinez is a computational neuroethologist who enjoys thinking about learning in both brains and machines. He was the recipient of a Ruth L. Kirschstein (F31) predoctoral award.

Mentor: Xuefei Yu
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Researcher
Principal Investigator: Danique Jeurissen
Institution: New York University
Lab Website: https://www.jeurissenlab.com/

Project Title: Prefrontal Mechanisms of Behavioral Compensation After Causal Manipulation

Project Description: One important feature of the primate brain is its robustness: the ability to maintain stable behavior despite disruptions, noise, or damage. If we inactivate parts of the parietal cortex while an animal performs a decision-making task, we see an initial decline in performance. Interestingly, behavior recovers within an hour, even when neural activity is still silenced. This recovery suggests that neural circuits are not rigid but flexible and capable of reorganization to restore function. How does the brain achieve this kind of resilience? What are the limits? The answers to these questions remain largely unknown.

In this project, we will study the prefrontal cortex, a brain area involved in cognitive control and decision making that shares functional similarities with the parietal cortex. We will investigate how population activity in the prefrontal cortex adapts when parietal activity is perturbed, how these changes relate to behavior recovery, and whether recovery can still occur during frontal inactivation. The student will learn how to develop scientific questions in neuroscience, design experiments and formulate hypotheses. They will gain hands-on experience in data analysis of behavioral and neurophysiology data, building practical skills essential for a career in neuroscience research.

Mentor Information: Xuefei Yu is a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Danique Jeurissen at New York University. She received her doctorate in systems neuroscience from the Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, where she worked on the neural mechanisms of self-motion perception. She subsequently completed postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health as a fellow in the laboratory of Okihide Hikosaka, where she applied pathway-selective optogenetics in non-human primates to investigate the neural mechanisms of visuomotor transformation and their modulation by value-related signals. Her current research focuses on understanding how neural populations maintain functional robustness during perturbations.

Mentor: Roozbeh Kiani
Mentor Role: Professor of Neural Science and Psychology
Principal Investigator: Roozbeh Kiani
Institution: New York University
Lab Website: https://www.cns.nyu.edu/kianilab/Home.html

Project Title: Neural Mechanisms of Decision Making

Project Description: This project focuses on how different circuits in the primate decision-making network interact to enable flexible, goal-directed behavior. The project involves development of computational models, as well as behavioral experiments and electrophysiological recordings.

Mentor Information: Kiani is a Professor in New York University’s Center for Neural Science. His lab studies the neural mechanisms of decision making and perception in the primate brain.

Mentor: Dilan Rasool
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Dilek Colak
Institution: Weill Cornell Medicine
Lab Website: colaklab.com

Project Title: Novel Functions of High-confidence Autism Risk Genes in Human Brain Development

Project Description: Studies in several independent cohorts have identified likely gene-disruptive mutations in the GIGYF1 gene in autism probands. However, the involvement of GIGYF1 in autism and brain function is newly emerging; thus, the developmental functions of the GIGYF1 protein in the brain are largely unknown. Utilizing RNA-immunoprecipitation, we characterized the human GIGYF1 interactome in brain organoids, discovering that the protein binds specifically to mRNAs involved in gene expression regulation. In this project, using GIGYF1 knockout brain organoids, we will assess the role of GIGYF1 in neural proliferation, differentiation and neuronal activity during early brain development. The SURFIN fellow will contribute to multiple facets of this project, acquiring critical skills in neuroscience research—including brain organoid culturing, organoid sectioning, immunostaining and ImageJ analysis—while receiving dedicated, one-on-one mentorship.

Mentor Information: Dilan Rasool is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dilek Colak at the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute of Weill Cornell Medicine. She obtained her Ph.D. in experimental medicine from McGill University in 2024. In the Colak lab, she utilizes mouse and human-derived models to investigate novel, high-confidence autism risk genes and their cell-specific functions. Since joining the lab, Rasool has demonstrated exceptional leadership by successfully mentoring a diverse cohort of trainees, including rotation students, volunteers, high school students and technicians. Beyond her advanced technical proficiency, she possesses a profound commitment to education and scientific outreach.

Mentor: Rimjhim Tomar
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Evan Schaffer
Institution: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Lab Website: https://www.schafferlab.com/

Project Title: Identifying the Role of Diverse Neuromodulators in Credit Assignment

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how neuromodulatory signals enable a neural network model to learn. Specifically, we will explore the relationship between how receptive each neuron is to neuromodulation and how active it is after the entire network has learned. The skills gained in this project include coding in Python and building neural network models.

Mentor Information: Rimjhim Tomar is a postdoctoral scholar in Evan Schaffer’s lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Delhi and a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience from Charles University in Prague. Her research focuses on the neural basis of learning in recurrent neural circuits.

Mentor: Harley Haas
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Hirofumi Morishita
Institution: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Lab Website: https://www.morishita-lab.com/

Project Title: Quantifying Attentional Behavior in Mice Using Video Analysis and Machine Learning

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how attention is expressed through behavior by precisely measuring how decisions unfold in time and movement. Mice in this project perform the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT), which is widely used to study attention, reaction time and impulse control. While the task software records trial outcomes (e.g., correct or incorrect responses) and reaction times, it does not capture movement around decisions which can reveal information about attention, hesitation and behavioral strategy. The SURFiN fellow can expect to develop an automated video-recording pipeline using Python to capture behavior and learn to use computer vision tools to automate animal body-part tracking via user-friendly, open-source software. Finally, the SURFiN fellow can expect to discover patterns in movement to understand behavioral structure using unsupervised analysis methods. Through this project, the SURFiN fellow will strengthen practical skills in Python programming, data organization, machine-learning assisted analysis and data-driven behavioral mapping.

Mentor Information: Harley Haas is a second year neuroscience doctoral student in Hirofumi Morishita’s lab at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Haas’s research focuses on development of multi-projection neurons in a top-down attention-related circuit.

Mentor: Anne Bruun Rovsing
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Research Associate
Principal Investigator: Neville Sanjana
Institution: New York Genome Center
Lab Website: http://sanjanalab.org/home.html

Project Title: STING-seq for Neuropsychiatrics

Project Description: In this project, we will explore the functional impact of genetic variants associated with neuropsychiatric traits like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Using a high-throughput platform called STING-seq, we aim to map how specific genetic perturbations alter the behavior and physiology of human stem cell-derived neurons.

The SURFiN fellow can expect to participate in a project that integrates molecular biology with advanced imaging. Depending on their interests and expertise, the fellow will assist with both wet and dry lab elements. This includes assisting with CRISPR-based genetic engineering and neuronal cell culture, as well as contributing to computational workflows like confocal image processing, calcium imaging analysis and single-cell data analysis. Through these tasks, the fellow will gain experience in interpreting quantitative, image-based readouts of neuronal function and navigating an interdisciplinary research environment. Our goal is to provide a flexible training experience that bridges genome engineering with functional neurobiology over the course of the academic year.

Mentor Information: Anne Rovsing is a postdoctoral fellow in Neville Sanjana’s lab at the New York Genome Center and New York University. She holds a doctorate in biomedicine from Aarhus University. Rovsing’s research focuses on using high-throughput genome engineering to identify the genetic drivers of neuropsychiatric traits in human neurons.

