People

I received my PhD in 2011 from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago under the mentorship of Dr. Peter Penzes. For my graduate thesis project, I assessed the impact of a gene implicated in schizophrenia by creating the first genetically modified mouse of this gene and determined the consequent effects on synaptic structure and function, and on specific disease-associated behavioral phenotypes. I then led efforts that identified novel synaptic complexes and signal transduction pathways that the associated protein product of this gene function in, and characterized the functional outcome of a rare coding mutation in this gene we subsequently identified in a schizophrenia subject.

Following graduate school, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Eric Nestler at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. My postdoctoral research focused on understanding the genomic and biochemical mechanisms that mediate the effects of exposure to drugs of abuse on synapse remodeling in brain reward regions. Further, using a combination of viral-mediated gene transfer, in vivo circuit mapping, and in vivo optogenetics, my work determined how alterations in the functional connectivity between different brain reward circuits contribute to the effects of drugs of abuse on synaptic alterations and on addiction-relevant behavioral responses.

I joined UW-Madison in 2017, and my independent research lab investigates the molecular and biochemical mechanisms that regulate synaptic structural and functional plasticity and assesses how aberrations in plasticity impact specific behavioral phenotypes, such as cognition, anxiety, sociability, and repetitive behaviors. Relevant experience includes over 15 years performing synaptic imaging and quantification, and over 10 years of experience conducting circuit mapping, viral-mediated gene transfer, and in vivo circuit manipulation studies.

Most of my free time is spent with my family and watching my three daughters pursue a variety of interests including competitive swimming, softball, soccer, and Irish dancing. My children also are enthusiastic about riding horses in the Wisconsin countryside during the summer months. I personally enjoy a variety of water sports, including water skiing, and most recently, I have added paddle boarding as a hobby that I can enjoy with my children.

I am a Research Associate in the Cahill and Baker labs. I got my PhD from the University of Notre Dame in microbiology where I developed a novel urinary catheter material to reduce infection during catheterization. I got my undergraduate degree from Concordia College Moorhead and was part of a research group looking at age related differences in axonal sprouting following injury. Outside of the lab I go on adventures with my dog and cat and coach high school track.

I’m a Ph.D student and ICTR/NIH TL1 Predoctoral Fellow in the Cahill Lab, studying the underlying mechanisms of debilitating neuropsychiatric conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). My ultimate goal is to study & develop novel therapeutic targets for OCD with a particular interest in the mechanisms of action driving psychedelic & psychoplastogenic compounds. Above all, I hope to help lessen unnecessary human suffering. I earned my M.S. in Neuroscience from University of Texas-Dallas, and earned my B.S. in psychology as a non-traditional student. My previous research in Dr. Ben Kolber’s lab studied the cellular- & systems-level mechanisms driving the hemispheric lateralization of the central amygdala in chronic pain. I also conducted psychedelic research to study the effects of psychedelic-assisted therapy for PTSD on comorbid OCD across several disciplines.

All of my work is informed by my lived experience with OCD, PTSD, cancer, chronic illnesses, and disabilities. My survivorship serves as the bedrock of my advocacy, carried out through my work as a public speaker, science communicator, & host of the podcast ‘A Chat with Uma.’ I serve on the Board of Directors for the Intercollegiate Psychedelics Network (IPN) as the Director of Strategy. I also serve as an Advocate for the International OCD Foundation and as Vice President of OCD Wisconsin, facilitating IOCDF initiatives through neurobiology education projects & raising awareness for OCD and mental health in historically excluded populations. I’m also a board member for Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Upper Midwest Chapter, organizing mental health science communication & outreach initiatives.

I am a doctoral student in the Neuroscience Training Program at UW-Madison. I received my B.S. in neuroscience and sociology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2018. My primary area of research in the Cahill lab focuses on understanding the cellular signaling pathways that underly dendritic spine structural plasticity in cognition. I am also interested in neuro-psychiatic disorders and understanding the role that structural plasticity plays in disease states. When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy playing volleyball, paddle boarding on lake Monona, and playing polo!

I graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in French from Aquinas College in 2014. Prior to joining the Cahill Lab, I received my Master of Biology at Northern Michigan University in 2017. During my time at Northern, I successfully characterized the anatomical expression of a novel neuropeptide, TMEM35, in the hamster brain, defining sex differences in expression. Further, I described the effects of ovarian hormones on anatomical expression patterns (PI: Dr. Valerie Hedges). Currently, I am a Graduate Student in the Endocrinology and Reproductive and Physiology department. I’ve always thought of myself as a huge advocate for translational research that investigates sex and gender. Basic and preclinical research has historically been more often focused in males, which results in health care for women being based solely on findings from studies of men. I believe that to truly understand the biological processes that underlie human disorders, it is of value to scientific research to consider sex as a biological variable and thus how sex influences these same biological processes.  Outside of lab, I like to hang out with my cats, travel, run, ride my bike, play cribbage, and take naps.