Alban Gaultier, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)

ag7h@virginia.edu

Ryan brown (Neuroscience Graduate Student)

rmb5kk@virginia.edu

I am interested in studying the in the gut-brain axis in the context of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). My research seeks to address how the enteric nervous system might be implicated in the animal model of MS. More specifically, I am addressing the role of enteric glial cells in potentially modulating T-cell
mediated neuroinflammation in the intestine during disease onset. In addition to these studies, I am also investigating the impact of antigen-cross presentation by oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in the animal model of MS. Outside of the lab, you can find me at the climbing gym, riding my gravel
bike, or out exploring the Shenandoah Wilderness.

Previous Members

Andrea Merchak (Neuroscience Graduate Student)

arm3de@virginia.edu

Andrea was primarily interested in how the gut microbiome communicates with the brain via the immune system. She studied the environmental sensor, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in multiple neurologic models including EAE and stress-induced depression.

Courtney Rivet-Noor (Neuroscience Graduate Student)

crr4tz@virginia.edu

Courtney worked on stress-induced depression through the lens of the microbiome. She studied how stress initiates a change in the microbiome by looking at the gut mucosal layer and changes in its core proteins, mucins.

Becca Beiter (Neuroscience Graduate Student)

rb3qb@virginia.edu

Becca studied the functional and transcriptional diversity of
oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in the adult brain and how these populations may be involved in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.

ERICA SLOGAR (LAB SPECIALIST)

kqt3sx@virginia.edu

Anthony Fernandez-Castaneda, ph.d. (Neuroscience Graduate Student)

af9bq@virginia.edu

Anthony proposed to elucidate molecular mechanisms by which the MS lesion environment inhibits oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation. Ultimately, shedding light on these poorly understood signaling pathways will enable us to develop novel therapeutic agents that promote remyelination in MS lesions.

A Rosen, Ph.D. (Pharmacology Graduate Student)

amr3hu@virginia.edu

A studied the role of the endoplasmic reticulum in inflammatory conditions.

Kacper Posyniak (Visiting Masters Student)

kkp6gr@virginia.edu

Kacper was a visiting masters student from Warsaw University of Life Sciences, as part of the Fulbright Biolab program. He investigated the role of PKM isoforms in Th17 differentiation and set up a model to observe chronic myelin uptake by microglia.