Mentor: Silas Busch
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Associate
Principal Investigator: Vanessa Ruta
Institution: Rockefeller University
Lab Website: https://www.therutalab.com/

Project Title: Associative Circuit Rules Guide Navigation

Project Description: Tracking remote resources is a fundamental animal behavior. To be successful, animals must convert complex sensory cues, like flickering patterns of odor in the wind, into flexible foraging strategies that adapt to changes in the dynamic natural environment. How does the brain produce this flexibility? In this project, we will explore how navigation is guided by associative learning—a mechanism shared across brain circuits and species to bind information. We will examine how cell and circuit learning rules in the fruit fly (Drosophila) associative learning center, the mushroom body, shape behavior as flies explore naturalistic, dynamic odor plumes. The SURFiN fellow will leverage a virtual reality system to simultaneously quantify behavior, control odor plume structure and image or optogenetically perturb neural circuits, allowing them to investigate how neural circuit algorithms use changing sensory statistics to orchestrate behavior. By the end of their SURFiN program, the fellow will have gained expertise in harnessing the experimental accessibility of fruit flies to generate and test their own hypotheses through the design, collection and analysis physiological and behavioral experiments—and shed light on how associative learning circuits guide animals through an ever-changing world.

Mentor Information: Silas Busch is a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Vanessa Ruta at the Rockefeller University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and philosophy from Bard College and a doctorate in neuroscience from the University of Chicago. He is fascinated by how cell and circuit physiology give rise to complex behavior, and his research explores how associative learning shapes navigation in naturalistic odor plumes. As a graduate student, Busch received an award for undergraduate teaching from the college and the best Ph.D. dissertation award from the Division of Biological Sciences.

Mentor: Raeed Chowdhury (Research Assistant Professor)
Co-Mentor: Seong-Hwan Hwang (Postdoctoral Scholar)
Principal Investigator: Aaron Batista
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Lab Website: https://smile.pitt.edu

Project Title: Neural Control of Object Manipulation

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how complex task paradigms drive motor movements and affect neural activity in the motor cortex. Specifically, we will train non-human primates (monkeys) to play Tetris and other object manipulation tasks, investigating how the motor cortex coordinates complex behavior. The SURFiN fellow can expect to learn how to perform animal experiments, analyze behavioral and neural data and communicate about their research to a variety of audiences.

Mentor Information: Raeed H. Chowdhury is a research assistant professor in Aaron Batista’s lab at the University of Pittsburgh. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree and doctorate in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University. Raeed’s research focuses on the neural control of skilled and dynamically complex movements.

Co-Mentor Information: Seong-Hwan Hwang is a postdoctoral scholar in Aaron Batista’s lab at the University of Pittsburgh. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sungkyunkwan University and a doctorate in biology from Seoul National University. Seong-Hwan’s research focuses on how complex environments modulate movement and affect the motor cortex.

Eligibility: If applicants are enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh, per University Policy, enrolled students are not allowed to work more than 20 hours per week across all on-campus employment.

Mentor Name: Sara Caldas Martinez
Mentor Role: Doctoral Candidate
Principal Investigator: Kate Hong
Institution: Carnegie Mellon University
Lab Website: thehonglab.com

Project Title: Distributed Processing of Tactile Discrimination

Project Description: The ability to discriminate between different objects is essential for our everyday lives. This project is aimed at understanding how neural circuits mediate touch-mediated discrimination to guide behavioral decisions. Using the mouse whisker system as a model, we will seek to uncover how sensory experiences are transformed into a percept and how cortical and subcortical areas coordinate their activity to underlie sensory-guided behavior.

The SURFiN fellow will learn techniques in animal behavior and optogenetic methods to activate or silence populations of neurons while mice perform a discrimination task. In addition, students will learn to perform stereotactic surgeries, circuit tracing using viral vectors, and histological processing and imaging of brain tissue. The fellow will work under the close mentorship of a senior graduate student and is encouraged to develop skills that can lead to an independent project within the scope of the mentor’s research goals. The fellow is invited to participate in lab meetings, journal clubs and neuroscience research seminars in the broader Pittsburgh area to gain further exposure to topics in neuroscience research, science communication and critical thinking.

Mentor Information: Sara Caldas Martinez is a Ph.D. candidate in the laboratory of Kate Hong, Department of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. She holds a B.S. in biochemistry and M.S. in neuroscience from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Sara’s research is focused on how the brain processes sensory information to guide behavioral decisions.

Mentor: Carlos Ballester
Mentor Role: Instructor
Principal Investigator: Mirjana Maletic-Savatic
Institution: Baylor College of Medicine
Lab Website: N/A

Project Title: Stabilizing the Developing Brain: How Growth Signals Shape Brain Circuit Stability

Project Description: In this project, we will explore how a pathway involving insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) helps stabilize brain circuits during early development. Disruptions in this pathway are linked to epilepsy and autism, but we do not yet understand how molecular changes translate into abnormal network activity. The SURFiN fellow can expect to be trained in basic neurophysiology techniques using mouse brain slices. We will begin with field electrophysiology, where the student will record electrical activity from groups of neurons in the hippocampus and cortex. The student will learn how to measure synaptic strength, network excitability and plasticity using input-output curves, paired-pulse responses and long-term potentiation assays. No prior electrophysiology experience is required; we will provide step-by-step training. The fellow will also gain experience in data analysis, statistics and scientific presentation. Over time, there will be opportunities to observe or assist with more advanced single-cell recordings. Through this project, the student will develop skills in experimental design, quantitative analysis and translational neuroscience, while contributing to research aimed at identifying critical developmental windows for preventing epilepsy-related circuit instability.

Mentor Information: Carlos Ballester is an early career investigator interested in neurodevelopment and epilepsy. Specifically, he is interested in interneuron circuit formation and how aberrations influence hyperexcitability, seizures and eventually epilepsy during early brain development.

Mentor: Rachana Mishra
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Mirjana Maletic-Savatic
Institution: Baylor College of Medicine
Lab Website: N/A

Project Title: Metabolism and Brain Aging in the Hippocampus

Project Description: In this project, we will investigate how changes in metabolism and lipids influence brain aging and vulnerability to neurodegeneration. The hippocampus — an area critical for memory — is especially sensitive to metabolic stress, but the mechanisms linking metabolism to cognitive decline remain unclear. The SURFiN fellow can expect to work with mouse brain tissue to examine metabolic and cellular changes across aging. The student will be trained in tissue processing, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy and image analysis to study neurons, glia and markers of metabolic stress. Depending on interest, the student may also assist with lipid profiling or multi-omics data analysis using guided computational tools. No prior coding experience is required. The fellow will learn quantitative image analysis, basic statistics and data interpretation. They will also gain exposure to how molecular and cellular data are integrated to understand aging-related circuit changes. This project provides hands-on experience at the interface of metabolism and neuroscience and introduces the student to translational questions relevant to Alzheimer’s disease and healthy brain aging.

Mentor Information: Rachana Mishra is a senior postdoctoral fellow in the lab interested in aging and neurodegeneration. Specifically, she is interested in how metabolic drifts influence aging and whether hippocampal neurogenesis could be used to alleviate neurodegeneration.

