Lab Members

Zhiping Pang, MD, PhD

Principal Investigator

Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University

PhD UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 2007

Email Zhiping: pangzh[at]rwjms.rutgers.edu

postdoctoral fellows

Yi lu, pHD

Le Wang

PhD, Central South University of China

Hi this is Le a big fan of William Somerset Maugham and Marvel Cinematic Universe. My research interested in basic mechanism(s) of synaptic regulation in the mammalian brain and altered synaptic function associated with neuropsychiatric disorders.

Xindi Li

Postdoctoral Fellow

Graduate Students

Andrew Boreland

Ph.D. Candidate; Program in Molecular Biosciences, Rutgers University, B.A Genetics, Rutgers University

The human brain, and the consciousness it gives rise to, enables robust sensation and interpretation of the universe. Being the inquisitive species that we are, our yearning for truth has put us at the door of an era where we can now take the next step in finding out not only who we are, but more importantly, how we are. How is it that we can exist and perceive this world? The human brain is arguably the most complicated astoundingly beautiful phenomenon to ever exist. It is my devotion to uncover the truth of the brain, to understand its development and dysfunction, and to ultimately redefine the therapeutic space for those afflicted by brain injury and other neuropathology.

Denise Robles

NIH T32 Biotechnology training fellow

I am a Ph.D. student in Biomedical Engineering working with Drs. Pang and Jeffrey Zahn on a collaborative effort. Throughout my research career, my enthusiasm has been in the development of miniaturized technologies that closely model neurological systems and disorders. I previously graduated from the City College of New York with a bachelor’s degree with honors in Biomedical Engineering.

Vincent Mirabella

Graduate Student, MD/PhD Program, NIH NIMH F30 NRSA Pre-doctoral Fellowship

Fang Luo

Graduate Student, Neuroscience

Xiao su

Graduate Student, Molecular Biosciences PhD program

Jeremy Perrelle

Medical Student, RWJMS

I’m Jeremy Perrelle, a second-year medical student at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.  Originally from upstate New York, I have a passion for engineering, materials science, and working to solve clinical problems involving nerve regeneration.

Jasmine Gamboa

Medical Student, RWJMS

I’m a second-year medical student with a B.A. in Neuroscience from Amherst College. Before medical school, I conducted research on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and investigated the mechanisms responsible for restoring cognitive and motor skills following secondary blast TBI. I’m passionate about investigating the pathways of neural degeneration and regrowth, and motivated by the prospect of improving health outcomes for those affected by nervous system disorders.

Research Assistants

Yara Abbo

Hi! I graduated from Rutgers University in May 2022 with a degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience with a minor in Comparative Literature. I have worked at the Pang Lab since 2019 as an undergraduate research assistant and am continuing as a temporary research assistant during my gap year. My project involves studying the effects of ethanol exposure on glial activation and neuroinflammation using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived models.

Alessandro Stillitano

Hello everyone! My name is Alessandro Stillitano and I am working as a temporary research assistant. I graduated from University of Vermont with a degree in neuroscience with a minor in pharmacology. The project I am working on is looking at immunoregulatory and neuropathological changes of the brain with HIV infection using cerebral organoids as a model.

Rafael Gabriel III

Hey everyone! I graduated from UMASS Amherst with a biochemistry degree in 2021. There, I studied KO mutations in iN cell lines and developed an interest in neuroscience. I am working here as a research assistant, conducting experiments for multimodal profiling of neurons in human cortical organoids using Patch-sequencing.

Enkhjin Bat-Erdene, MD, MSc

Sneha Kapadia

I am a clinician with some background in translational Neuroscience. My research interests involve using in vitro models to better understand neurological disorders to build counteractive mechanisms for reversing disease physiology. At the Pang lab, I aim to diversify my scientific skills and grow as a scientist

Undergraduate Students

Rohan Savani

I’m an undergrad majoring in Cell Biology and Neuroscience within the School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program. In the lab, I’m excited to help work on behavioral analysis while broadly learning about neurobiology. Outside of this, I enjoy volunteering as an EMT, music, and reading.

Lasya Cheruvu

Hi everyone! I’m Lasya Cheruvu, an undergraduate student at Rutgers University majoring in Genetics with a minor in Data Science. My research interests include using neuronal models, such as iPSC-derived models, to study neurological disorders and how they disrupt cellular activity and neural circuitries, and to ultimately contribute to a better understanding of their molecular and genetic mechanisms to create precise and effective therapies in clinical medicine.

Lorraine Clark

Hi! I am a Cell Biology and Neuroscience major with a minor in Health and Society in the Rutgers University Honor’s College class of 2024. In the Pang lab I am learning the process of molecular cloning. Outside of school I am the second lieutenant for a volunteer ambulance squad, Boonton EMS, and I enjoy skiing.

Daarsh Goradia

My name is Daarsh, and I’m an undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Engineering. I currently work on behavioral analysis at the lab while simultaneously learning about the pathology of neural diseases and neurobiology. Outside of the lab, I enjoy working out and being a medical assistant.