Meet the 2024 Community Leaders!

[Sam Staples]

Please comment on this post to share you personal biography with the SfN Community! 

[Brandon Coventry]

Hello! My name is Dr. Brandon Coventry, and I'm very excited to be a member of the Neuronline community leaders!

Before beginning my journey into neuroscience and neuroengineering, I was a touring musician, playing music across the United States with a wide variety of pop, funk, punk, and jazz professionals. During this time, I was also studying music at the University of Illinois which allowed for both study and a professional musician lifestyle. However, medical science and engineering was a persistent itch I knew I needed to scratch.

I moved to St. Louis and received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Saint Louis University, doing research in biomedical signal processing. I then received my master's degree in electrical and computer engineering and a Ph.D. in Neural Engineering from Purdue University (go Boilers!) in 2021 where I studied novel optical deep brain stimulation technologies and artificially intelligent responsive neuromodulation.

I am currently a postdoctoral research associate at the Wisconsin Institute for Transnational Neuroengineering (WITNe) housed in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Surgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At WITNe, I am keenly interested in the neuroscience underlying neuromodulation and developing next-generation tools to facilitate more intricate insights into neural circuit function. I would love to continue in the academic world and am hoping to obtain an assistant professorship in the relatively near future.

In my (increasingly decreasing) free time, I am still a freelance session musician and film composer with many of my works shown in venues across the world. I also have a keen interest in good coffee and am in constant search for the next best latte.

[Hugo Sanchez-Castillo]

Greetings fellow scientists!!

My name is Hugo Sanchez-Castillo, I'm from Mexico and its wonderful to be a Community Leader for this year!!!... 

I'm a Scientist from Mexico, my bachelor was in Experimental Psychology at the National University of Mexico. At that time I encountered myself with the behavioral pharmacology and I decided to follow the effects of drugs on the behavior. After that I did my PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience looking for the pharmacological basis of Timing Behavior. In that exciting years I knew the Timing gang from New York and I decided to follow they in the University of Columbia for my Postdoctoral formation. During this time I shared thoughts, science, meals, music and more with excelent researchers of NY. After that, I returned to Mexico and founded the Neuropsychopharmacology and Timing Laboratory. Actually we are working in the neurobiology of stress and PTSD related affections, and obviously The pharmacology of timing behavior. Besides the research Im professor of Psychopharmacology and Biological Basis of Behavior.

Personally, I love science, music, movies, science fiction, BBQ the Mexican food (yes, Im from Mexico and I love our food!!!) and I LOVE THE SFN MEETING!... 

I hope to engage nice chats and conversations about diversity, science, movies and more!!!....

[Diego Rolando Hernández Espinosa]

Hey there! My name is Diego, and I'm a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. I'm passionate about understanding how our nervous system responds to inflammation and finding ways to improve neuronal survival after injury. I received my MD degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico School of Medicine in 2012, and then pursued a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences with a focus on neuropathology from the same institution.

Apart from my research, I love sharing knowledge with people from all walks of life, and I'm particularly interested in promoting scientific awareness for the betterment of society. As a mentor, I strive to create an environment that fosters personal and academic growth, as well as overall well-being, for young scientists who are eager to learn and make a positive impact on the world.

[valeria muoio]

Hello everybody!
My name is Valeria Muoio and I am a neurosurgeon at the University of Sao Paulo, in Brazil. I have always been a person who is unhappy with the outcome of some neurological diseases, especially in children, and for that reason, I got involved in research. I obtained my doctorate at the University of São Paulo with a period at Johns Hopkins University. Afterwards, I worked as a researcher at Charite University in Berlin.
Currently, I work as a neurosurgeon and researcher at the University of São Paulo.
I am fascinated by people, in their incredible richness and diversity. I believe I take this passion to my medical students, and try to show how vital neuroscience is - it not only explains our ailments but also explains who we are. Last year, I had the honor of participating as SFN's Community Leader, and I can say that being part of such a group changed many aspects of my career. For this year, I am excitedly preparing my department's Brain Awareness Week, where hundreds of students in different states of Brazil will participate. And of course, I intend to serve and participate in SFN with all the excellent opportunities and people it brings together.

