Revised 11/24/2024

University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Graduate Program in Neuroscience
NEUROSCIENCE PROGRAM FACULTY AND THEIR RESEARCH
The Neuroscience Program is an interdepartmental program with over 80 faculty members.
Advanced degrees, academic rank, primary department, research interests and links are listed below.

Mark J. Alkema, PhD, University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), 1996.

Professor of Neurobiology
C. elegans behavioral genetics.
[Link]

Sandra Almeida, PhD, University of Coimbra (Portugal), 2008.

Assistant Professor of Neurology
Molecular mechanisms of frontotemporal dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer disease.
[Link]

Raffi V. Aroian, PhD, California Institute of Technology, 1992.

Professor, Program in Molecular Medicine
Assessing how vertebrate hosts and their immune system interact with intestinal nematodes, with the
goal of controlling autoimmune diseases including MS; cognitive impact of parasitic nematodes
[Link]

Neil Aronin, MD, University of Pennsylvania, 1974.

Professor of Medicine
Higgins Family Professor of Neuroscience
Neurodegenerative diseases, especially Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.
[Link]

Ingolf Bach, PhD, University of Paris (France) VII, 1993.

Professor, Program in Molecular Medicine
Neuronal cell fate specification.
[Link]

Christina Baer, PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 2010.

Associate Professor of Microbiology; RNA Therapeutics Institute
Microscopy and spatial OMICS
[Link]

Milena Bogunovic, MD, Russian State Medical University (Russia), 1997;

PhD Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 2005.
Associate Professor of Pathology
Macrophages and the enteric nervous system in intestinal health and disease
[Link]
[Link]

Daryl A. Bosco, PhD, Brandeis University, 2003.

Professor of Neurology
Paul J. DiMare Chair in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Mechanisms underlying sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; protein misfolding in ALS
[Link]

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Gabriella L. Boulting, PhD, Harvard University, 2011.
Assistant Professor of Neurobiology
Activity-dependent gene expression in the primate brain
[Link]
[Link]

Michael H. Brodsky, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996.

Assistant Professor, Molecular Cellular and Cancer Biology
Gene editing to correct disease genes
[Link]

Robert H. Brown, Jr., MD, Harvard Medical School, 1975; [Link]. Oxford (UK), 1973.
Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Neurology
Donna M. and Robert J. Manning Chair in Neurosciences
Identification of gene defects in neuromuscular diseases; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
[Link]

Alexandra C. Byrne, PhD, University of Toronto (Canada), 2009.

Assistant Professor of Neurobiology
Mechanisms of axon regeneration and degeneration in the aging nervous system
[Link]

Lina Marcella Carmona, PhD

Assistant Professor of Neurobiology
Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying motor learning
[Link]

Ying-Leong (Rigel) Chan, PhD, Harvard University, 2014.

Assistant Professor of Neurology
Using induced pluripotent stem cells from patient samples to model Herpes viral infection as a cause
of Alzheimer’s disease and Hearing-loss due to Cisplatin treatment.
[Link]
[Link]

David M. Cochran, MD, Harvard Medical School, 2007; PhD, MIT, 2005.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Barrett Family Term Chair in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders and neuroimaging
[Link]

Silvia Corvera, MD, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (Mexico), 1984.

Professor, Program in Molecular Medicine
Endowed Chair in Diabetes Research
Mechanisms of human adipose tissue development and their relationship to metabolic diseases
[Link]

Michael P. Czech, PhD, Brown University, 1972.

Professor Emeritus, Program in Molecular Medicine
Isadore and Fannie Foxman Chair in Medical Research
Molecular and genetic regulation of insulin signaling in type 2 diabetes and obesity; neuro-adipose
interactions
[Link]

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Eleonora S. D’Ambrosio, MD, Università degli Studi di Roma Sapienza, 2015.
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Medical Director, Translational Institute for Molecular Therapeutics
Gene therapy for inherited neurological diseases
[Link]

Roger J. Davis, PhD, Cambridge University (UK), 1982.

Professor and Chair, Program in Molecular Medicine
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
H. Arthur Smith Chair in Cancer Research
Mechanisms by which growth factors regulate cellular proliferation and signaling.
[Link]
[Link]

Janice A. Dominov, PhD, Case Western Reserve University, 1986.

Assistant Professor of Neurology.
Neuromuscular disease pathogenesis and therapeutics
[Link]

E. Kale Edmiston, PhD, Vanderbilt University, 2015.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Sensory perception in people with or at risk for mood and anxiety disorders, imaging.
[Link]

Charles P. Emerson, Jr., PhD, University of California, San Diego, 1970.

