FORMER LAB MEMBERS
KATHRYN WHITLEY, MS 2021
Kathryn Whitley worked in the Parent lab for 4 years, obtaining her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Neuroscience. Her primary focus in the lab was on functions of the intermediate hippocampus and fear learning associated with feeding behavior. She is now a freelance medical/scientific copyeditor—one of her major clients being McGraw-Hill Medical. She can be found at www.aspireediting.com
CHRIS WARE, MSÂ 2023
Chris Ware earned his B.S. in Psychology from The University of Georgia and participated in the NIH PREP program at the University of Chicago. He joined the Parent lab in July 2019 and earned his Master's of Neuroscience in May 2023. He studied the role of astrocytes in the formation of meal-related memories.
KARAN SHARMA, MS 2021
I was born in North Carolina. I grew up in Bangalore, India, and moved to Georgia, to complete high school and further my education. I have achieved my bachelor's with honors and am on the road to completing my master's in neuroscience from Georgia State University. I aspire to go on to medical school to acquire an M.D./Ph.D. and study neurodegenerative diseases. I joined the Parent Lab in February 2018. I also have participated in the Molecular Basis of diseases fellowship, the Brains and Behavior fellowship, the LSAMP scholarship program, and the University Assistantship fellowship. Furthermore, I am currently a graduate research assistant funded through the NSF S-STEM program. My hobbies include writing poetry, travelling, and reading.
ISHAAN SHARMA
I was born in California but grew up near Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, I am pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience hoping to join a MD program in the long run. In early 2021, I joined the Parent Lab to gain a better understanding of how memory works on a deeper level and to see how a lab functions. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing video games with friends, watching shows and movies, and reading books and comics.
KAYLA ANDREWS
I am a third-year Honors student from Conyers, Georgia, pursuing a degree in Neuroscience with a concentration in pre-medicine. After graduation, I aspire to pursue a medical degree and become a neurologist. I have a specific interest in neurodegenerative diseases resulting from traumatic brain injuries. I joined the lab in June 2021 and am currently funded as an undergraduate research assistant through the University Assistantship Program. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, playing bass guitar, and biking.
DR. SHERRI BRIGGS
I earned my B.S. in Biology from Fort Valley State University in 2009 and my Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Georgia in 2014. During my time as a graduate student and a Postdoctoral Research Associate at The Scripps Research Institute, I studied maladaptive memories such as drug-associated memories (specifically cocaine- and methamphetamine-associated memories). The overarching goal of my research was to find viable therapeutic options to treat substance use disorders. Currently, I am studying the role of cognition on energy intake. Dr. Briggs is now the program coordinator at Georgia State University's Center for the Advancement of Students and Alumni (CASA).
Away from the bench, I enjoy hanging out and traveling with my husband, Marcus, spending time with my family, baking and cooking and working out. I also enjoy participating in outreach activities that promote diversity in STEM.
STEVE DAVIS, BS 2021
I grew up and lived in Michigan his entire life. After graduating high school in 2005, I took time off from academics to work in skilled trades. After ten years of working, I became a personal trainer which subsequently sparked a new passion for health sciences. In 2016 I became a Phi Beta Kappa honors student and had excelled academically in several S.T.E.M. categories. In fall of 2018, I moved to Atlanta to become a full-time student at Georgia State University and joined the Parent Lab. Today, I am interested in finding correlations between cognitive function and the obesity epidemic that currently plagues our nation. Steve is now beginning his nursing school journey.
MADELINE LONG
I’m a neuroscientist, cat mom to two indoor furbabies and several friendly street cats, struggling gardener (and occasional plant killer), amateur clarinetist, and freelance manuscript editor. I graduated from Emory University in 2018 with a double major in neuroscience & behavioral biology and philosophy. I have always been fascinated with thought and ideas—how we think and what we think about. I’ve done research in cognition and circadian neurobiology, published a philosophy paper on empathy, and taught several undergraduate courses. I live in Atlanta with my fiancé Sam and our two cats Lucy and Titan.