Cheers to all!

[Daisy Gallardo]

Hello SfN community!

I am thrilled to be a Neuronline Community Leader. My name is Daisy Gallardo, and I'm a third year PhD Candidate in the Anatomy and Neurobiology department at the University of California, Irvine.

My research focuses on neurodegeneration in an Alzheimer’s disease model, exploring how neuronal death could be delayed or reduced. I'm interested in mechanistic changes that occur as neurons age and how this could inform our approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease. My research interests align with my lifestyle interests, including topics like aging and non-pharmacological approaches to disease prevention, such as exercise. I’m an avid runner and participate in strength/running races, marathons and obstacle course races. 

 I’m excited to engage with all of you in critical discussions and learn from diverse perspectives.

[Jayalakshmi Viswanathan]

Hello Neuonliners! I am honored by the opportunity to contribute to this wonderful community and am looking forward to serving as a community leader for this year. I’m Jaya Viswanathan, a neuroscientist, engineer, author, and artist born and raised in India. I earned a Master’s in neuroscience and a Doctorate in cognitive neuroscience before working as a post-doctoral fellow. I am currently a KGS Contractor Program Analyst in the Division of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging where I support program development to achieve the research goals of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This includes efforts to improve the rigor and reproducibility in published research through the Alzheimer’s disease Preclinical Efficacy Database (AlzPED), as well as using open science and big data approaches to address the big neuroscience questions.

Apart from my scientific pursuits, or rather, in parallel to them, I have been passionate about communicating science and making scientific concepts more accessible to a lay audience. In service to that goal, I authored and illustrated an award-winning neuroscience and neuroart book for children, Baby Senses: A Sensory Neuroscience Primer for All Ages (https://babysensesbook.com/). I also wrote a neuronline article about neuroscience education (https://neuronline.sfn.org/outreach/inspiring-young-scientists-through-art-science-and-poetry), and have been a guest on numerous educational video /audio podcast episodes in the service of the same goal (https://babysensesbook.com/brains-art-and-more/).

As a Neuronline community leader I hope to contribute to generating resources for neuroscience communication, supporting career development for diverse neuroscientists, developing resources for conducting rigorous and reproducible science, and enhancing the dialogue between neuroscience and society on various issues.

[Sai Lavanya Patnala]

On 1/9/2024 at 10:03 PM, Sam Staples said:

Please comment on this post to share you personal biography with the SfN Community! 

Hello everyone! My name is Lavanya and I am a medical student from India. My budding interest in Neurology brought me here. I am excited to be a part of this amazing online community and to be a Neuronline community leader. As a Neuronline community leader, I hope to actively engage in conversations and learn from everyone's perspectives.

During my first year at medical school, I had the most fun learning neuroanatomy. The dissection of the brain and its structures fascinated me. It was much later, during the COVID-19 pandemic that I first realized my interest in Neurology. What began as a casual exploration of online courses transformed into a genuine passion for Behavioral Neurology. I believe that there is a vast scope of research at the intersection of neuroscience and behavior. As I nurtured this interest, I became more curious and observant of my daily life. I was inspired to conduct a study to find the prevalence of migraine, its disability, and its impact on sleep quality among undergraduate medical students. 

I am currently an intern and have just begun my journey to residency. Although I am not actively involved with any ongoing neuroscience research right now, I am excited to learn from all the community leaders worldwide and understand the scope of research going on in the field. I am enthusiastic to interact with experienced scientists and learn their worldview, as well I am excited at the prospect of any collaboration.

Apart from my curriculum, I enjoy cooking and baking. I also occasionally make short video content. I believe the food we eat not only affects our gut health but, also majorly affects our mood and energy levels. My goal for this year is to integrate my passion for cooking with my interest in Neuroscience. 

Looking forward to interacting with everyone throughout the year!