Welcome to the D-Lab

Trainee News

In our 26th summer, the D-lab is proud to host two Richter Scholars (Mieng Chandavimol’27, Kate Feist’27) during Sumer 2024, alongside two juniors (Leslie Gonzales ’26, Holly Kiernan ’26), one senior (Sebastian gacek ’25), and 2024 graduate Fede Bertolotti ’24. All of them are planning for neuroscience, biology, biochemistry and molecular biology as their majors and for future biomedical careers.

Current Students

Mieng Chandavimol ‘27, a Neuroscience major and Chemistry minor from Bangkok Thailand, is a summer 2024 Richter Scholar, and has just competed her first year at the college. She is planning for a career in academic medicine.

Kate Feist ‘27, a Neuroscience and BMB major from Minnetonka, Minnesota, is a summer 2024 Richter Scholar, and has just competed her first year at the college. She is planning for a career in biomedical research.

Leslie Casares ‘26, a Neuroscience major and Music Education minor, was a 2023 Richter Scholar and is in her second year in the lab. She is a co-author on two posters presented at national meeting last year and will present her first poster at the 2024 national Society for Neuroscience meeting. She is planning a career in biomedical research.

Holly Kiernan ‘26, a Neuroscience major and BMB major, was a 2023 Richter Scholar and is in her second year in the lab. She is a co-author on two posters presented at national meeting last year and will present her first poster at the 2024 national Society for Neuroscience meeting. She is planning a career in biomedical research.

Sebastian Gacek ’25, a Neuroscience major and Chemistry minor, is currently conducting his senior thesis in the lab. He received a Nu Rho Psi Undergraduate Research Grant and a Undergraduate Research Grant to support his senior thesis. He presented hisr undergraduate research at the 2024 national ASBMB meeting in San Antonio meeting, and will present two posters at the national SfN Meeting in Chicago in October 2024. He is applying for a PhD in the future.

Fede Bertolotti ’24, a Neuroscience and BMB major, received distinction on her senior thesis and was nominated for the Phi Beta Kappa Senior Thesis Award. She will join the University of Chicago for her PhD in Neurobiology in fall 2024. He received the Stahl Prize in Neuroscience and BMB for academic excellence in both her majors.She received Honorable Mention at the Undergraduate Poster Competition in the 2024 ASBMB meeting in San Antonio TX, as well as a ASBMB Travel Grant award. She received a Nu Rho Psi Undergraduate Research Grant and a ASBMB Undergraduate Research Grant to support her senior thesis, and she presented her undergraduate research at the 2023 national Society for Neuroscience meeting.

Lab Alumni

Amanda Grassel ’23, a Neuroscience major and Chemistry minor, received distinction on her senior thesis and the 2023 Phi Beta Kappa Senior Thesis Award. She received the Carr Prize for research excellence in Neuroscience. She is a Research Technician at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and is currently applying for MD/PhD programs.She presented her undergraduate research at the 2023 ASBMB national meeting and 2022 national Society for Neuroscience meeting receiving a Grass Foundation/FUN Travel Award for the latter meeting. Amanda also received a 2022 Davis for Peace grant ($10,000) to conduct outreach education to combat the stigma linked with Parkinson’s disease in Uganda.

Tracey Nassuna ‘23, a Neuroscience and Psychology major, received distinction on her senior thesis and the Glassman Prize in Neuroscience and Psychology. She is a PhD student in Neurobiology at the University of Chicago. She presented her undergraduate research at the 2023 ASBMB national meeting and 2022 national Society for Neuroscience meeting receiving a Nu Rho Psi undergraduate research grant for her thesis and a travel award for the latter meeting. Tracey also received a 2022 Davis for Peace grant ($10,000) to conduct outreach education to combat the stigma linked with Parkinson’s disease in Uganda.

Ryan Osselborn ’23, a Neuroscience major, completed his senior project funded by a 2022 Parkinson Disease Foundation research grant. Ryan is the recipient of a 2022 Barry Goldwater Scholarship. He is currently a Clinical Research Coordinator at the University of Colorado Medical Center. He presented his undergraduate research at the 2023 national Society for Neuroscience meeting. He received the Stahl Prize in Neuroscience for academic excellence.