Mentor: Seo-Jun Kang
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Hye Young Lee
Institution: University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
Lab Website: https://lsom.uthscsa.edu/physiology/team-member/hye-young-lee-ph-d/

Project Title: Nonviral Gene Editing for Brain Disorders

Project Description: Gene therapeutics have great potential for treating neurological disorders; however, challenges with delivery have limited their clinical potential. CRISPR/Cas9 is one of the most widely used gene editing tools due to the target specificity and simple design of sgRNA lending it both precision and ease of use. The Lee lab has demonstrated that gene editing with Cas9 RNPs (Cas9 protein/sgRNA complexes) using non-viral delivery is possible in adult mouse brain (Lee et al 2018, Nature Biomedical Engineering). Our current project aims to deliver Cas9 in a form of mRNA/sgRNA using non-viral vector in brain disorder mouse models given the promising features of mRNA delivery. To achieve this goal, we will focus on identifying the most efficient delivery vehicle and will apply this novel delivery system to neurodevelopmental disorder in their mouse models.

Mentor Information: Seo-Jun Kang is a postdoctoral fellow in Hye Young Lee’s lab at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Kang holds a bachelor’s degree in bioscience from Ajou University and a doctorate in neuroscience from Ajou University School of Medicine in Korea. His research focuses on gene editing using non-viral vectors in a neurodevelopmental disorder model.

Mentor: Shamim Ahmed
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Hye Young Lee
Institution: University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
Lab Website: https://lsom.uthscsa.edu/physiology/team-member/hye-young-lee-ph-d/

Project Title: Microglia in Fragile X Syndrome

Project Description: The project aims to elucidate how microglial FMRP contributes to the pathophysiology of fragile X syndrome. We will use molecular, cellular and behavioral techniques to understand the potential mechanisms underlying microglia deficits as well as to determine the contributions of these microglia deficits to the pathophysiology of fragile X syndrome. If successful, this work will provide critical understanding of fragile X syndrome pathophysiology and will provide information necessary for potential therapeutics.

Mentor Information: Shamim Ahmed is a graduate student in Hye Young Lee’s lab at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Shamim holds a bachelor of pharmacy and master of pharmacy in pharmacology and clinical pharmacy from the North South University in Bangladesh. His research focuses on microglia in fragile X syndrome.

Mentor: Rodrigo Gonzales-Rojas (Medical Student)
Co-Mentor: Eugenio Elizondo (Research Assistant)
Principal Investigator: Hye Young Lee
Institution: University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
Lab Website: https://lsom.uthscsa.edu/physiology/team-member/hye-young-lee-ph-d/

Project Title: Mimicry Behaviors in the Mouse Model for Fragile X Syndrome

Project Description: The project will focus on elucidating mimicry behaviors using a mouse model of fragile X syndrome. We will assess mimicry behaviors using imitative scratching behaviors or eating behaviors. If successful, this proposal will contribute to elucidate the behavioral social complexity of neurodevelopmental disorders by developing mimicry/imitative behavior assessment tools in preclinical models and will contribute to understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of fragile X syndrome.

Mentor Information: Rodrigo Gonzales-Rojas is a medical student in Hye Young Lee’s lab at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Gonzales-Rojas holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and biosciences from Rice University. His research focuses on mimicry behaviors in autism using mouse models.

Co-Mentor Information: Eugenio Elizondo is a research assistant in Hye Young Lee’s lab at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Elizondo holds a Bachelor of Science in biology with a concentration in molecular biology from University of Texas at San Antonio. His research focuses on mimicry behavior in autism using mouse models.

Mentor: Damhyeon Kwak
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Nicholas Frost
Institution: University of Utah
Lab Website: https://nickfrostlab.org/

Project Title: Prefrontal Control of Spontaneous Social Behaviors

Project Description: Adaptive decision-making in response to environmental changes is critical for the survival of an organism. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulates flexible decision-making during complex behaviors, such as social interactions. This becomes dysfunctional in disease states, such as autism. Previous work in the lab demonstrated that the mPFC encodes persistent representations of social information in parallel with representations of the environment. However, it is not well understood how changes in context alter social behavioral decisions, reflecting the dynamic and reciprocal nature of social behavior. Also, it needs further investigation of how behavioral decisions in social contexts are represented in the brain. In this project, we will characterize social decision-making behavior in different contexts using a mouse model. Along with the behavioral characterization, we will investigate how socially relevant information is routed in neural circuits by microendoscopic calcium imaging. The SURFiN fellow can expect to learn behavioral and neural data analysis. We aim to elucidate how social information is differentially represented across contexts to regulate behavioral decisions and how it is disrupted in the autism mouse model.

Mentor Information: Damhyeon Kwak is a graduate student in Nick Frost’s lab at the University of Utah. She received her bachelor’s degree in life sciences and psychology from Sogang University and a master’s degree in brain and cognitive sciences from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology. Her graduate thesis work focuses on understanding how the brain guides flexible social decisions and how it is altered by behavioral context and disease states.

Mentor: Bethany Curd
Mentor Role: Clinical Research Coordinator
Principal Investigator: Nicholas Frost
Institution: University of Utah
Lab Website: nickfrostlab.org

Project Title: Molecular and Structural Determinants of Impaired Social Interactions in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

Project Description: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and highly prevalent neurodegenerative illness marked by deficits in short-term memory, navigation, social interaction and emotional regulation due to early pathological changes in affected neuronal circuitry. Although social isolation is a key modifiable risk factor for AD, how AD affects social relationships and behavior is less well understood. This project examines the way AD pathology disrupts social behavior and cortical circuit function, focusing on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) for its critical role in regulating social behavior. We’re seeking to understand how AD-driven social deficits may progress differently from cognitive deficits, and our research includes studies exploring this in both mice and human patients with AD. This project combines preclinical experiments utilizing freely moving behavior and single cell recordings in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease combined with analysis of patient data collected at the University of Utah to understand how molecular and structural biomarkers contribute to impaired social interactions in humans.

Mentor Information: Bethany Curd is a clinical and laboratory researcher in the Frost Lab at the University of Utah. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and working for several years in corporate and institutional marketing and communications, she completed a Master of Science in clinical investigation from the University of Utah in 2025. She conducts both human and animal research investigating the changes to behavior and cortical encoding associated with Alzheimer’s disease pathology.

Mentor: Ryan Canfield (Graduate Student)
Co-Mentor: Tomohiro Ouchi (Graduate Student)
Principal Investigator: Amy Orsborn
Institution: University of Washington
Lab Website: https://faculty.washington.edu/aorsborn/

Project Title: Hand and Eye Interactions During Motor Learning: Neural Representations

Project Description: Learning a new motor skill requires the coordination of our limbs and eyes, which changes as we improve. When learning to type, beginners watch their fingers press each key, while experts only watch the screen. Evidence from studies that map the activity of large groups of neurons suggests that eye and hand information is mixed in motor cortices, but it is unclear how individual neurons contribute and how their contribution changes with learning. This project asks how eye and hand information coexist in motor cortices at the single-neuron level during reaching and how this structure changes during motor learning. As part of our team, you will analyze how individual neurons represent hand and eye information by applying data analysis and machine learning methods to neural data collected while monkeys performed well-learned reaching tasks. Then, you will assess how those representations change as the monkeys learn new tasks. The project will provide training in both experimental and computational approaches in systems neuroscience and novel ways to study motor control and motor learning.

