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Datta Lab

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Lab Members

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  1. Current Lab Members
  2. Former Lab Members

Paul Greer

Postdoctoral Fellow

A.B. Harvard College
Ph.D. Harvard University

617-432-7971

Strange but true: Paul was born within 100 yards of his bench.

Maria (Masha) Bloom

Graduate Student

B.A. Barnard College, Columbia University
Ph.D. Harvard University

Strange but true: Masha grew up on the same block as Stan in St. Petersburg, Russia

Daniel Bear

Graduate Student

A.B. Harvard College

Strange but true: The day that Dan officially joined the Datta lab, the FBI came to ask Bob a few questions.

Taralyn Tan

Graduate Student

H.B.S. Oregon State University

Strange but true: As a child Tari once fell face-first into a roaring campfire, but miraculously escaped without injury.

Alex Wiltschko

Graduate Student

B.S. University of Michigan

Strange but true: After a 90-degree fracture of his left arm in a freak rollerblading accident, Alex learned to type one-handed at 40 words-per-minute.

Jesse Katon

Co-op Student

B.S. Expected 2016
Northeastern University

Strange but true: Jesse has a birthmark that looks like cheetah print.

Giuliano Iurilli

Postdoctoral Fellow

Ph.D. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

giuliano.iurilli at gmail.com

Strange but true: In college, Giuliano was a fan of "crowd-in-a-shower-box" contests, and once took a cold shower with 12 other boys and girls in a standard shower stall.

Ralph Peterson

Research Assistant

B.S. Northeastern University 2016

Strange but true: Ralph once dislocated his shoulder by sneezing.

Neha Bhagat

Lab Manager

B.S. Northeastern University

Neha_Bhagat at hms.harvard.edu

Strange but true: Neha can “jump rope” with her arms.

Matt Johnson

Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S., University California Berkeley
S.M., M.I.T.
Ph.D., M.I.T.

Strange but true: Matt earned a 5.0/5.0 GPA during both his master and doctorate degrees, a vast improvement from his 3.97/4.0 GPA while an undergrad at UC Berkeley.

Natasha Mathur

Co-op Student

B.S. Northeastern University 2018

Strange but true: Natasha is an ordained minister thanks to her own boredom and the powers of the internet.

Ludovic Caceuex

Visitng Student

B.S., Institut d'Etudes politiques de Paris
M.Sc. Ecole normale supérieure
M.D., Ph.D. Université Rene Descartes (expected 2018)

Mohamed Khattab

Lab Technician (2009-2011)

B.S. Cornell University

Leen Al-Hafaz

Summer Student (2011)

M.D. expected 2015
Weill Cornell Medical College, Qatar

Luigi Federico Rossi

Summer Student (2011)

B.S. Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italia

Daniel Schwartz

Gap Year Student

B.S. expected 2016
Harvard University

Jason Gordon

Summer Student

B.A. Wheaton College

Strange but true: Everyone in Jason's family, and his wife's family, has a name that begins with the letter J.

Vincent Duronio

Visiting Senior Scientist

B.Sc. University of Windsor
Ph.D. University of Western Ontario

Strange but true: Vince once, somehow, set the tree in front of his rental house in North Carolina on fire.

Allison Petrosino

Lab Manager

A.B. Wellesley College

Strange but true: Allison once spent an entire year teaching adjectives to a computer.

Kathleen Messemer

Co-op Student

B.S. expected 2014
Northeastern University

Strange but true: Katie lip-synchs to "Happy Birthday."

Max Burkholder

Summer Research Assistant

Strange but true: Strange but True: Max is an actor, best known for The Purge (2013), Parenthood (2010), and Daddy Day Care (2003). He was also the only lab member with a Wikipedia page.

Andrew Giessel

Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S. University of Kansas
Ph.D. Harvard University

Strange but true: When he was 9 years old Andrew designed and built a multi-room structure completely out of tumbleweeds.

Alexandra Nowlan

Lab Manager

B.S. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Strange but true: Ally once had 50 pets (30 chickens, 8 ducks, 2 rabbits, 9 cats, and a dog) despite not living on a farm.

Francis Kei Masuda

Undergraduate Research Assistant

A.B. Expected 2015
Harvard College

Strange but true: At the last minute, Francis' father almost changed his name to Socrates.

Alex Williams

Co-op Student

B.S. Expected 2015
Northeastern University

Strange but true: Alex's worst nightmare consists of cockroaches the size of cats.

Christine Ashton

Lab Technician

B.A. Neurobiology
Harvard College

Strange but true: Christine helped pay for her college tuition with money she made as a child model in Japan.