Professor of Neurology and PI, Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Program
Muscular Dystrophies
[Link]
[Link]

Patrick Emery, PhD, University of Geneva Medical School (Switzerland), 1996.

Professor and Vice-Chair of Neurobiology
Circadian rhythms and photoreception in Drosophila.
[Link]

Michael M. Francis, PhD, University of Florida, 1998.

Professor of Neurobiology
Activity-dependent synaptic plasticity; Neuronal circuit development and function in C. elegans.
[Link]

Jean A. Frazier, MD, Dartmouth Medical School, 1987.

Professor of Psychiatry
Robert M. and Shirley S. Siff Chair in Autism
Neurodevelopmental disorders (early onset bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and autism)
[Link]
[Link]

Kensuke Futai, PhD, University of Tokyo, 2001.

Associate Professor of Neurobiology (Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute)
The role of inhibitory neurons in neuropsychiatric diseases
[Link]

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Fen-Biao Gao, PhD, Duke University, 1995.
Professor, RNA Therapeutics Institute
Governor Paul Cellucci Chair in Neuroscience Research
Understanding Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and neuronal microRNAs
[Link]
[Link]

Guangping Gao, PhD, Florida International University, 1994.

Professor of Microbiology; Director, Horae Gene Therapy Center
Penelope Booth Rockwell Chair in Biomedical Research
Adeno-associated virus vectors for gene therapy of genetic diseases including Canavan Disease
[Link]
[Link]

Dominic J. Gessler, MD, University of Heidelberg (Germany), 2018;

PhD University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 2020.
Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery
Gene therapy and neurometabolism for rare neurological diseases
[Link]

Matthew J. Gounis, PhD, University of Miami (FL), 2003.

Professor of Radiology
Minimally invasive neuroendovascular surgery
[Link]

Heather L. Gray-Edwards, PhD, Auburn University (2007), D.V.M., Auburn University (2011).
Assistant Professor of Radiology; Horae Gene Therapy Center
Translational research to cure neurological diseases
[Link]

Paul L. Greer, PhD, Harvard University, 2008.

Assistant Professor, Program in Molecular Medicine
Non-GPCR Chemosensors for Mammalian Olfaction
[Link]

Nikolaus Grigorieff, PhD, University of Bristol (UK), 1993.

Professor, RNA Therapeutics Institute
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Cryo-Electron Microscopy
[Link]

Alisha Gruntman, DVM, Purdue University, 2005; PhD, UMass Chan Medical School, 2016.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Horae Gene Therapy Center
Gene therapy in large animal models
[Link]
[Link]
Lisa L. Hall-Anderson, PhD, University of California, Davis, 1996.
Associate Professor of Neurology
Epigenetic Regulation and Nuclear Structure
Link: [Link]

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John Haran, MD, PhD, UMass Chan Medical School, 2007, 2018.
Professor of Emergency Medicine
Microbiome-gut-brain axis in Alzheimer’s Disease
[Link]

Lawrence J. Hayward, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine, 1987, 1989.

Professor of Neurology
Motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
[Link]

Christopher C. Hemond, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2012.

Assistant Professor of Neurology
Neuroimmunology; Multiple sclerosis
[Link]

Nils Henninger, MD, University of Mainz (Germany), 2001;

PhD, UMass Chan Medical School, 2017.
Associate Professor of Neurology
Stroke and brain injury
[Link]

Fiachra E. Humphries, PhD, National University of Ireland, 2013.

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Innate Immunity
[Link]

Javier E. Irazoqui, PhD, Duke University, 2003.

Professor of Microbiology
Dr. Marcellette G. Williams Distinguished Scholar
Microbiota-gut-brain axis; mucosal innate immunity
[Link]

Mark D. Johnson, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School, 1995.

Professor and Chair, Department of Neurological Surgery
Maroun Semaan Chair in Neurosurgery.
[Link]

Elinor K. Karlsson, PhD, Boston University, 2008.

Associate Professor of Genomics and Computational Biology
Dr. Eileen L. Berman and Stanley I. Berman Foundation Chair in Biomedical Research
Identification of genetic risk factors for susceptibility to infectious diseases, like cholera and
viral hemorrhagic fevers, as well as psychiatric disorders (using dogs as a model organism).
[Link]
[Link]

Allison M. Keeler-Klunk, PhD, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 2012.

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Gene Therapy, T-REGS and immune response to AAVs
[Link]

David N. Kennedy, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1988.