Mentor Information: Ryan Canfield is a bioengineering Ph.D. student in the Orsborn lab. His current work focuses on improving the accessibility of neuroprosthetic devices by investigating how the brain learns new motor skills. He conducts experiments that leverage high-density neural recordings, optogenetics, and brain-machine interfaces (BMI) in monkeys to study how neuronal networks both constrain learning and adapt during learning. His Ph.D. research and training have been partly supported by the Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS) TL1 training program. Before joining the Orsborn lab, Canfield received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington where he implemented automated material property tests and data analysis for composite aircraft parts.

Co-Mentor Information: Tomohiro Ouchi is a Ph.D. student in electrical and computer engineering in the Orsborn lab. His research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying eye-hand coordination. He uses high-density neural probes in nonhuman primates to study how motor cortex circuits coordinate eye and hand movements. Prior to joining the Orsborn Lab, Ouchi earned his master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering from the University of Osaka, where he conducted experiments and data analyses investigating the physical properties of liquid crystals.

Mentor: Marios Tringides (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Co-Mentor: AJ Mallory (Graduate Student)
Principal Investigator: Amy Orsborn
Institution: University of Washington
Lab Website: https://faculty.washington.edu/aorsborn/

Project Title: Hand and Eye Interactions During Motor Learning: Behavior

Project Description: Hand and eye movements are tightly coordinated as we interact with the world. Eye movements change over the course of learning a new motor skill or following motor injury. However, the extent and nature of the influence of eye movements on motor skill learning is not fully understood. Understanding how changes in eye movements are causally related to motor learning could contribute to improvements in learning, motor recovery and potentially the design of rehabilitative devices. For this project, we are interested in understanding how eye movements contribute to learning across different types of motor behaviors. A portion of the project will involve analyzing existing eye and hand movement data from human subjects as they engage in different types of motor learning, such as discrete reaches and continuous object tracking. We also anticipate room for a motivated undergraduate to collect their own datasets, including on tasks that increase the complexity of motor learning through visuomotor perturbations and cognitive decision-making components.

Mentor Information: Marios Tringides is a postdoc in Amy Orsborn’s lab. He is interested in using a variety of neural and behavioral tools in order to understand how the brain is able to efficiently generalize learning across different motor contexts.  He is particularly interested in understanding whether neural computations are shared across these different contexts. Prior to joining the Orsborn lab, Tringides received his Ph.D. in structural biology at Case Western Reserve University. For his thesis, he worked on solving multiple proteins structures simultaneously from tissue samples.

Co-Mentor Information: AJ Mallory is a graduate student in the Orsborn lab studying the prefrontal and motor cortices to find neural correlates of decisions and actions. She wants to understand how the brain uses visual information to make decisions that are flexibly converted into different, context appropriate actions.

Mentor: Josiah Quinn
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Anna Gillespie
Institution: University of Washington
Lab Website: www.gillespie-lab.com

Project Title: Hippocampal Mechanisms of Age-Related Decline in Cognitive Flexibility

Project Description: Cognitive flexibility, or the ability to adjust behavior to changing environmental conditions, is an essential aspect of cognition. It allows for survival in the face of diverse environmental challenges and is critical for managing the variability of societal life. Unfortunately, cognitive flexibility is particularly vulnerable to the aging process in both humans and other mammals. Emerging evidence suggests that the hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory and spatial navigation, supports cognitive flexibility. However, the changes in neural activity that contribute to the age-related degradation of cognitive flexibility are poorly understood. We aim to learn more about this process by collecting hippocampal neural recordings in young and aged rats performing a memory-guided spatial navigation task. This task requires the rat to search various potentially rewarded locations, remember where the rewarded location is when found, and adapt when the rewarded location changes. The SURFiN fellow will have opportunities to handle rats, administer the behavioral task, build neural implants, observe neural implant surgeries, visualize and analyze neural and behavioral data, read and discuss current literature and contribute to general lab activities and culture.

Mentor Information: Josiah Quinn is a graduate student in Anna Gillespie’s lab at the University of Washington. He holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Michigan State University. His project explores the neural mechanisms of cognitive flexibility and how aging contributes to its decline.

Mentor: Aditya Deole
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Researcher
Principal Investigator: Nicholas Steinmetz
Institution: University of Washington
Lab Website: www.steinmetzlab.net

Project Title: Causal Effects of Locomotion on Cortex-wide Neural Dynamics in Mice

Project Description: Motor behaviors such as locomotion (i.e., running) have been observed to strongly impact neural dynamics across cortical regions. The causal mechanisms underlying that impact, however, have remained unclear. In particular, prior studies have studied the correlation between neural dynamics and spontaneously-generated locomotion, leaving open the possibility that correlated factors confound aspects of the relationship. Here, we will test the causal influence of locomotion on neural dynamics by employing a motorized running wheel to impose different locomotion speeds while measuring cortex-wide neural dynamics with widefield calcium imaging. This work will reveal which aspects of cortical dynamics are directly impacted by locomotion and will lead to a deeper understanding of the relationship between these dynamics and cognition. The SURFiN fellow will work with Dr. Aditya Deole in the Steinmetz Lab and will perform engineering of experimental apparatus, data collection and data analysis. The fellow will receive training and gain experience in neuroscientific experimentation and in writing custom software for data analysis.

Mentor Information: Aditya Deole is a postdoctoral scholar working jointly with Azadeh Yazdan-Shahmorad, Eric Shea-Brown, and Nick Steinmetz at the University of Washington (UW). Deole earned his doctoral degree in control theory at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at UW. Deole’s research focuses on applications of control theory to neuroscience, aiming to discover principles of neural dynamics and links between these dynamics and behavior. Deole’s work has been recognized with the S. Rao and Usha Varanasi Endowed Fellowship in Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Mentor: Mateo López Espejo
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Osama Ahmed
Institution: University of Washington
Lab Website: www.ahmedlab.science

Project Title: Optogenetic Perturbation of Naturalistic Multitasking in Flies

Project Description: We investigate how animals combine different movements to generate complex behaviors. Our model is courtship in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, in which male flies closely follow female flies and “sing” to them with their wings. We explore whether these movements are synergistic or interfere with one another by activating different neurons in the song-control circuit and quantifying the effect on wing extension during periods of standstill and locomotion. We have found that locomotion facilitates wing extension driven by one particular neuron in the circuit, while the roles of other song-control neurons remain unexplored.

The SURFiN fellow will learn flygenetics, husbandry and the use of optogenetic tools for behavior manipulation. They will use optogenetics to perturb distinct neurons while video recording fly behavior. The fellow will help analyze behavior data, using machine vision tools and learning the underlying machine learning principles. They will also have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals for Python programming and statistics required for data analysis.

Mentor Information: Mateo López Espejo is a postdoctoral scholar in Sama Ahmed’s lab at the University of Washington. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Universidad Nacional de Colombia and a doctorate in neuroscience from the Oregon Health & Science University. His research focuses on the interaction of behavioral states and sensory representations in D. melanogaster, using a combination of ethology, neural activity recording and computational modeling. He is the recipient of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Mentor: Caitlin Ottaway
Mentor Role: Neuroscience Ph.D. Candidate
Principal Investigator: Lucia Peixoto
Institution: Washington State University
Lab Website: https://labs.wsu.edu/peixoto-lab/

Project Title: Single-cell Impacts of SHANK3 Mutations to Sleep Deprivation in the Brain

Project Description: Individuals with autism often experience sleep disturbances, which can exacerbate the severity of core autism symptoms. This project will investigate how sleep deprivation and autism interact in early development. Specifically, we will use single-nuclear RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to investigate how sleep deprivation in Shank3ΔC mice induces cell-type-specific changes in gene expression in the frontal cortex of very young mice. The SURFiN fellow will gain hands-on experience performing differential gene expression and functional annotation on snRNA-seq data by developing proficiency in creating reproducible code in RStudio for data analysis utilizing the Bioconductor package suite. We will additionally perform fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence to spatially validate the findings of the snRNA-seq data. The SURFiN fellow will additionally visualize and analyze the results using microscopy. In addition to technical skills, you will have the opportunity to refine your scientific writing, reading and communication abilities.

