Suraj Sundara Vasanthi BVSc & AH, MVSc, PhD – Post doctoral candidate
surajsv@iastate.edu
Suraj is a post doctoral candidate whose research focuses on understanding organophosphate-induced epilepsy. Suraj’s research is characterized by a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on insights from fields such as neuroscience and pharmacology. Explicitly, he has been aiming to optimize the novel neuroprotective efficacy of therapeutic agents such as 1400W and saracatinib targeting neuroinflammatory pathways in organophosphate models of epilepsy.

Sirisha Parameswaran DVM – Graduate Student
sirisha@iastate.edu
Sirisha Parameswaran holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry (equivalent to DVM) from India and is currently a first year PhD student in Dr Thippeswamy’s lab. She is also currently completing her Master’s from VMPM department at Iowa State University. Additionally, she has also cleared her North American Veterinary License Examination (NAVLE) and is on the path to be certified veterinarian through the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) program. She is a veterinarian with a profound passion for advancing biomedical knowledge and improving healthcare outcomes. Her research interests lie at the intersection of veterinary medicine, laboratory animal science and human medicine. With a strong commitment to the ethical and humane treatment of laboratory animals, Sirisha aspires to leverage her veterinary expertise to bridge the gap between clinical practice and experimental research, ultimately making meaningful contributions to the advancement of medical science. Beyond her academic and research pursuits, she is also a skilled Indian classical dancer, bringing creativity and discipline to every aspect of her work.

Mudith Ekanayake BSc, MS – Research Technician II

mudith@iastate.edu

Mudith is a researcher with strong background in bioinformatics, genomics, and molecular biology. He holds a Master’s degree in Genetics and Genomics from Iowa State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Bioinformatics from the University of Colombo. His graduate research focused on comparative genomics of demosponges, involving genome assembly, annotation, mt-tRNA import, and evolutionary analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear features—providing insights into early animal evolution and gene conservation. His current research interests lie at the intersection of neuroscience and molecular biology, and he is passionate about applying scientific techniques to support advancements in neurological research.

Abigail Gibson

Abby is a junior majoring in Psychology with an interest in becoming a child life specialist.

Christine I Murphy

Christine is a Biochemistry major at Iowa State University on the pre-med track. Originally from California, she joined ISU through NROTC and is preparing to commission as a naval officer. [He/She/They] is passionate about research related to the brain and medicine.

Chelsea Jimenez

Chelsea is a senior undergraduate majoring in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology. She is on the Pre-Physican Assistant track with plans to pursue a career in Pediatrics.

Diana C Lebron Ortiz

Diana is a senior majoring in Biology (Pre-Med) with a minor in Spanish, and she plans to attend medical school.

Doan P Hung

Doan (Evan) is a junior at Iowa State University studying Software Engineering. He works on data analysis, helping the team locate and format datasets using Python.

Ethan Sproule

Ethan is a junior majoring in Biology with a minor in Philosophy on the pre-med track, interested in pursuing a career in orthopedics or oncology.

Grace Ann Lacanglacang

Grace is an Animal Science major on the pre-veterinary track, and she enjoys contributing to our research.

Eliza Beebout

Eliza is a sophomore studying Genetics on the pre-med track.

Jacob Olsen

Jacob is a third-year genetics major.

Christopher Buchwald

Chris is a junior majoring in Kinesiology and minoring in Biology. He is a pre-med student interested in Orthopedic Surgery or Sports Medicine.