Lucio Schiapparelli, PhD: Lucio obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Navarra (Spain), Postdoctoral training at Hollis Cline lab at Scripps Research and then joined the Soderling lab in February 2021. Lucio has a background in developing proteomic strategies for studying protein synthesis and transport in the visual system in vivo and focused on the proteins that are transported to the synapses that deliver the visual information from eyes to the brain. In the Soderling lab, Lucio’s work focus on the molecular mechanisms of how inhibitory synapses onto excitatory neurons are accurately established during brain cortex development.

Nick Maxwell, Ph.D.: Dr. Maxwell obtained his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina.  Dr. Maxwell studies the molecular mechanisms of brain disorders using new CRISPR-based protein engineering approaches in the lab. 

Pushpa Khanal, Ph.D: Pushpa obtained her PhD from the University of Helsinki, Finland. She is interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of synapse development and plasticity.

Julie Kent, B.S. Zoology (Michigan State University), RLATG: Julie is our lab manager and keeps us happy and organized with a well-running laboratory. Using her expertise in animal husbandry and transgenic mouse technologies, she is also spearheading novel ideas and experiments for new transgenics to uncover the molecular landscape of neuronal cell interactions.

Kazi Hossain, B.S. Biology (City College of New York, CUNY): Kazi joined the lab in 2019 through Duke’s Developmental and Stem Cell Biology (DSCB). He is interested in the link between genetic mutations and behavior abnormalities at the level of neural circuit alterations.

Jaebin Kim, B.S. Bioengineering (California Institute of Technology): Jaebin joined the lab in 2021 through the Duke PhD program in Cell Biology. Jaebin is interested in how presynaptic cytomatrix proteomes and actin signaling pathways modulate the presynaptic dynamics and plasticity in different cell-types.

Daichi Shonai, B.S. Biological science (Osaka University, Osaka, Japan): Daichi joined the lab in 2021 through the Duke Molecular Genetics and Microbiology (MGM) PhD program. He is interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of Parkinson’s Disease.

 Pooja Parameswaran, M.S. Biomedical Engineering, emphasis on Data Science and Computational Modeling of Biological Systems (Duke University): Pooja’s undergraduate degree in Biochemistry facilitates our proteomic and protein engineering projects. She works with the Soderling Lab team on complex analysis of large datasets and application of deep-learning tools.

Joey Mao, B.S. Applied Biology with Biotechnology, (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University): Joey joined the lab through the Cell & Molecular Biology graduate program.

Kathleen Miller, B.S. Biology with minor in Psychology, (Widner Univ, Chester PA): Kathleen is a technician working with Daichi Shonai on mechanisms of Parkinson’s Disease.

Edwin Bustamante, B.A. Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience (Colby College): Edwin is a technician working with Jaebin Kim on actin signaling pathway research.