Mentor Information: Caitlin Ottaway is a third-year neuroscience Ph.D. candidate in Lucia Peixoto’s lab at Washington State University Spokane. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in neuroscience and psychology from WSU under the WSU STARS accelerated degree program. Caitlin’s current research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying sleep homeostasis, both in typical development and in models of autism. Using single-cell omics analysis and microscopy techniques, she investigates how sleep and sleep deprivation impact the brain. She previously served as a SURFiN mentor during the 2025-2026 academic year and is an Achievement Rewards for College Scientists fellow.

Mentor: Elliot Wald
Mentor Role: Neuroscience Ph.D. Student
Principal Investigator: Lucia Peixoto
Institution: Washington State University
Lab Website: https://labs.wsu.edu/peixoto-lab/

Project Title: Evolutionarily Conserved Transcriptomic Signatures of Sleep Deprivation and Their Alteration in Autism

Project Description: Sleep is an essential biological process that is widely observed throughout the animal kingdom. Individuals with autism often have trouble sleeping, but the exact mechanism by which sleep issues arise in this population is unclear.  One potential explanation for the prevalence of sleep disorders in autism is that conserved elements of sleep regulation are altered during early life, contributing to the development of sleep issues. In this project, we will investigate cortical gene expression in zebrafish and mice to identify evolutionarily conserved transcriptomic responses to sleep deprivation and determine if they are different in a rodent model of autism. We will use single-nuclear RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to study the impact of sleep deprivation on cortical gene expression across cell types and species. As a SURFiN fellow, you will learn how to develop data analysis pipelines in RStudio using resources such as Bioconductor to perform differential gene expression analysis on a snRNA-seq dataset. You will also have the opportunity to develop scientific writing, reading and communication skills throughout the course of the project.

Mentor Information: Elliot Wald is a second-year neuroscience Ph.D. student in Lucia Peixoto’s lab at Washington State University Spokane. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology with a minor in neuroscience from Carroll College. Her research focuses on how the homeostatic process of sleep regulation is established and maintained at the molecular level, including investigations into evolutionarily conserved mechanisms and how they are altered in a rodent model of autism.

Mentor: Audrey Chambers
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Xinyu Zhao
Institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Lab Website: https://neuro.wisc.edu/staff/zhao-xinyu/

Project Title: To Characterize Cellular and Mitochondrial Deficits in FXS Interneurons

Project Description: This project focuses on elucidating cellular and mitochondrial deficits in human FXS interneurons. Our lab has previously identified cellular deficits associated with human FXS excitatory neurons including neuronal hyperactivity and increased mitochondrial fragmentation. Whether human GABAergic interneurons in FXS have similar deficits is unknown, and how interneuron dysfunction may contribute to hyperexcitability observed in FXS patients remains unknown. This project aims to fill these gaps of knowledge. Specifically, I will use human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSCs)-derived neurons to identify cellular and mitochondrial dysfunctions. I will also use a multi-omics approach to elucidate mechanistic pathways underlying these deficits. The SURFiN fellow will be able to learn various techniques, such as quantitative analyses of proteins and mRNAs (e.g. qPCR, Western blot), immunohistochemistry morphological, and metabolic assessments of human neurons as well as learn basic knowledge in stem cells and neurodevelopment.

Mentor Information: Audrey Chambers is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology (MCP) Graduate Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She earned her Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana, where she gained research experience in both academic and industrial settings. Specifically, she completed an internship at Elemental Enzymes Inc. and a research fellowship in Corinne Linardic’s Lab at Duke University. During her time in the Linardic Lab, she investigated fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma and presented her findings at the AAAS STEM Scholars Conference in Washington, D.C. Her research interests center on understanding the molecular pathways underlying disease and leveraging this knowledge to identify potential therapeutic strategies. These interests led her to pursue doctoral training in the MCP program and join Xinyu Zhao’s laboratory. To date, she has contributed as a co-author on a review article, has a manuscript in preparation and is currently working on her thesis project. Her thesis focuses on investigating interneuron deficit in fragile X syndrome (FXS) using human pluripotent stem cells derived from individuals with FXS.

Mentor: Maya Evans
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Xinyu Zhao
Institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Lab Website: https://neuro.wisc.edu/staff/zhao-xinyu/

Project Title: Investigating Striatal Development in Fragile X Syndrome

Project Description: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a variety of cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Patients with FXS often display hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors that can be related to dysfunctions of the striatum. This project aims to investigate striatal deficits in FXS at cellular, molecular and behavioral levels. We will use mouse models as well as neurons and organoids differentiated from human FXS-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. The SURFiN fellow can expect to: (1) learn laboratory techniques including genotyping, immunohistochemistry and morphological analysis of neurons; (2) participate in data collection and statistical analysis; and (3) gain basic knowledge on transgenic mouse models, stem cell biology and neurodevelopment.

Mentor Information: Maya Evans is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received a doctoral degree in neuroscience from the University of Iowa, where she studied the impacts of prenatal disruptions on striatal development. As a graduate student she was awarded an individual NIH fellowship (NRSA F31) and published a review article on striatal abnormalities in autism in the journal Biological Psychiatry. Her main research interest is to improve understanding of the mechanisms behind complex neurodevelopmental disorders, with an overarching goal of discovering new treatment targets. Joining the Zhao laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow in 2025 enabled her to continue pursuing these interests. She is currently a postdoctoral trainee on an NIH-funded T32 training grant.

Mentor: Anna Bánki
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Researcher
Principal Investigator: Jonathan Kominsky
Institution: Central European University
Lab Website: https://ccl.ceu.edu

Project Title: How Infants Learn What They Can Do: Neural Foundations of Action in Infancy

Project Description: In this project, we will explore the development of object manipulation and navigation affordances and their neural underpinnings in infants. Affordances refer to the potential actions and interactions that objects or environments offer. Our brain encodes affordances by processing sensory and motor information. We aim to study how exactly our brains integrate and use this information over the course of cognitive development. In an object manipulation task, we give early sensory-motor experiences to 3-6 month-old infants by using the sticky-mittens task. Infants who cannot grasp yet will wear sticky mittens that allow the experience of grasping objects. In a navigation task, we provide the experience of walking to 9-18 month-old, pre-walking infants by using baby walkers to explore their environment with objects. We will record infants’ brain activity with electroencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy as well as their motor behaviour with video cameras. These data will be analysed and linked together in order to understand how early sensory-motor experiences give rise to neural affordances in infancy. The SURFiN fellow can expect to learn about cutting-edge developmental neuroscience research and acquire first-hand experience with data collection and analyses using pose estimation software such as DeepLabCut and state-of-the-art neural signal processing tools.