JANAVI RAMESH, MSC 2019, MD 2024
Janavi was born in Oakland, California and raised in Duluth, GA. She has achieved a B.S. and M.S. as Neuroscience major with a pre-medical concentration. Her research interests include pediatric neurological disorders involving memory. She is currently on the road to pursuing an M.D. She has participated in the Brain and Behavior program, and was a part of the GSU Honors College. She was also a recipient of the Georgia State Centennial Merit Scholarship and GSU S-STEM Scholarship. Some of her hobbies include dancing, playing tennis, reading, and traveling. She recently graduated from the Medical College of Georgia and is starting a neurology residency at UT Southwestern.
SREINICK KEO, MSC 2019
Sreinick graduated from the University of Georgia with bachelors in Biology and Psychology. She was born and raised in Cambodia until she moved to Georgia in 2005. She has always been interested in the process and function of the nervous system. She wishes to continue her education in the field of medicine aspiring to be a neurologist.
ANA RAFAELA KRUEMMEL, MS 2017
Born and raised in Brazil, where I earned my BS in Biomedical Science (2014) and MS in Science (2017) before moving to Atlanta in 2018. With a love for science and a background on Microbiology and Molecular Biology I joined the team at the Parent Lab as a Laboratory Technician where I work on day to day operations of the lab and research.Â
I am now working as a scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
DAVID CASEY, MS
I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana and, as a teenager, moved to Rhode Island, where I eventually graduated from Rhode Island College. Although I began my undergraduate career as a biology major with intentions of attending medical school, I became enamored with philosophy after taking an elective. Shortly thereafter, I switched majors, and would eventually receive my B.A. in philosophy, graduating with honors after completing an undergraduate thesis in Philosophy of Mind and receiving RIC’s Thomas J. Howell award in philosophy.Â
My interest in the metaphysics of mind guided me toward Georgia State University’s philosophy master’s program—specifically its neurophilosophy track, wherein students can take graduate courses in neuroscience and psychology alongside their philosophy coursework. This program has not only rekindled my original interest in biology but has spawned a particular interest in the biology of the brain.Â
My philosophical research therefore concerns the neurobiological methods by which we can—and will one day be able to—modulate our memories, and their attendant ethical consequences. After graduation, I would like to attend medical school, specifically in hopes of clinically applying the ever-burgeoning body of neuro-medical research while continuing to write, discuss, and lecture on their equally prevalent bioethical issues.
I graduated with a Master of Arts in Philosophy with Distinction, with a neurophilosophy concentration. I am now doing pre-medical coursework in the Post-bachelor Pre-professional program-Science (PREPs) at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is a peer-led team learning leader for Organic Chemistry I, and am a lab assistant in Dr. Joseph Racca’s lab using molecular genetics to study diabetes.
REILLY HANNAPEL, PHD 2018
Before joining the Parent Lab in the Fall of 2013, I completed my undergrad studies in Psychology at Ursinus College (PA) in 2011 and went on to complete my MS in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Durham in the UK with Dr. Alexander Easton and Dr. Madeline Eacott. Outside the lab I am an avid rock climber, I coach lacrosse and love to work with animal-assisted therapy programs training hospital therapy dogs. Reilly defended his PhD in Parent lab in 2018. His research investigated the roles of dorsal and ventral hippocampal neurons in energy regulation and meal patterning using state of the art optogenetic techniques in awake, behaving rats. He is now working for the Qualtrics Corporation in Utah.
YOKO OGAWA HENDERSON, MS 2011, PHD 2015
Yoko played a pivotal role in our research implicating dorsal hippocampal neurons in ingestive behavior. For 4 years she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Cleveland Clinic and in January 2021 started a position as a medical writer at Nucleus Global.
