Our Team
Meet the researchers advancing neuroscience and metabolism
Principal Investigator
Colleen M Novak, Ph.D.
Professor & Principal Investigator
Current Lab Members
Graduate Students
Simon Bagatto
Master's Student
Nusrat Jahan
Doctoral Student
Christopher Blank
Doctoral Student
Undergraduate Students
Leah Brenneman
Laboratory Technician
Neuroscience major
Madelynn Spicuzza
Summer 2025 SURE Student
Biochemistry major
Justin Barzellato
Summer 2025 SURE Student
Biological Sciences, Premed major
Sonia Chirravuri
Individual Investigation
Neuroscience major
Lab Alumni
Emily Welch
June 2025
Currently postdoctoral associate at Kent State University
Christina Watts
April 2023
Currently at the University of Washington, Morton Lab, Dick and Julia McAbee Postdoctoral Fellow
Lydia Heemstra
July 2021 (MS: March 2016)
Currently in the laboratory of Dr. Melissa K. Edler in the Department of Anthropology at Kent State University
Erin Gorrell
October 2020
Currently Clinical Research Regulatory Project Manager at University Hospitals
Ashley Davis (Gamble)
October 2020
Currently Science Writer at Amplity Health
Ashley Shemery, PhD
February 2020
Currently Clinical Trial Manager at Medpace
Mark E Smyers, PhD
July 2019
Currently Adjunct Professor at Stark State College
Jesse Kowalski, MS
October 2018
Currently working in research at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Sromona Mukherjee, PhD
October 2015
Currently Medical Science Liaison at Travere Therapeutics
Tariq I Almundarij, PhD
November 2015
Currently at Qassim University
Chaitanya K Gavini, PhD
August 2015
Currently a Premier Assistant at The University of Lausanne - UNIL
Charu Shukla (Reddy), PhD
April 2014
Currently Principal Scientist, Preclinical, at Junevity