Mentor Information: Anna Bánki is a postdoctoral researcher in Jonathan Kominsky’s Causal Cognition Lab at the Central European University in Vienna, Austria. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Vienna, a master’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Caen Normandy (France), and a bachelor’s degree in special needs education and therapy from Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary). Bánki’s research focuses on infants’ sensorimotor and visual attention development, as well as the co-development of children’s visual abilities and reading skills. She uses the methods of neuroimaging and behavioural observations to study social-cognitive development.

Mentor: Maria Böhm
Mentor Role: Ph.D. Student, M.Sc.
Principal Investigator: Manuel Zimmer
Institution: University of Vienna
Lab Website: https://neurodevbio.univie.ac.at/zimmer-research/

Project Title: Adaptive Motor Control in C. elegans

Project Description: This project addresses a fundamental question in neuroscience: how nervous systems generate adaptive motor control in unpredictable and constrained environments. We will investigate how the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans flexibly modifies its locomotion while navigating variable physical constraints. C. elegans is an ideal model for studying motor control because its nervous system and body-wall musculature are fully mapped, and its crawling behavior can be quantified with high spatiotemporal precision. A major strength of this system is the ability to record activity across the entire nervous system and even the muscles at single-cell resolution in freely moving animals.

The SURFIN fellow will use calcium imaging to record neural and muscular activity while worms crawl through microfluidic devices containing arrays of small pillars that impose defined environmental constraints. By systematically varying these constraints, we will examine how behavior, brain activity and muscle dynamics jointly adapt to changing conditions.

During the project, the fellow will gain hands-on experience in C. elegans handling and basic wet-lab techniques, as well as training in advanced microscopy for real-time calcium imaging. In addition, the fellow will learn to apply modern statistical and computational approaches to analyze large-scale neural and behavioral datasets. Overall, this project provides integrative training in neuroscience, emphasizing interactions between brain, body and environment.

Mentor Information: Maria Böhm is a doctoral student in Manuel Zimmer’s lab at the University of Vienna. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology (zoology) and a master’s degree in cognition, behavior and neurobiology from the University of Vienna. Her research focuses on the neural dynamics underlying hierarchical sensorimotor control and proprioceptive modulation in C. elegans. Böhm has developed experimental platforms that enable single-cell-resolution recordings of activity across the entire nervous system–including brain, motor periphery and muscles–establishing a new holistic approach for studying sensorimotor control in behaving animals.

Mentor: Charles Cohen
Mentor Role: Postdoc
Principal Investigator: Manuel Zimmer
Institution: University of Vienna
Lab Website: https://neurodevbio.univie.ac.at/zimmer-research/

Project Title: Causal Tests of Biophysical Circuit Models Using Optogenetics and Voltage Imaging in Freely-moving C. elegans

Project Description: In this project, we will investigate the circuit mechanisms underlying locomotor state control in Caenorhabditis elegans by combining optogenetic manipulation with voltage imaging in freely-moving animals. The undergraduate researcher will focus on a small set of identified locomotor interneurons involved in forward and reverse motor states. Using optogenetics, the student will characterize the behavioural effects of exciting or inhibiting specific hub neurons critical for controlling locomotion. Time permitting, the researcher would image the voltage dynamics of these neurons via genetically-encoded voltage indicators, with selective excitation/inhibition of neurons within the circuit. The project will characterize how inhibitory and excitatory inputs shape behavioural and voltage responses and the mechanisms underlying the neural control of behaviour.

A central goal of the project is to distinguish between competing mechanistic hypotheses—such as reciprocal inhibition versus disinhibition-mediated switching. The student will optogenetically perturb aspects of locomotion in real-time and compare these states against the default as well as underpinning biophysical model. Time permitting, the student would analyze corresponding voltage features such as depolarization and hyperpolarization transients, response latencies, etc. and relate these observations to model expectations.

This project provides hands-on training in optogenetics, optical recordings, behavioural control and biophysical simulations of underlying circuit dynamics.

Mentor Information: Charles Cohen is a postdoctoral scientist in the Zimmer lab at the University of Vienna. His research investigates how the biophysical properties of neurons and neural circuits give rise to population dynamics and behavior in C. elegans, with a particular focus on gap junction coupling and excitation-inhibition balance. He combines electrophysiology- and connectome-informed biophysical modeling of neurons and networks with optogenetics and voltage imaging to establish causal links between circuit dynamics and function. Cohen earned his Ph.D. from Utrecht University and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, where his work uncovered novel principles of saltatory conduction in myelinated axons.

Mentor: Sabine Muzellec
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Kohitij Kar
Institution: York University
Lab Website: http://vital-kolab.org

Project Title: Using Artificial Neural Networks to Reveal Neural Markers of Contextual Processing in Autism

Project Description: This project will investigate how scene context modulates visual perception in neurotypical (NT) and autistic populations. Using controlled behavioral tasks, we will quantify how contextual information influences perceptual judgments and identify conditions under which NT and individuals with autism diverge most strongly. Rather than directly measuring neural activity, we will use artificial neural network (ANN) models as computational tools to infer the latent features and representational strategies that best account for observed behavioral patterns. By training models to predict context-dependent behavioral responses, we will identify model-derived markers that capture differences in how scene context is utilized across groups. These computational markers will serve as proxies for underlying perceptual mechanisms, enabling principled hypotheses about the computations that give rise to divergent behavior. This approach provides a scalable, non-invasive framework for characterizing contextual perception differences in autism and establishes a foundation for model-guided behavioral assessment and intervention.

Mentor Information: Sabine Muzellec is a postdoctoral fellow in Kohitij Kar’s Lab. She is working on building artificial neural networks that can simulate visual processing in neurotypical and adults with autism. Her ongoing work in the lab has been recently published in Nature Machine Intelligence. She has many preprints gearing up for upcoming publications.

Mentor: Megan Rowland
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Annie Ciernia
Institution: University of British Columbia
Lab Website: https://ciernialab.med.ubc.ca/

Project Title: The Role of Autism-associated BAF Variants in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Project Description: Our main objective is to study the role of the BAF (Brg1/Brm Associated Factor) nucleosome remodeling complex in autism. The BAF complex is involved in regulating gene expression required for neuron development. In our lab, we use a mouse model to understand how proteins within the BAF complex might influence neuron development and autism-relevant behaviours. Findings will provide mechanistic insight into how genetic mutations in BAF subunits lead to autism and to identifying new therapeutic targets for autism treatment.

The SURFiN Fellow can expect to:

1. Genotype mouse samples for genetic modifications (DNA extraction, PCR).
2. Cryosection fixed mouse brains.
3. Perform immunostaining for relevant proteins.
4. Perform cell counts of immunostained brains (using programs like Ilastik and Fiji).
5. Analyze data and create figures for publication.

Mentor Information: Megan Rowland is a postdoctoral researcher in Annie Ciernia’s lab at the University of British Columbia. She holds a bachelor of science in biology and psychology from Vancouver Island University and a doctorate in biochemistry and developmental biology from the University of Western Ontario. Rowland’s research focuses on understanding how perturbation of gene regulatory networks can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. She is the recipient of the UBC Institute of Mental Health Marshall Fellowship, the Michael Smith Health Research BC Trainee Award and the Canadian Institute of Health Research Fellowship.

