2023 Presidential Fellows Share Research Progress at Summer Event

Members of the UVA neuroscience community gathered on Tuesday, July 30, to celebrate the 2023 cohort of Presidential Fellows in Collaborative Neuroscience. This fellowship program, a collaboration between the Provost's Office and the Brain Institute, facilitates interdisciplinary mentorship in transformative neuroscience research. The six 2023 awardees from across the University each presented progress on their collaborative neuroscience research initiatives. 

Lizzie Godschall - Biology | Mentors: Ali Güler, PhD, Biology; John Campbell, PhD, Biology

Lizzie Godschall presented her research examining the effects of GLP1R agonists, typically used to treat diabetes and obesity, on the brain in modified mice models. She showed that Danuglipron, a small-molecule GLP1R agonist, modified the neural circuitry in the amygdala and ventral tegmental area. She looks forward to exploring the implications of her research to treating substance abuse and eating disorders. 

Nick Natale - Neuroscience | Mentors: John Lukens, PhD, Neuroscience; Bill Petri, MD, PhD, Medicine

Nick Natale described the impact of acute COVID-19 on glial cells. While sharing spatial transcriptomics and immunofluorescence imaging results, he revealed that the relationship between glial cells is abnormal during SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection. Now, he and fellow UVa collaborators are honing in on a particular enzyme as a potential mediator of the dysregulated glial response during COVID-19 in hopes of addressing the neurological effects of Long Covid. 

Mona Fariborzi - Psychology | Mentors: Adema Ribic, PhD, Psychology; JC Cang, PhD, Biology & Psychology

A better understanding of how learning changes the brain is critical to understanding potential dysfunction in impaired learning. Dendritic spines help transmit signals across the synapse, making them instrumental to learning. Mona Fariborzi investigates the impact of learning on dendritic spine reformation in mice. She has shown that associative learning tasks remodel their dendritic spines in a layer-specific manner. 

Jonathon Sewell - Biology | Mentors: Bettina Winckler, PhD, Cell Biology; Chris Deppmann, PhD, Biology; Eli Zunder, PhD, Biomedical Engineering

In his research, Jonathon Sewell aims to better understand how our nervous system develops, using the sympathetic circuit of the peripheral nervous system as a model. Communication between cells is essential for the development and function of neural circuits. The goal of his current project is to understand signaling changes within neurons in response to a novel mediator of intercellular communication that may promote proper circuit development. 

Analia Marzoratti - Education | Mentors: Tanya Evans, PhD, Education; Jess Connelly, PhD, Psychology; Kevin Pelphrey, PhD, Neurology; Steve Boker, PhD, Psychology

Analia Marzoratti is investigating how social skills interact with math skills in children with traits of autism spectrum disorder. In her research, she compares neural versus behavioral measures of social skill in autism and their interaction with child math skills. The methods used in this project have potential to reveal new insights into learning needs among children with autism spectrum disorder, as well as typically developing children. 

Katya Stepanova - Biology | Mentors: Chris Deppmann, PhD, Biology; John Campbell, PhD, Biology

Katya Stepanova’s research focuses on how different cell types respond to nerve damage. She presented her research examining the response of Schwann cells, a vital cell type in the peripheral nervous system. She uncovered that, shortly after injury, Schwann cells undergo a metabolic shift that marks a transformation in their role from protecting old cells to helping with regeneration. 

The event also recognized the 2024 cohort of fellows:

• Becky Waugh - Psychology | Mentors: Per Sederberg, PhD, Psychology; Jessica Connelly, PhD, Psychology
• Roberta Onoharigho - Biology | Mentors: John Campell, PhD, Biology; Edward Nieh, PhD, Pharmacology
• Yu Shi - Biology | Mentors: Ali Güler, PhD, Biology; George Bloom, PhD, Biology
• Tula Raghavan - Neuroscience | Mentors: Alban Gaultier, PhD, Neuroscience; Laura Newman, PhD, Cell Biology
• Kristofor Pas - Biomedical Engineering | Mentors: Gustavo Rohde, PhD, Biomedical Engineering; Min Park, MD, Neurosurgery
• Caeley Reever - Neuroscience | Mentors: Manoj Patel, PhD, Anesthesiology; Charles Farber, PhD, Public Health Sciences