Professor of Psychiatry
Neuro-imaging and Neuroinformatics; functional MRI, morphometric analysis.
[Link]
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Anastasia Khvorova, PhD, Russian Academy of Sciences, 1995.

Professor, RNA Therapeutics Institute
Remondi Family Chair in Biomedical Research
Therapeutic gene silencing in vivo
[Link]

Dohoon Kim, Ph.D, Harvard University, 2007.

Associate Professor, Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology
Identifying alterations in metabolic pathways supporting cancer cells (gliomas) and exploiting these
alterations for therapeutic purposes.
[Link]
[Link]

Sohye Kim, PhD, Rosemead School of Psychology, 2011.

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Ob/Gyn
Human brain development and maternal-infant bonding
[Link]

Oliver D. King, PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 2001.

Assistant Professor of Neurology (Wellstone Program)
Bioinformatic approaches in neurological diseases
Link: [Link]

William R. Kobertz, PhD, MIT, 1998.

Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology
Structure, function and modulation of potassium channels.
[Link]

John E. Landers, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, 1995.

Professor of Neurology
Genetics of familial and sporadic ALS.
[Link]

Jeanne B. Lawrence, PhD, Brown University, 1982.

Professor of Neurology
Leo P. and Theresa M. LaChance Chair in Medical ResearcChromosome silencing, Down Syndrome,
and Alzheimer Disease
[Link]
[Link]

Darren J. Lee, PhD, University of New Hampshire, 2007.

Associate Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Autoimmune uveitis
[Link]

Teng-Ting (Elaine) Lim, PhD, Harvard University, 2014.

Assistant Professor, Genomics and Computational BiologyTo understand the genetic mechanisms of
complex neurological diseases (ASD and Alzheimer’s) through computational and statistical methods
and experimental technology.
[Link]
[Link]

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Qinglan Ling, PhD, University of Texas, Houston, 2018
Assistant Professor of Microbiology
Developing translational gene therapy for mitochondrial diseases with neurological manifestations,
such as Leigh syndrome.
[Link]

Michael A. Lodato, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012.

Assistant Professor, Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology
Somatic mutations and mosaicism in aging and neurological disease
[Link]

Ryan W. Logan, PhD, University of Maine, 2009.

Professor of Psychiatry
Addiction, neuropsychiatric diseases and circadian rhythms
[Link]

Gilles E. Martin, PhD, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris, France), 1993.
Associate Professor of Neurobiology (Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute)
Drugs of abuse and memory; electrophysiology.
[Link]

Haley E. Melikian, PhD, Emory University, 1995.

Professor of Neurobiology (Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute)
Cocaine- and antidepressant-sensitive monoamine transporters.
[Link]

Stephen C. Miller, PhD, University of California, San Francisco, 1998.

Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology
Illuminating the brain with bioluminescence
[Link]

Mo Modarres, PhD, Case Western Reserve University, 1991.

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Development of state of the art methods for quantifying sleep and brain function abnormalities.
[Link]

Mary Munson, PhD, Yale University, 1996.

Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology
Vice Chair of Diversity, BMB; Assistant Vice Provost for Health Equity;
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Regulation of vesicle targeting and fusion
[Link]

Sumeda Nandandasa, PhD, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 2010.

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Primary cilia and extracellular matrix
[Link]

Stephanie Puig, PhD, University of Paris Descartes (France), 2012.

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Chronic opioid use for the treatment of pain and prevention of side-effects and opioid addiction
[Link]

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Claudio Punzo, PhD, University of Basel (Switzerland), 2001.
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Neurodegeneration in the retina; retinitis pigmentosa.
[Link]
[Link]

Zaida G. Ramirez Ortiz, PhD, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 2010

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Scavenger Receptors in Inflammation and Autoimmunity
[Link]

Jillian M. Richmond, PhD, Boston University School of Medicine, 2011.

Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Immunophenotyping in Multiple Sclerosis, Neuropsychiatric Lupus and other conditions; neuroimmune
interactions in the skin
[Link]

Joel D. Richter, PhD, Arizona State University, 1979.

Professor, Program in Molecular Medicine
Arthur F. Koskinas Chair in Neuroscience
Translational control in meiosis, mitosis, and neuronal synaptic plasticity. Fragile X syndrome.
[Link]

Ann R. Rittenhouse, PhD, Boston University, 1984.

Associate Professor of Microbiology.
Calcium channels and neuronal plasticity.
[Link]

Evgeny I. Rogaev, PhD (1988), Dr. Sci., (1996). Russian Academy of Sciences.
Professor of Psychiatry
Molecular genetic mechanisms of neuropsychiatric diseases and dementia.
[Link]

Anthony J. Rothschild, MD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1979.