Mentor: Disha Gupta
Mentor Role: Master’s Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Annie Ciernia
Institution: University of British Columbia
Lab Website: https://ciernialab.med.ubc.ca/

Project Title: The Role of Autism-associated BAF Variants in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Project Description: Our main objective is to functionally characterize autism-associated variants in the BAF (Brg1 Associated Factor) nucleosome remodeling complex. The BAF complex is involved in regulating gene expression required for neuron development including the formation of dendritic branches and synaptic connections. In our lab, we are able to replace endogenous mouse BAF genes with human variants associated with autism. This project will focus on Baf53b, a core subunit in the neuron specific BAF complex. Understanding how these autism-associated variants actually cause altered neuron development and function is the first major step towards novel therapeutic development.

The SURFiN Fellow can expect to:

1. Fix and immunostain primary mouse neurons containing BAF53b variants to identify and label proteins in both the nucleus and dendrites of the neurons.
2. Image neurons using the Echo Revolve Microscope.
3. Perform Sholl analysis using ImageJ Sholl plugin to measure dendritic branching.
4. Analyze data and create figures for publication.

Mentor Information: Disha Gupta is a master’s student in Annie Ciernia’s lab in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of British Columbia. She holds a bachelor of science in biochemistry from the University of British Columbia. Gupta’s research focuses on how autism-associated variants in chromatin remodeling complexes alter neuronal gene expression and dendritic development, with the goal of understanding mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders.

Mentor: Margherita Paoli
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Hiroki Asari
Institution: Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati
Lab Website: https://phdneurobiology.sissa.it/eng/faculty/hiroki-asari.aspx

Project Title: Behavioral Analysis of Temporal Integration in Sensory Associative Learning in Mouse Models of Autism

Project Description: Both individuals with autism and related animal models often underperform in learning tasks, including sensory association paradigms. However, it remains unclear whether these deficits arise from an intrinsic inability to learn or maladaptive learning dynamics such as overlearning. Here we aim to address this question by characterizing the temporal integration window underlying learning in wild-type and autism-model animals. Effective learning requires integrating new information over an appropriate time window. If this window is excessively long, relevant signals may be averaged out, preventing the formation of meaningful associations. Conversely, if the window is too short, learning becomes overly sensitive to recent events, resulting in unstable behavior. We hypothesize that altered integration time windows contribute to apparent learning deficits in autism. To test this hypothesis, we will develop sensory association tasks where the integration time window serves as a free parameter. By analyzing how task performance depends on stimulus-outcome history, we will estimate an animal’s integration time window and compare learning dynamics across genotypes. In this project, the SURFiN fellow can expect to gain hands-on experience in animal handling and behavioral assays, as well as training in data analysis using modern machine learning techniques.

Mentor Information: Margherita Paoli is a Ph.D. student in Hiroki Asari’s lab at the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste, Italy. She received her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Pisa, and master’s in cognitive science from the University of Trento. Paoli has strong interests in neurophysiological pathways and associated diseases, such as autism. She has been taking an interdisciplinary approach–including genetic manipulations and behavioral analyses–to address how gene (epi)mutations can affect social and cognitive behaviour in animal models of autism.

Mentor: Gillian Forrester (Professor)
Co-Mentor: Marianne Paisley (Ph.D. student)
Co-Mentor: Perrine Theroude (Ph.D. student)
Principal Investigator: Gillian Forrester
Institution: University of Sussex
Lab Website: www.mehuman.io

Project Title: Stress and Wellbeing in Human and Non-human Great Apes

Project Description: In this project, we will explore the physiological markers of stress using thermal imaging video technology. Thermal imaging allows us to visualise changes in blood flow of the face associated with excitation of the sympathetic nervous system during different stress states. Using a new experimental protocol developed in Forrester’s lab, the research team are conducting multiple studies to understand stress and resilience in both non-human great apes. In our ape populations, we are striving to improve welfare for captive-living chimpanzees and gorillas and develop interventions to build resilience in apes who may be candidates for wild release programmes. The other arm of the research is being developed to test for, and reveal, non-neurotypical stress responses associated with sensory hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness), often found in individuals with autism.

The SURFiN fellow can expect to learn about the effects of stress from physiological, psychological, pathological and evolutionary perspectives. They will assist with thermal data collection, data sampling and building data sets from both infant and ape studies. They will learn how to view and evaluate thermal video footage using specialist software. The fellow will be mentored in the public engagement of science and will be encouraged to join the lab group’s outreach activities.

Mentor Information: Gillian Forrester is a professor of comparative cognition at the University of Sussex. She holds a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from the University of California, San Diego and a doctorate in experimental neuroscience from the University of Oxford. Forrester’s non-invasive experimental research focuses on the role of sensory-motor behaviour, physiological stress responses and lateral biases in emerging social and communication abilities of chimpanzees, gorillas and human infants at high and low chance of developing neurodiverse conditions using video, computer vision, pose estimation and thermal imaging. She is an advocate for the public engagement of science.

Co-Mentor Information: Perrine Theroude is a second-year neuroscience doctorate student in Gillian Forrester’s lab at the University of Sussex. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology and physiology from the University of Rouen, Normandy (France) and a master’s degree in neuroscience and behavioural science from the University of Caen, Normandy (France). Theroude’s doctorate research focuses on the translational use of thermal imaging to investigate the physiological stress response in human and non-human great apes. Her research impacts our understanding of the impact of stress on psychological and physical wellbeing and resilience.

Co-Mentor Information: Marianne Paisley is a third-year psychology doctorate student in Gillian Forrester’s lab at the University of Sussex. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological anthropology from the University of Kent (UK) and a master’s degree in primate biology, behaviour, and conservation from the University of Roehampton. Paisley’s doctorate research focuses on the translational use of thermal imaging to investigate the physiological stress response in human and non-human great apes. Her research impacts our understanding of the impact of stress on psychological and physical wellbeing and resilience.

Mentor: Nuria Garcia Font
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Researcher
Principal Investigator: Marino Pagan
Institution: University of Edinburgh
Lab Website: www.marinopagan.com

Project Title: Investigating Cognitive Flexibility With an Online Game

Project Description: Cognitive flexibility, the ability to adapt our thinking and actions according to changing contexts, is a core component of higher cognition. Deficits in cognitive flexibility are characteristic of autism, yet the specific alterations in cognitive processing that contribute to these deficits remain poorly understood. In recent years, sophisticated behavioural tasks have been developed to precisely characterize cognitive processing in rats (Pagan et al., 2025), but translating these findings to human populations remains a challenge.

This project seeks to bridge this gap by creating an online videogame designed to measure cognitive flexibility and rule-learning in human participants with autism. Inspired by decision-making tasks used in animal studies, the game will incorporate trial-and-error rule learning without explicit instructions, mimicking the task structure used with animal subjects. By requiring participants to adapt to progressively complex rules based on visual cues, the game allows for an engaging and remote method of data collection (Do et al., 2022).

To analyse and model the collected data, we will leverage machine learning techniques including recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and computational analyses. Using these methods, we will investigate candidate learning mechanisms and their implementation within decision-making brain networks.

Mentor Information: Nuria Garcia Font is a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Marino Pagan at the Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain in the University of Edinburgh. She holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, a master’s degree in neuroscience, and a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. Her research focuses on the study of behavioural and neural alterations in a rat model of fragile X syndrome performing social and cognitive tasks. She is a recipient of the 2025 RS Macdonald Seedcorn Fund.

