CHRISTINA K. KIM, PH.D.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Freeman Hrabowski Scholar | Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Assistant Professor | Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University
CV (2024) | Twitter | Google Scholar

Background: Tina received her AB in Molecular Biology from Princeton University in 2011, and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Stanford University in 2017 with Karl Deisseroth. She completed her postdoctoral training with Alice Ting at Stanford in 2021.

Research interests: Functional and molecular profiling, protein engineering, technology development, systems neuroscience, motivated behaviors and decision making, in vivo imaging and manipulation of neural activity.

Hobbies: Climbing, surfing, spending time with my Shibas, Hato and Luna.

KULDEEP GIRI, PH.D.

Background: Kuldeep completed his PhD from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR), India. His research focus lies in mass spectrometry-based proteomics to understand disease progression and biomarker discovery for early disease diagnosis. To this end, his work was also focused on targeting and validating potential non-invasive markers indicative of the most aggressive form of (triple negative) breast cancer.

Interests: Mass Spectrometry, targeting and validation of potential markers, molecular and signaling mechanism.

Hobbies: Cricket, strength training, listening to music and catching up on current affairs.

ADRIENNE KINMAN, PH.D.

Background: Adrienne completed her undergraduate degree at McGill University and PhD in Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia. Her doctoral work in Dr. Mark Cembrowski’s lab focused on identifying and characterizing a previously undescribed cell type in the subiculum - ovoid cells - and investigated their role in object-based novelty and recognition memory using calcium imaging and circuit-specific manipulations. 

Interests: Cellular and circuit mechanisms of learning and memory.

Hobbies: Reading, good coffee, and exploring new places.

CHRIS LEUNG

JR. SPECIALIST

Background: Chris completed his B.S. in Genetics and Genomics from UC Davis. He previously worked as an undergraduate assistant in Dr. Alex Nord’s lab, learning about how enhancers affect gene expression during development in Autism mouse models.

Interests: Protein engineering, brain-wide gene expression, activity-dependent labeling enzymes.

Hobbies: Baking.

MARIBEL ANGUIANO

NEUROSCIENCE PH.D. PROGRAM
2021 National Science Foundation GRFP Scholar

Background: Maribel received her B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior from UC Davis. As an undergrad, she worked with Dr. Fioravante exploring the role of the cerebellum in emotional learning. As a PREP scholar, she worked with Dr. Joanna Chiu investigating the role the circadian clock plays in regulating an organism’s ability to react to environmental cues and properly adapt to seasonal changes.

Interests: Neural circuits underlying neuropsychiatric disorders

Hobbies: Camping, biking, drinking coffee, and watching documentaries

JOSHUA CHANDRA

NEUROSCIENCE PH.D. PROGRAM
2022 NIH T32 Trainee in Learning Memory and Plasticity

Background: Josh is a graduate student in the Neuroscience PhD program. He received his B.S. in Human Biology from the University of California, San Diego. As an undergrad, he joined the Malinow Lab. Upon graduation, he picked up dual responsibilities in the Malinow Lab becoming both lab manager and research associate. He has experience working in rodents exploring decision making (Intolerance to Delay Task) as well as the mechanisms underlying ketamine and its effect on depression.

Interests: Behavioral and systems approach to neuroscience topics such as psychiatric disorders. Microscopy and Imaging.

Hobbies: Eating his way through a city, board games, sports, cooking, hiking, karaoke, sleeping, wasting time on YouTube, and traveling.

ISAK AARRESTAD

NEUROSCIENCE PH.D. PROGRAM (Co-advised by Dr. David Olson, Ph.D.)

Background: Isak is a graduate student in the Neuroscience PhD program. He received his B.S. in Psychology from St. Olaf College, Minnesota. As an undergrad, he worked with Dr. Muir on the network dynamics of head direction cells, and later with Dr. Lee understanding the influence of ethanol on fly behavior.

Interests: Neural circuits and cellular mechanisms involved in the action of psychoactive drugs.

Hobbies: Cooking and baking, getting outside to see the sun once in a while, and random arts and crafts projects that I never end up finishing.

CONNOR DOUGHERTY

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING PH.D. PROGRAM

Background: Connor is a graduate student in the BME PhD program. He received his B.S. in Bioengineering from UC Davis.

Interests: Protein engineering, proteomics.

Hobbies: Reading history books and playing the saxophone.

ELINOR LEWIS

NEUROSCIENCE PH.D. PROGRAM
2023 NIH T32 Trainee in Learning Memory and Plasticity
2024 NIH F31 NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship

Background: Elly received her BSc in Biology from McGill University. She then worked as the lab manager in Jennifer Whistler’s lab at UC Davis, initially focusing on biochemical assays designed to test whether common human point mutations in the GASP protein affect degradation rates of dopamine receptors.

Interests: Using fiber photometry and mouse behavior to understand the role of the D3 dopamine receptor in aversion and tolerance to second generation antipsychotics.

Hobbies: Skiing, hiking, and being obsessed with her dog.

YERVAND AZATIAN

PRINCETON NEUROSCIENCE PH.D. PROGRAM

Background: Yervand is a rising second-year graduate student in the Princeton Neuroscience program. He has a computational background, but is eager to try his hands on molecular techniques.

Interests: Neuropeptides, machine learning, molecular biology, viruses, microscopy.

Hobbies: Bikes, motorcycles, and traveling to far away places.

SHREEDEVI RAO

Background: Shreedevi is a PhD student in the Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.S. in Bioengineering where she primarily researched diagnostic devices. In her graduate studies, she hopes to make a pivot to study protein engineering to map pathways in biological systems.

Interests: Protein engineering, pharmacodynamics, proteomics.

Hobbies: Crocheting, reading (literary fiction mostly), dancing, and jewelry making.

ANNA PRATICÒ

Background: Anna is an undergraduate member of the Princeton University Class of 2028 majoring in Molecular Biology. She has conducted research on Alzheimer’s Disease and EBV-driven cancer.

Interests: Neuroscience, protein engineering, and developing effective approaches for protein labeling using split-TurboID.

Hobbies: Playing bassoon and piano, nature exploration, cafes, and cats.

YAMEN FARGALY

Background: Yamen is an undergraduate student at Princeton University studying neuroscience, with minors in bioengineering along with statistics and machine learning.

Interests: Yamen is interested in applying bioengineering to develop molecular and optical tools for studying neural circuits. He is also interested in applying machine-learning and statistical approaches to analyze large-scale imaging and single-cell RNA sequencing data.

Hobbies: Running, swimming, cooking, coding small projects, and spending time with friends.