AMY ROSS, MA 2008, PHD 2012
After obtaining her PhD with Dr. Parent, Amy spent some time as a postdoctoral fellow with Ruth Harris at Georgia Regents University. Amy returned to Atlanta as a postdoctoral fellow in the Albers land Parent labs and recently moved to Pennsylvania to work as a science writer.
EMILY BRUGGEMAN, MS 2011
Emily contributed to our research examining the effects of high fructose diets on brain and behavior. She obtained her PhD with Binghe Xue at GSU and then conducted postdoctoral research in the department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She is now a research specialist in the Department of Genetics at Emory University.
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KRISTA WILD, PHD 2007
Clinical Neuropsychologist, Phoenix VA Health Care System.
DESIREE KREBS-KRAFT, MA 2003, PHD 2006
Mother of twins. Post-doctoral fellow at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
RAMATA CISSE, MSC 2006
PhD University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, now Research Scientist at the University of Georgia.
JANE GORE, PHD 2002
Clinical Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy at Georgia State University.
ALDEMAR DEGROOT, MSC 2000
PhD with Dallas Treit and postdoctoral fellow at Eli Lilly- now Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of EMER Pharma.
HUGO LEHMAN, MSC 2000
PhD with Doug Mumby and postdoctoral fellow with Rob Sutherland- now Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Trent University.
JENNA DARLING
Jenna played a critical role in our research testing the effects of high fat and high sugar diets. She is now very busy raising her three children.
ADAUGO OKPAREKE
I completed my undergraduate degree in neuroscience with a pre-med concentration (2020) at Georgia State University in hopes to go to medical school and become a pediatric neurologist. Other than school, I enjoy traveling and watching Netflix/Hulu. I am Nigerian-American, but I was born and raised in Acworth, Georgia. My favorite field of neuroscience is behavioral neuroscience, so the Parent Lab is the perfect place to for me to be.
HANA OBEIDAT
Hana is from Kennesaw, Georgia. She completed her B.S./M.S. in neuroscience at Georgia State University Spring 2019. She was a member of the Collegiate Neuroscience Society and GSU’s Nu Rho Psi chapter. She also had the opportunity to shadow a team of neurosurgeons at the Jordanian Royal Medical Center in Amman, Jordan. She has also participated in an internship with Piedmont Hospital’s neurological nursing unit in Atlanta. She enjoys cooking and traveling, and considers herself an avid Atlanta sports fan.
NICOLETTE BARNETT
Nicolette Barnett was born in Edmonton, Alberta and raised in Kennesaw, GA. Nicolette spent almost three years working as an undergraduate research assistant in in the Parent Laboratory, She is now preparing to apply to MD/Ph.D. programs.
TAYLOR MONTGOMERY
Taylor loves to walk around the city in his spare time, exploring different places and taking photos. Needless to say, he is a photography enthusiast and has started to develop his own black and white film at home.
LEXI FAULKNER, PHD 2024
Lexi Faulkner completed a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan. Starting the neuroscience graduate program in the fall of 2016, she defended her dissertation in the summer of 2024. Lexi is currently interviewing to data science and consulting roles in industry and non-profits.
JENINE AMPUDIA
Starting at Columbia University Fall 2015; Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology.
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RICHARD AUSTIN FILLITOR
World traveller.
CLAIRE GALLOWAY
Claire received her PhD in neuroscience and animal behavior with Joe Manns at Emory University and is currently a post-doc fellow at Emory University.
ADEBIMPE KASUMU
MD and PhDÂ Resident Physician at UAB Medicine.
ASHLEY WATSON
Ashley obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master’s in Public Health in Epidemiology at GSU. In July 2023, she also obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health at GSU.
LAUREN SCHMUCK
Research Assistant, Ozcaliskan laboratory, Georgia State University Department of Psychology.
MARINA WHEELER
PhD in neuroscience and postdoctoral fellow at Emory University; then a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Georgia State University; then the Manager of Survey Operations, Brain Surgery Corporation; is now a stay at home mother for her loving children.