Mentor: Rianne Haartsen
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Researcher
Principal Investigator: Emily Jones
Institution: Birkbeck, University of London
Lab Website: https://sites.google.com/view/bondcbcd

Project Title: IDEA: Investigating Brain Development Using Electroencephalography in Autism and ADHD

Project Description: In this project, we will explore early brain development and discover how neural patterns help shape neurodevelopmental outcomes. The SURFiN fellow will get the opportunity to learn more about electroencephalography (EEG), a powerful neuroimaging technique suitable for measuring brain function across development. We will examine how variability in brain activity in infants and children relates to behavioural features of autism and/or ADHD at later age. Depending on your interest, we can tailor the project and look at sensory processing, social function, restricted and repetitive behaviours, attention mechanisms and parental measures.

By joining the BOND lab, you will have the opportunity to contribute to a range of studies, including the longitudinal study in siblings of children with autism, and developing cutting-edge paradigms combining real-time neuroimaging and machine learning for personalised assessments. You will engage in lab meetings where we discuss ongoing research and new ideas and attend inspiring research talks. You will be invited to other events at the lab to connect with other passionate researchers. As a SURFiN fellow at our lab, you will contribute to transformative research ongoing at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development.

Mentor Information: Rianne Haartsen is a postdoctoral researcher in Emily Jones’ BOND lab at the Centre for Brain and Development at Birkbeck University of London in the United Kingdom. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in cognitive neuroscience from Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands and a Ph.D. in psychology from Birkbeck University of London in the United Kingdom. Rianne’s research focuses on functional brain development from infancy to adulthood and how variability developmental trajectories relate to neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. She is specialised in the neuroimaging method EEG. She is involved in large studies with other researchers within and outside of the UK.

Mentor: Ori Ossmy
Mentor Role: Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Principal Investigator: Ori Ossmy
Institution: Birkbeck, University of London
Lab Website: https://www.physicalcoglab.co.uk/

Project Title: Using Machine Learning to Analyse Data from “Intelligent Onesies” to Quantify Newborns’ Risk to Autism

Project Description: In this project, we will build machine-learning tools that transform raw wearable-sensor recordings into measures of newborn movement collected repeatedly in families’ homes as part of our BabyGrow longitudinal study (funded by the Simons Foundation). Newborns wear an “intelligent onesie” with multiple inertial measurement units (IMUs) that record accelerometer and gyroscope signals from the limbs; a Raspberry Pi at home handles data transfer and allows secure remote monitoring.

The SURFiN fellows will contribute at a pace matched to their experience. Early tasks may include loading and visualising time-series data, writing small Python functions for cleaning and synchronisation checks, and creating simple quality-control summaries. As skills grow, we will segment recordings into “movement bouts,” extract kinematic features and compare approaches for discovering recurring movement patterns (from straightforward clustering baselines to representation-learning models).

By the end of the year, the fellow will have experience with reproducible coding practices (version control, documentation, tests), time-series machine learning and presenting results in lab meetings, with the goal of delivering reusable pipeline components that help us scale analyses to much larger datasets.

Mentor Information: Ori Ossmy is a professor in developmental cognitive neuroscience and principal investigator of the Physical Cognition Lab at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London. He holds a B.Sc. in computer science from Israel’s Ben-Gurion University, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. in neuroscience from Tel Aviv University. Ossmy’s research focuses on how humans’ physical and embodied experiences shape their cognition and behaviour across the lifespan, integrating a broad range of research methods from artificial intelligence, neuroscience and developmental psychology. He received the Distinguished Early Career Award from the International Congress of Infant Studies and International Society for Developmental Psychobiology.

Mentor: Reidar Riveland
Mentor Role: Postdoctoral Fellow
Principal Investigator: Peter Latham
Institution: University College London
Lab Website: https://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/~pel/

Project Title: Modularization in Networks Trained on Continuous Versus Discrete Combinations of Tasks

Project Description: In this project we will look at how neural networks modularize computations when trained across multiple tasks. In the context of neural network models of animal cognition, modularization is a desirable property because new tasks can be learned by recombining known modules instead of updating weights. This results in learning speeds comparable to biological intelligence. Past work has mainly focused on tasks where the required combination of modules are binary—the module is either included or not. Here we seek to extend this work by examining simple systems where tasks are made up of continuous weightings of modules. Our goal is determine the extent to which the system modularizes in similar ways and if module recombination can happen on similar time scales. Fellows can expect to read and present on scientific papers, build and train simple neural networks, and complete analyses that reveal how these networks are performing computation. This work will build a strong foundation for future projects in machine learning and/or computational neuroscience.

Mentor Information: Reidar Riveland is a postdoctoral researcher in Peter Latham’s lab at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit. He holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Geneva where he works in the Computational Cognitive Neuroscience lab of Alex Pouget. His research focuses on how both artificial and biological brains are able to use past knowledge in new situations to adapt quickly. He is the recipient of the Sanz-Vasco Prize and a Fulbright Scholar.

Mentor: Yedi Zhang
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Peter Latham
Institution: University College London
Lab Website: https://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/~pel/

Project Title: The Effect of Optimizer on Learning Dynamics in Deep Neural Networks

Project Description: Theoretical studies of learning dynamics in deep neural networks have largely focused on gradient descent, despite the fact that most real-world models are trained using modern optimizers such as Adagrad, Adam and Muon. To bridge this gap, we investigate how the choice of optimizer affects learning dynamics, examining whether and how the dynamics differ across optimizers and assessing when these differences are desirable.

Mentor Information: Yedi Zhang is a Ph.D. student supervised by Peter Latham and Andrew Saxe at Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Her research focuses on using mathematical tools to understand learning dynamics of neural networks across different architectures. She is a recipient of the Bogue Fellowship.

Mentor: Mohadeseh Shafiei Kafraj
Mentor Role: Graduate Student
Principal Investigator: Peter Latham
Institution: University College London
Lab Website: https://www.gatsby.ucl.ac.uk/~pel/

Project Title: Forgetting in a Biologically Grounded High-Capacity Associative Memory Model

Project Description: Understanding how biological brains forget is as fundamental as understanding how they store memories, with direct implications for neurological disorders associated with memory loss. Is forgetting merely a failure of neural systems, or does it serve a functional and potentially advantageous role? In this project, we aim to address these questions theoretically using a biologically grounded associative memory model developed in our previous work. The model exhibits exponential memory capacity in the number of neurons, ruling out limited storage capacity as the primary cause of forgetting and allowing us to investigate other possible mechanisms. Notably, it simultaneously supports high-fidelity memorization and meaningful generalization to unseen inputs. This dual capability provides a unique opportunity to study whether forgetting can be functionally beneficial, for example, by enhancing generalization, beyond simply reflecting memory limitations. Together, this framework offers a principled theoretical basis for investigating how and why forgetting arises in neural systems.

Mentor Information: Mohadeseh Shafiei Kafraj is a Ph.D. student in theoretical neuroscience in Peter Latham’s lab at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London. She holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Shiraz University and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Tehran Polytechnic. Her research focuses on developing a mathematical model of associative memory that aims to meet two key criteria: high storage capacity and biological plausibility, as a candidate framework for understanding human memory.