Team

Steve began his research career at the University of Michigan, where he received a BS in Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Science while working in the laboratory of Dr. Kent Berridge. He obtained his PhD at Johns Hopkins University in Dr. Peter Holland's laboratory. Steve next completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Dartmouth College in Dr. Kyle Smith's laboratory. His current research interests are focused on understanding the neural pathways mediating reward-seeking behaviors that may result in the development of drug addiction.

Stephanie first began studying behavioral neuroscience in rodent models in the lab of Dr. Melissa Glenn at Colby College, where she earned her BA in Biology and completed an honors thesis on sex differences in a genetic model for schizophrenia symptoms. She then went on to get her PhD in Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College, studying the role of serotonin signaling in impulsivity and other reward-related behaviors under the supervision of Dr. Katherine Nautiyal. In the Flagel Lab, Stephanie is interested in how the balance between cortical and subcortical neural circuitry modulates cue-motivated behavior, and how this interacts with other complex, maladaptive behavioral phenotypes. Outside of lab, Stephanie enjoys reading fantasy/sci-fi novels, making art, and baking.

Eduardo earned his PhD from the University of Texas at El Paso under the mentorship of Dr. Arshad M. Khan where he studied peptide distributions in the hypothalamus using atlas-based mapping. He then went on to do a postdoc in the laboratory of Dr. Andrew Poulos at SUNY Albany, where he studied the contributions of the ventral hippocampus to learning in context fear conditioning. Currently in the Flagel Lab, he is interested in understanding the circuit dynamics within key structures that mediate the attribution of incentive salience to previously neutral cues and how variations in these dynamics may contribute to individual differences in these processes.

Chris grew up in Spring Valley, NY, and graduated from UPenn with a BA in the Biological Basis of Behavior. He went on to earn his PhD in Biopsychology, studying under the mentorship of Dr. Jill Becker. His dissertation characterized sex differences in the actions of G-Protein Coupled Receptor-1 (GPER1) activity on dopamine signaling in male and female rats' dorsal-lateral striatum (DLS). When Chris isn't in the lab, he enjoys watching movies, video games, and biking.

Princess is a Nigerian-born and Michigan-raised Neuroscience graduate student who received her B.S in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. As an undergraduate student, Princess worked on a large-scale project in Dr. Michael Wang’s laboratory (VA Ann Arbor Health Care) investigating cerebrovascular proteins. She identified a set of brain vascular proteins related to the pathophysiology of human cerebrovascular diseases. Following undergrad, Princess joined the laboratory of Dr. Benjamin White at the NIMH, where she used genetic manipulations of Drosophila melanogaster to identify the brain circuitry that promotes eclosion behavior. Princess then matriculated into the Neuroscience Graduate Program and joined the Flagel Lab to pursue her interests in understanding the neural circuits that contribute to maladaptive behavior. Princess plans to be an influential professor and neuroscientists that can better the lives of individuals through research and teaching. In her free time, Princess enjoys comic conventions, watching movies, and dancing.

Brianna was raised in Southern California and received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI). While at CSUCI, she worked under the mentorship of Dr. Gareth Harris where she studied the neural mechanisms underlying olfactory sensory circuits in C.elegans. Brianna joined the Program in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Michigan and matriculated into the Neuroscience Graduate Program in the fall of 2021. Brianna is interested in the neurochemical profiles of subcortical neural circuits surrounding the hypothalamus that may subserve individual differences in cue-motivated behaviors. More specifically, she is interested in how neurochemical differences can help us understand maladaptive behaviors related to reward and motivation, such as drug addiction. Brianna’s motivation to pursue a career in STEM and neuroscience comes from a yearning to understand why certain individuals suffer from mental disorders and to, in turn, help develop more effective treatments. Brianna enjoys hanging out with her friends, calling her family, baking, and swimming in her spare time.

Natalia is from Puerto Rico and received her B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras Campus. During her undergraduate studies, she researched under the mentorship of Dr. Mark Miller at the Institute of Neurobiology. She localized neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression in the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata, the primary intermediate host of the parasite that causes schistosomiasis. On August 2024, Natalia joined the Flagel lab as a PREP trainee. In her free time, she likes reading, watching reality tv, and spending time with friends.

Jenna is from Phoenix, Arizona, and is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan. She plans to go into a health-related career. Jenna has been a member of the Flagel Lab since the winter of 2023 and has enjoyed every second of working on various projects and learning lots of new skills. Outside of the lab, Jenna enjoys exploring the town of Ann Arbor, spending time outside with friends, playing on the club soccer team, and seeing her favorite artists in concert.

Raymond is from Queens, New York City, and joined the lab as a UROP student during his sophomore year. He is currently completing his dual enrollment and graduating with a degree in Cognitive Science and Public Health. After graduation, he wants to continue research and attend graduate school. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music with friends, meeting new people, and watching horror movies.

Disha is from Lexington, Massachusetts, and joined the lab in January 2024 as a first-year student planning to major in neuroscience. After graduation, she hopes to attend graduate or medical school. During her free time, Disha loves to play violin for the U-M Campus Symphony Orchestra, swim, watch movies, and go out with friends.

Vrinda is from Irving, Texas, and joined the lab in 2023. She is double-majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, and Cognitive Science (on the Decision Track). After graduating in 2025, Vrinda plans to work in the field of marketing or pursue a masters degree in business, combining a variety of her interests and experiences in research. In her leisure time, Vrinda co-hosts a podcast called “Small Step Society,” listens to and writes music, and enjoys cooking.

Angela is an international student from Taiwan and joined the lab during her freshman year in 2024. She is currently studying biomedical engineering with a specific interest in neural engineering. She hopes to continue research as an undergraduate and pursue a career in the medical field after graduation. In her free time, she enjoys running outside, reading, watching movies/dramas and trying out different coffee shops.

Mia is from Shelby Township, Michigan, and she joined the lab in 2024 during her freshman year. She plans to major in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. After graduating, she hopes to attend medical school to pursue her dream of becoming a physician. In her free time, Mia enjoys exercising, spending time with family and friends, reading, and trying new restaurants!

Zoya is from Birmingham, Alabama, and joined the Flagel Lab during her junior year. She is a Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience major and hopes to attend dental school after graduation. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and basketball, baking, and spending time with her friends and family.

Wellington is from San Francisco, California, and joined the lab in 2024. He is currently studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience on the Pre-Medical track. In his free time he likes to read, play sports, run, and play guitar.

Anja is currently a junior majoring in Neuroscience. Anja is a Michigan native has been a member of Flagel lab since May 2024 and hopes to continue researching in her future career.

Jenna is from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and joined the Flagel Lab in the Fall of 2024. She is pursuing a B.S. in Biomolecular Science. Jenna is originally from Lebanon and travels there every summer to spend time with her family. Her interests include running, playing tennis, reading fantasy novels, traveling, listening to Drake’s music, and spending time with friends. She aspires to pursue a career in medicine, and is particularly drawn to specialties like pediatric surgery and plastic surgery.

Presley is from West Olive, Michigan and joined the Flagel lab in the fall of her sophomore year in 2024. She is a biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience major intending to attend medical school after graduation. Her long-term goals are to become a locum tenens psychiatrist and become an MD. She enjoys listening to music, spending time with friends, and playing with her Australian shepherd back home.

Lea is from Irvine, California and joined the Flagel Lab as a UROP student during her sophomore year. She is currently majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN) and plans to attend medical school upon graduating. In her free time, Lea enjoys cafe hopping, writing food reviews, hiking, and spending time with her two cats.