Kristen Drummey

Research Assistant

B.S. Northeastern University 2016

Strange but true: Before joining the Datta Lab, Kristen had a variety of jobs, including working as a bookseller, a receptionist at a hair salon, a mailroom clerk, a grader for a linguistics class, a notetaker, a barista, and an assistant in a dean’s office.

Courtney Dixon

Co-op Student

B.S. Northeastern University 2018

Strange but true: Courtney's from Maine but hates lobster.

Veroniki (Veronica) Nikolaki

Lab Technician

B.S. Worcester Polytechnic Institute 2016
M.A. Columbia University 2017

Strange but true: Once at diving practice, Veronica got a bruised eye from smacking on the water trying to do 2 and 1/2 front flips off the 3 meter springboard.

Emalee Peterson

Research Assistant

B.S. Emmanuel College 2018

Strange but true: Emalee won “Best Ears” as a superlative in high school.

Joseph Zaki

Co-op Student

B.S. Northeastern University 2018

Strange but true: Joe once broke his tooth down the middle eating a soft-shell taco.

Fae Kayarian

Co-op Student

B.S. Northeastern University 2019

Strange but true: When Fae was eight years old, she was featured on America's Funniest Home Videos with her neighbors and their adorable black lab, Sawyer.

Lauren Coritt

Co-op Student

B.S. Northeastern University 2017

Strange but true: Lauren broke her clavicle running the 50 yard dash. She would have won first place had she fallen forward, instead of sideways.

Paneed Jalili

Co-op Student

B.S. Northeastern University 2020

Strange but true: Paneed has the same birthday as Soulja Boy.

Angie Michaiel

Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S. UC Davis
Ph.D. University of Oregon

angiemicha at gmail.com
617-432-7971

Strange but true: Angie has had many strange pets over the years, including an octopus.

Jeffrey Markowitz

Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S., Johns Hopkins University
PhD, Boston University

jeffrey_markowitz at hms.harvard.edu
617-432-7971

Strange but true: Jeff has two webbed toes on each foot.

Brendan Mullaly

Co-op Student

B.S., Northeastern University, expected 2021

Strange but true: When Brendan was a kid, he had a pathological fear of chickens

Julie Murmann

Co-op Student

B.S., Northeastern University, expected 2021

Strange but true: Julie went to school with Malia Obama

Johanna Rajotte

Co-op Student

B.S., Northeastern University, expected 2021

Strange but true: When Johanna was 5, she shut down Walmart by hiding in a clothes rack

Jeffrey Wood

Research Assistant

B.S., Northeastern University

Jeffrey_Wood at hms.harvard.edu

Strange but true: When Jeff was 8, he was playing with fireworks and accidentally set his arm on fire

Alexandra Bespalko

Co-op Student

B.S., Northeastern University, expected 2021

Strange but true: Allie's studio competed against Abby Lee's studio on Dance Moms

Amit Prasad

Visiting High School Student

Stuyvesant High School, diploma expected 2021

Strange but true: Amit freezes his grapes before eating them

Utsab Majumdar

Visiting Master's Student

B.Sc., Presidency University, Kolkata
M.Sc, Banares Hindu University, expected 2020

Strange but true: When Utsab was 5, he fought off two doctors and a nurse to avoid getting a shot

Ayman Zeine

Senior Computer Scientist

B.S., Lehigh University

ayman_zeine at hms.harvard.edu

Strange but true: Ayman didn't eat a strawberry until he was 18

Stan Pashkovski

Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S. Brandeis University
Ph.D. Harvard University

pashkovs at fas.harvard.edu
617-432-7971

Strange but true: Stan can eat a pound of peanut M&Ms in under two minutes.

Sam Jones

High School Intern

Newton South High School (diploma expected 2021)

samuelcaronnajones at gmail.com
617-432-7971

Strange but true: Sam broke his leg before he turned two.

Ryley Harris

Co-op Student

B.S. Northeastern University (expected 2022)

harris.ryl at northeastern.edu
617-969-1799

Strange but true: Ryley competed in the world championship for Irish dance when she 12

Janet Berrios Wallace

Administrative Coordinator

B.A., UNC Chapel Hill
Ph.D., UNC Chapel Hill

Janet_Wallace at hms.harvard.edu
617-432-7971

Strange but true: Until she was 30 Janet thought that "drumettes" were drumsticks from exceptionally small chickens.

Nigel Hunter

Post-baccalaureate Fellow

B.S., Morehouse College
M.S., Morehouse School of Medicine

jhunter.nigel15 at gmail.com

Strange but true: Nigel can crack nuts barehanded.

Sandeep Robert Datta, MD, Ph.D Department of Neurobiology Harvard Medical School