Professor of Psychiatry
Irving S. and Betty Brudnick Chair in Psychiatry
Clinical Research in Affective Disorders and Sexual Dysfunction; Psychopharmacology.
[Link]

Melissa S. Rotunno, PhD, UMass Chan Medical School, 2015.

Associate Professor of Neurology
Uncovering aberrant protein interactions in neurodegenerative diseases for biomarker and
therapeutic development
[Link]

Sean P. Ryder, PhD, Yale University, 2001.

Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology
Post-transcriptional regulation of myelin formation and of maternal RNA in development.
[Link]

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Manojkumar Saranathan, PhD, University of Washington, Seattle, 2001.

Professor of Radiology
High-resolution brain imaging
[Link]

Dorothy P. Schafer, PhD, University of Connecticut Health Sciences Center, 2008.

Associate Professor of Neurobiology; Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute
UMass Chan Medical School Chair in Biomedical Research I
Neuron-glia interactions regulating synaptic circuit development and plasticity
[Link]

Jean Pierre Schatzman Peron, PhD, University of San Paolo (Brasil), 2008.
Associate Professor of Neurology
Neuroimmunology, neuropathology and immunoregulation in the context of viral infections and
autoimmunity.
[Link]

Miguel S. Sena Esteves, PhD, University of Porto (Portugal), 2000.

Associate Professor of Neurology; Horae Gene Therapy Center
Preclinical gene therapy of neurological diseases and brain cancer
[Link]

Rachael W. Sirianni, PhD, Yale University, 2008.

Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Department of Neurological Surgery
Nanoparticles for brain delivery and Neuro-oncology
[Link]

Andrew R. Tapper, PhD, Vanderbilt University, 2001.

Professor of Neurobiology; Director, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute
Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in addiction and neurological disease
[Link]

Travis Thomson, PhD, McGill University (Canada), 2008.

Assistant Professor of Neurobiology
Transposon regulation of neuromuscular junction plasticity
[Link]

Summer B. Thyme, PhD, University of Washington, 2012.

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology
Uncovering mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders using zebrafish
[Link]

Dan Wang, PhD, University of Alabama, Birmingham, 2012.

Assistant Professor, RNA Therapeutics Institute
AAV Gene therapy of neurological and metabolic diseases
[Link]

Jonathan K. Watts, PhD, McGill University (Canada), 2008.

Professor, RNA Therapeutics institute
Therapeutic gene silencing with chemically modified antisense oligonucleotides
[Link]

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David R. Weaver, PhD, Michigan State University, 1985.
Professor of Neurobiology; Director, Graduate Program in Neuroscience
Molecular regulation and physiological impact of circadian rhythms
[Link]

Sarah K. Whitley, MD, PhD, University of Alabama School of Medicine (2013).

Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Skin barrier immunity
[Link]

Danny G. Winder, PhD, Emory University, 1995.

Professor and Chair of Neurobiology
Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research Chair I
Neural mechanisms of stress and addiction
[Link]

Yang Xiang, PhD, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2003.

Associate Professor of Neurobiology
Molecular and neural circuit mechanisms underlying behavior; light-evoked escape behavior.
[Link]

Zuoshang Xu, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis, 1990.

Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology
Mechanism and therapy of neurodegenerative diseases including FTD and ALS.
[Link]

Hongwei Yang, MD, China Medical University,1987; PhD, University of Tokyo (Japan) 1999
Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery.
[Link]

Eviatar I. Yemini, PhD, University of Cambridge (UK), 2013

Assistant Professor of Neurobiology
Neural activity and behavioral changes during development
[Link]

Hong Zhang, PhD, Michigan State University, 1998.

Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Cancer; Chromosomal silencing and Trisomy 21
[Link]

Jin Zhang, PhD, New York University School of Medicine, 2013.

Assistant Professor, Program in Molecular Medicine
Interplay of sensory systems and internal state; taste
[Link]

Ronghua ZhuGe, PhD, Iowa State University, 1995.

Professor of Microbiology
Smooth muscle in health and disease
[Link]

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Jill A. Zitzewitz, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis, 1991.

Associate Professor of Radiology
Protein Misfolding and Disease
[Link]

Other Resources
Online faculty listing:
[Link]

Dissertations: [Link]

For More Information on The Graduate Program in Neuroscience

David R. Weaver, PhD
Professor of Neurobiology
Director, Graduate Program in Neuroscience
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
NERB N7-1087, 366 Plantation Street
Worcester, MA 01605
Phone: 508-856-2495
[Link]@[Link]

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