Team

Kanishka Balamurugan

Kanishka Balamurugan is a first-year Neuroscience and Cognitive Science graduate student at the University of Maryland, with interests in the gut-brain axis. In the Herberholz lab, she studies the effects of tryptophan on crayfish behavior, serotonin signaling, and microbiota. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, and playing video games.

Ibrahim Sartaj

Ibrahim Sartaj is a second-year Neuroscience and Cognitive Science graduate student at the University of Maryland. In the Herberholz lab, he studies circuit function in crayfish using electrophysiology following social isolation and alcohol exposure. Outside the lab, he enjoys hiking and finding the best cafes in the DMV area.

Reid Doctor

Reid Doctor is a fifth-year Neuroscience and Cognitive Science graduate student at the University of Maryland, co-advised with Dr. Harry Burgess at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. In the Herberholz lab, he studies how isolation affects the gut microbiome, and how that can be undone. In his free time, he enjoys playing board games and skiing.

Nandita Gupta

Nandita Gupta is a senior biology major at the University of Maryland with an interest in going to medical school in the future. In the Herberholz lab, they study gut histology under different social and starvation conditions. In their free time, they enjoy reading, cooking, and painting.

Ethan Tucker

Ethan Tucker is a senior Neuroscience major at the University of Maryland, with interests in behavioral research and wants to pursue emergency medicine after college. In the Herberholz lab, they work on the three-chambered sociability experiment. In their free time, they enjoy collecting vinyl records, photography, and hiking.

Matthew Williams

Matthew Williams is a senior biology major at the University of Maryland, interested in pursuing a career as a pediatrician. In the Herberholz lab, they work on a project analyzing how physical and social environments affect the alcohol sensitivity of crayfish. In their free time, they enjoy running, fishing, and kicking field goals.

Jamie Bernardo

Jamie Bernardo is a junior Neuroscience major with minors in General Business and Asian American Studies at the University of Maryland, interested in pursuing medical school and healthcare policies impacting administration, cost, and accessibility of medical treatment. In the Herberholz lab, she works on investigating the effects of long-term social dominance or subordination on ethanol-induced behaviors and physiological outcomes in crayfish. In her free time, she enjoys making ceramics, reading, running, and trying new recipes.

Jasper Hood Coles

Jasper Coles Hood is a junior neuroscience and computer science double degree at the University of Maryland. He has interests in computational neuroscience and biological information storage, and he plans to go to grad school. In the Herberholz lab, he works on how tank size affects ethanol response, chronic ethanol exposure, and gut waveform analysis. In his free time, he is an avid freediver, sailor, and tennis player.

Priyal Dhingra

Priyal Dhingra is a junior general biology major at the University of Maryland, with an interest in pursuing dental school and researching disparities in access to oral healthcare to promote health equity in dentistry. In the Herberholz lab, she works on investigating blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in crayfish under isolated and communal conditions, correlating BAC levels with specific behavioral responses such as tail flipping and the supine position. In her free time, she enjoys interior designing and nail art.

Ha-Yeon Jeon

Ha-Yeon Jeon is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a dual degree in neuroscience and public policy at the University of Maryland. She is passionate about pediatric dentistry for youth with special needs and policies that bridge the connection between oral and systemic health. In the Herberholz lab, she investigates how anxiety in crayfish is expressed behaviorally. In her free time, she enjoys going to second-hand bookstores, making origami flowers, and exploring the outdoors.

Emily Paranzino

Emily Paranzino is a sophomore neuroscience major at the University of Maryland interested in cognitive neuroscience. In the Herberholz lab, she works on the Sociability project, studying crayfish social preferences. In her free time, she enjoys music and playing frisbee.

Maricka Sembria

Maricka Sembria is a sophomore cellular biology & molecular genetics and psychology double major at the University of Maryland, with interests in brain cancer research and going to medical school. In the Herberholz lab, she works on The Shadow Project, analyzing how juvenile crayfish decision making is influenced by alcohol exposure. In her free time, she enjoys art, fashion, and video games.