Matt McMahon ‘22, a BMB major and Neuroscience minor, worked for two years in the lab. He received the Stahl Prize in both Neuroscience and BMB. he is currently a PhD student in Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota.

Carris Borland ’21, a BMB major and Neuroscience minor, received distinction on her senior thesis. She received the Carr Prize for research excellence in Neuroscience. She is a PhD student in Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. She presented her undergraduate research at the 2021 ASBMB national meeting and 2021 national Society for Neuroscience meeting receiving a Nu Rho Psi undergraduate research grant for her thesis and a travel award for the latter meeting.

Niam Abysiriwardena ’20, a Neuroscience and Computer Science double major, received a 2022 Parkinson Disease Foundation research grant for his research. Niam was the recipient of a 2018 Barry Goldwater Scholarship. He received his MS in Artificial Intelligence from Georgia Tech and is a AI Engineer at Harvard Medical School. He is currently applying for MD/PhD programs.

Congratulations to Yoan Ganev ’19, a neuroscience and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology double major, for receiving 2019 Phi Beta Kappa Senior Thesis Award, given to only 1-2 seniors at the college was outstanding senior thesis efforts, the Carr Prize in Neuroscience fand the Stahl Prize in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for outstanding academic achievements in each of these majors. Congratulations as well for receiving the 2019 Nu Rho Psi Senior Leadership and Service Award in Neuroscience.

Congratulations to Chisomo Mwale ’19, a neuroscience major, for receiving a 2018 Faculty for Undergraduate Neurocience (FUN) travel grant to present her senior project research proposal titled “Evaluation of new familial mutants of Parkinson’s Disease protein in yeast models” at the 2018 Annual Society for Neuroscience Meeting (November 2-6, San Diego, CA). Chisomo was selected as a member of Senior 25 and received the prestigious 2018-2019 McGaw Scholar Scholarship at Lake forest College, given to only one senior annual for leadership and service at the College.

Ariane Balaram ’20 , biology and neuroscience major, won the First Prize in the undergraduate research competition for presenting their research on Parkinson’s disease in yeasts models at the 2018 Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmaceutical and Experimental Therapeutics meeting. Ariane is planning to a PhD degree after graduation.

Congratulations to Rosemary Thomas ’18, Paul Jones ’18 and Yoan Ganev ’19 for being inducted into the 2018 Class of Phi Beta Kappa inductees at Lake Forest College. The Phi Beta Kappa Society is the oldest academic honor society in the country and it honors students across the United States for excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.

Congratulations to Chisomo Mwale ’19, a neuroscience major, for being named the senior 2018-19 Foster G McGaw Scholarship recipient at Lake Forest College and for selection to college’s Senior 25. Both awards community-wide recognition for outstanding leadership and service to the college community.

Congratulations to Yoan Ganev ’19, a neuroscience and chemistry double major, for receiving a 2018 Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention. The Goldwater Scholarship is the most prestigious national undergraduate science scholarship awarded to students with the highest potential for PhD studies based on their undergraduate record.

Congratulations to Ariane Balaram ’20, a biology and neuroscience major, for receiving a 2018 national Undergraduate Research Grant from the Nu Rho Psi National Council for her proposal titled “Assessment of Synergism Between α-Synuclein and other Parkinson’s Disease Genes in Yeast”. Ariane will attend the 2018 National Nu Rho Psi Meeting in San Diego (CA) to receive this award and she will present her research at the 2018 Annual Society for Neuroscience Meeting (November 2-6, San Diego, CA).

Congratulations to Yoan Ganev ’19, a neuroscience and chemistry double major, for receiving a 2018 American Parkinson Disease Association- Parkinson Foundation National Research Grant for his senior thesis research proposal titled “Evaluation of Combinatorial Impact of Post-translational Modifications on α-Synuclein in a Yeast Model”. Yoan will attend the 2018 Annual Society for Neuroscience Meeting (November 2-6, San Diego, CA) to present this work.

