People

Joe joined the Mattis lab at its inception in 2022. Hailing from Livonia, MI, he completed his B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Cellular & Molecular Biology at Albion College in 2013. Since then, he has worked as a technician and manager in multiple labs at the University of Michigan, each with a focus on neurobiology. His greatest non-scientific passion has always been music, and he enjoys occasional piano gigs around southeast Michigan.

Yiannos joined the lab as a 5th year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, where he is triple-majoring in Cognitive Science, Computer Science, and Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN). He hopes to pursue an MD-PhD and go on to do brain-related research. In his free time he enjoys playing video games, juggling, and reading fantasy books.

Juan joined the lab as a sophomore at the University of Michigan majoring in neuroscience on the premed track. He previously worked in an ovarian cancer research lab as a research assistant with the university’s College of Pharmacy. In his free time, he enjoys binge-watching, weightlifting, and learning how to cook his family’s recipes.

Nagham joined the lab as a rising sophomore at the University of Michigan, where she is studying Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and minoring in Medical Anthropology. After graduating, she hopes to attend medical school and pursue a career as a physician. Nagham enjoys playing tennis, reading poetry, and learning new recipes during her free time.

Julia joined the Mattis Lab after graduating in 2022 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a double minor in History of Medicine & Health and Medieval and Early Modern Studies from the University of Michigan. In her undergraduate years, she worked on studying addiction mechanisms in the ventral pallidum, and was briefly involved in respiratory neuroscience. In her free time, she can be found rating Ann Arbor coffee shops, watching terrible movies, and powerlifting.

Rida joined the lab as a rising sophomore at the University of Michigan, where she is studying Philosophy and Neuroscience on the pre med track. Previously, she worked in a quality improvement study as a research assistant at U of M’s department of pulmonary and critical care. Outside of work and school, Rida enjoys writing, learning random conspiracy theories, and running.

Chandni graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Florida and then worked as a lab technician at NYU before joining the Neuroscience Graduate Program at UM. Her previous projects focused on using machine learning to decode human EEG data at UF and developing a novel meso-scale optoacoustic imaging system at NYU. Outside of the lab, she enjoys watercolor painting, hiking, hanging out with friends, trying new places to eat, and learning about everyone’s personality type!

Krystal graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey Campus with a B.S. in Biology in 2022. As an undergraduate, she studied how the brain regulates feeding and energy balance behaviors, how spinal cord circuits enact motor control, and neuropeptide-mediated pain pathways. She enjoys participating in science outreach activities catered to underrepresented communities and helping students find their potential in STEM. In her free time she likes baking, playing with her cats, weightlifting, and birdwatching.

Limei received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). After graduation, she worked as a Research Associate at the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, CAS. In 2019, she began a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position at the University of Michigan, initially in Dr. Bing Ye’s laboratory. She joined the Mattis lab February 2023. In her free time, she enjoys reading and painting.