2024-2025 Presidential Fellows in Collaborative Neuroscience Highlight Latest Research

On Friday, May 30, members of the UVA neuroscience community came together to celebrate the 2024-25 cohort of Presidential Fellows in Collaborative Neuroscience. Jointly supported by the Provost’s Office and the UVA Brain Institute, the fellowship program champions interdisciplinary mentorship and transformative research in neuroscience.    

Representing a wide array of disciplines, from psychology and biology to biomedical engineering and public health sciences, the 2024–25 Fellows were recognized for their innovative proposals and commitment to advancing neuroscience research.

The following 2024-25 Fellows shared their research progress on May 30:

• Caeley Reever | Neuroscience | Mentors: Manoj Patel, Anesthesiology; Charles Farber, Public Health Sciences  

  Caeley studies the molecular and genetic basis of pain perception, focusing on SCN8A-related pediatric epileptic encephalopathy through translational research in the Patel and Farber labs. Her goal is to develop gene therapies that target root genetic causes, aiming to improve infant survival and advance treatments for broader neurological disorders.

• Yu Shi | Biology | Mentors: Ali Güler, Biology; George Bloom, Biology    

  Yu is exploring the link between the circadian system and Alzheimer’s, developing a chronotherapy combining light exposure, time-restricted feeding, and exercise to enhance circadian entrainment in mice. By applying this therapy to various AD mouse models, she aims to uncover its protective effects on cognition and pathology, and to elucidate how circadian cues synergize in neurodegenerative disease.  

• Becky Waugh | Psychology | Mentors: Per Sederberg, Psychology; Jessica Connelly, Psychology  

  Becky’s current project—working with the prairie vole (a biparental rodent)—seeks to track and predict epigenetic and neural outcomes based on differences in parental care. Becky is studying how early life adversity influences aging and long-term outcomes, with the goal of enabling earlier predictions and developing targeted interventions to prevent poor health in later life.

• Tula Raghavan | Neuroscience | Mentors: Alban Gaultier, Neuroscience; Laura Newman, Cell Biology   

  Tula’s research explores the role of oligodendrocytes in Alzheimer’s Disease, focusing on genomic damage using spatial transcriptomics, flow cytometry, and imaging. She aims to clarify how these cells contribute to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, and to uncover how DNA damage activates innate immune responses in the brain.

Two 2024-25 Fellows will present at an early-fall Brain Institute event:

• Kristofor Pas | Biomedical Engineering | Mentors: Gustavo Rohde, Biomedical Engineering; Min Park, Neurosurgery

  Kristofor is developing computational tools to enhance imaging and diagnostics in neurological disorders. Kristofor’s research focuses on identifying and modeling key variables in hematoma expansion to improve risk assessment and reveal underlying mechanisms, ultimately enhancing clinical outcomes.

• Roberta Onoharigho | Biology | Mentors: John Campbell, Biology; Edward Nieh, Pharmacology    

  Roberta’s research focuses on synaptic plasticity and its role in learning and memory. Her work explores the understanding of energy homeostasis to support the development of safe and effective therapies for metabolic disorders.