Rosemary Thomas ’18 graduated in spring 2018 with majors in Biology and Neuroscience and she received distinction in her senior thesis on Parkinson’s disease. Rosemary recently won the Third Prize in the 2018 Chicago Society for Neuroscience meeting. Rosemary is planning for medical school, after 1-2 gap years of biomedical research. 

Paul Jones ’18 graduated in fall 2017 with a major in Neuroscience and he received distinction in his senior thesis on Parkinson’s disease. Paul is currently applying for Ph.D. studies in the life sciences and has already been accepted to multiple PhD programs. He will pursue his PhD at Washington University St. Louis.

Emily Ong ’17 won the First Prize at the 2017 Word Congress on Neurological disorders held in Chicago (IL) in July 2017. Emily also was awarded the 2017 Phi Beta Kappa Senior Thesis Award at Lake Forest College for her senior thesis, for which she was also awarded distinction. Emily is applying for medical school.

Yoan Ganev ’19 and Chisomo Mwale ’19, both neuroscience majors, won First and Second Prizes in the undergraduate research competition for presenting their research on Parkinson’s disease in yeasts models at the 2017 Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmaceutical and Experimental Therapeutics meeting. Both are is planning to pursue MD and PhD degrees after graduation.

Emily Ong ’17, neuroscience major, and Rosemary Thomas ’18, neuroscience and biology major, each won individual Second Prizes in the undergraduate research competition for presenting their research on Parkinson’s disease in yeasts models at the 2016 Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmaceutical and Experimental Therapeutics meeting. Both are is planning to pursue MD degrees after graduation.

Paul Jones ’18, a neuroscience junior, has received a 2016 Nu Rho Psi research grant to investigate potential risk factors linked to sporadic Parkinson’s disease. Paul is planning for a career in academic medicine and is applying forPhD programs for fall 2018 admission.

Emily Ong ’17, a neuroscience senior, has received a 2016 Parkinson’s Disease Foundation summer grant (one of ten awards from a national pool of 60+ applications from medical, graduate, and undergraduate students). For her senior thesis, Emily investigated how newly identified familial mutants of alpha-synuclein cause Parkinson’s disease in yeast models, for which received distinction and honors and in neuroscience and the 2017 Phi Beta Kappa Senior Thesis Award. Emily hopes to attend medical school after working in biomedical research for 1-2 years.

Morgan Marshall ’16 , a biology major with an art minor, won the First Prize in the undergraduate research competition for presenting her senior research project on new familial mutants of the parkinson’s disease protein at the 2016 Chicago Society for Neuroscience meeting on April 8. Morgan is planning for a future career in biomedical illustration that combines her two passions (science and art) after working for 1-2 years in full-time biomedical research at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. Morgan has been accepted to multiple Masters in Biomedical Illustration programs in the U.S. and Canada, and will pursuing her degree at University of Illinois at Chicago.

Saul Bello Rojas ’16 , a neuroscience major with a chemistry minor, won the Second Prize in the undergraduate research competition for presenting his research on the properties of naturally occuring alpha-synuclein variants at the 2015 Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmaceutical and Experimental Therapeutics meeting. Saul is planning to pursue PhD studies in pharmacology and has worked as aresearch technologist in the Opthamology Department at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. Saul is currently enrolled in the post-baccalaureate PREP program at Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience program and has been accepted t multiple PhD programs. He will start at Washington University Saint Louis in Fall 2018.

Alexandra Roman ’16 , a neuroscience major with minors in chemistry and music, has received a 2015 Nu Rho Psi summer grant (one of just two awards made annually). She also won the Third Prize in the undergraduate research competition for presenting her Richter fellowship initiated research at the 2015 (March 20, 2015). Alex is currently a research technician at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and will begin medical school in Fall 2018 at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Charles Alvarado ’16 , a neuroscience major with an educational studies minor, won the First Prize in the undergraduate research competition for presenting his research on the effects of c-terminal truncations of alpha-synuclein at the 2014 Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmaceutical and Experimental Therapeutics meeting on June 13. Charles completed his Masters of Arts in Teaching degree from Lake Forest College in 2017 and is currently applying for high school science teacher positions.

Maiwase Tembo ’15 , a biology and neuroscience double major, won the First Prize in the undergraduate research competition for presenting her endocytosis regulation of alpha-synuclein at the 2013 Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmaceutical and Experimental Therapeutics meeting (June 14, 2013). More recently, she has also won the Third Prize in the undergraduate research competition at the 2014 Chicago Society for Neuroscience meeting meeting (April 4, 2014). Wase is pursuing a PhD in Life Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh.

Katrina Campbell ’14 , a biology major and neuroscience minor, won the Second Prize in the undergraduate research competition for presenting her Richter fellowship initiated research at the 2012 Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmaceutical and Experimental Therapeutics meeting (June 19, 2012). Katie completed an NIH IRTA fellowship at the NIH-NIAID Rocky Mountain Labs between 2014-2016 and is pursuing a PhD program in Neuroscience at Northwestern University.

Natalie Kukulka ’13 , a biology and neuroscience graduate, has received a 2013 Parkinson’s Disease Foundation summer grant (one of 15 awards from a national pool of 60+ applications from medical, graduate, and undergraduate students). She also won the Third Prize in the undergraduate research competition for presenting her Richter fellowship initiated research at the 2013 Chicago Society for Neuroscience meeting meeting (March 7, 2013). Natalie worked at Northwestern Children’s Memorial Hospital doing biomedical research in urology for two years and is now pursuing her MD studies at the University of Missouri (Columbia).

Madhavi Senagolage ’12 , a biology senior with minors in neuroscience and chemistry from Colombo Sri Lanka, has received a competitive 2011 FUN (Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience) Undergraduate Travel Award to present her senior thesis research at the annual Society for Neuroscience Meeting to be held in Washington (DC) from November 11-16. At this meeting, she presented a science education poster on Eukaryon as its Publication Board Chair. She also co-presented with Daniella Brutman ’12 another science education poster on the 2010 Brain Awareness Week at Lake Forest College. Previously, she received the 2nd Prize at the 2011 Chicago Society for Neuroscience meeting. She was also awarded a undergraduate research travel award from the American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB) to present her Parkinson’s disease project on endocytosis at the 2010 ASCB meeting in Philadelphia (Dec 11-14). Madhavi is currently pursuing a PhD in life sciences at Northwestern University.

Keith Solvang ’11 , a biology 2011 graduate, won the First Prize in the undergraduate research competition for presenting his Parkinson’s disease research at the 2011 Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmaceutical and Experimental Therapeutics meeting (June 10, 2011). He was supported by an summer fellowship from the 2009-10 NIH American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ( ARRA) to conduct his Parkinson’s Disease research project. Keith completed a Masters degree in biomedical sciences and his MD degree at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Sciences in 2017. He is currently an emergency medicine resident in a Chicago Area Hospital.

Alina Konnikova ’11 , a biology senior from Vernon Hills Illinois, won the First Prize in the undergraduate research competition for presenting her Parkinson’s disease research on autophagy at the 2010 Great Lakes Chapter American Society of Pharmaceutical and Experimental Therapeutics meeting (June 19, 2010). Alina has completed her MD studies at the University of Illinois School of Medicine and internal medicine residency at Medical College of Wisconsin. She is beginning her cardiology fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago in fall 2019.

Jaime Perez ’10 graduated with a biology and art double major and was the 2009-10 Foster G McGaw Scholar at the college and received the 2009 Lincoln Laureate Award. He received his Masters degree in graduate in Prosthetics and Orthotics at University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center and completed his residency in orthotic and prosthetics in Boston (MA). He is now working in Chicago, Illinois as an orthotist at the Hanger Clinic.

Michael Fiske ’10 , a biology 2010 graduate and a Barry Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention, won the First Prize for his Parkinson’s research senior thesis project at the national undergraduate poster competition of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ( ASBMB) held in Anaheim California (April 24-28, 2010). He was also a UAN-ASBMB undergraduate travel award recipient from ASBMB. He conducted his senior thesis with a research grant he received from the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, for which he received the 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Senior Thesis Award. Michael initially pursuing his PhD in biology at the University of Washington, where he was awarded Honorable Mention on his NSF predoctoral grant application in 2011. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Neuroscience at Northwestern University, and he was just awarded an NIH-NRSA grant in 2016 to fund his PhD studies.