People

Principle Investigator

Mary Kay Lobo, PhD
Principal Investigator
mklobo@som.umaryland.edu, Pubmed
Mary Kay was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She received her B.S. in Biology with an minor in Anthropology at UCLA. She stayed on at UCLA for her P.h.D in Neuroscience in X. William Yang's Lab. She then moved to Dallas, Texas to start her Postdoc with Eric Nestler at UT Southwestern and one year later moved with the Nestler lab to Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, NY. Mary Kay joined the department of Anatomy and Neurobiology in 2011. When she is not busy with science she is hanging out with her rescue pups, Baloo and Maisie.

Research Associates

Ramesh Chandra, PhD
Research Associate
rchandra@umaryland.edu, Pubmed
Ramesh obtained his Ph.D. degree in Zoology in 2010 from Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India. He joined Dr. Lobo’s lab as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in July 2012 to utilize his extensive Molecular Biology skills in the field of Neuroscience. His current research project broadly focuses on cell type specific transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms in the two nucleus accumbens (NAc) projection neurons in cocaine abuse. He is using molecular approaches to manipulate gene expression in the two NAc projection neurons to determine their role in cocaine mediated behaviors. In his free time he likes to explore Baltimore and eat Chinese food.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Michel Engeln, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pubmed
mengeln@som.umaryland.edu
After receiving a bachelor in Psychology and a master in Neuroscience from the Strasbourg University in France, Michel obtained a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Bordeaux University (France) in October 2013. His Ph.D. work led him to study the effects of dopaminergic medications on both motor dysfunctions and addiction-like behaviors reported in Parkinson’s disease. Recently, he crossed the ocean and joined Mary Kay Lobo’s lab as a postdoctoral fellow under a MILDT fellowship. His project focuses on cocaine-induced cell-type specific epigenetic modifications in the ventral pallidum, one of the main nucleus accumbens projection regions. Aside from science, Michel enjoys listening and playing post-rock music.

Hyungwoo Nam, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pubmed
HNam@som.umaryland.edu
After receiving my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, I came to United States in 2010 to pursue a doctoral degree. In 2015, I graduated with a Ph.D. in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental biology from University of Alabama at Birmingham, where I studied how stress-induced depression-like behavior of rats can be mediated by brainstem norepinephrine circuits. Now in Baltimore in the Lobo Lab, I will be looking at stress-induced behavior of rodents in a new perspective, studying the role of D2-medium spiny neurons in the nucleus using genetically-engineered mouse models. In my free time, I love to watch basketball games, play tennis, and ride my bicycle.

Meg Fox, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pubmed
MFox@som.umaryland.edu
After receiving a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Biology from Florida Gulf Coast University, Meg obtained a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2016. Her Ph.D. work focused on measuring real-time catecholamine release in animal models of stress-disorders and drug-addiction, and on the opposing nature of dopaminergic and noradrenergic signaling. She joined the Lobo lab as a postdoctoral fellow to work on cell-type specific molecular adaptations in the nucleus accumbens following repeated stress or opiate withdrawal. Outside of the lab, Meg enjoys hiking, cooking, and hanging out with her two cats Sambuca and Amstel.

Shannon Cole, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pubmed
ShannonCole@som.umaryland.edu
After receiving a B.S. in Psychology from Texas A&M University, Shannon obtained a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 2017. His doctoral work focused on understanding how the nucleus accumbens produces both incentive and fearful motivations. Shannon recently joined the lab as a postdoctoral fellow where he is excited to be working on how molecular changes in neuron subpopulations and inputs to the nucleus accumbens mediate addiction and depression. Outside of the lab, Shannon enjoys spending time cooking and hanging out with his family, talking with people, and exploring cities.

Cali Calarco, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Pubmed
ccalarco@som.umaryland.edu
After receiving a B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior from Vassar College, with a minor in Art History, Cali obtained a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Yale University in 2018. Her Ph.D. work focused on understanding nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression and function in the hypothalamus with respect to the regulation of food intake after nicotine exposure. Cali joined the Lobo Lab as a postdoctoral fellow to study the cell-type selective changes in mitochondrial dynamics and gene expression in the nucleus accumbens after exposure to drugs of abuse. Cali is interested in science education, mental health advocacy, community science outreach, and promoting diversity in STEM. Outside the lab, Cali enjoys cooking, reading, listening to podcasts, tap dancing, and exploring Baltimore.

PhD Students

Eric Choi
Ph.D. Student, Pubmed
eric.choi@som.umaryland.edu
After completing bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences in 2014 from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Eric spent two years as a research technologist at the Schizophrenia Center of the Johns Hopkins University. During this time, his study focused mainly on neuroimmunology and the role of GSTM1 in astrocyte-microglia communication under inflammation. In the summer of 2018, Eric joined the Lobo Lab as a rotation student, and quickly made the wise decision to join the lab as a thesis student. His current interest is to develop cell type specific CRISPR targeted histone modification tools to study how drug induced post translational modifications in the nucleus accumbens lead to changes in behavior. Outside of the lab, Eric enjoys trying out new and exciting restaurants around Baltimore, and hanging out with his friends and family.

Daniela Franco
Ph.D. Student, Meyerhoff Fellow
daniela.franco@som.umaryland.edu
Daniela received her B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Psychological Research from California State University, Long Beach. Her master’s thesis focused on the potential long-lasting consequences of drug exposure in an animal model of adolescence. In the summer of 2019, Daniela joined the Lobo Lab as a rotation student before making the easy decision to join the lab for her Ph.D. studies in the Spring of 2020. Her current research interests involve examining the molecular and behavioral consequences of social stress on reward and motivation with a special interest in nucleus accumbens neuron-microglia interactions. Outside of the lab, Daniela enjoys drawing, photography, coffee shops, and exploring Baltimore.

Research Assistants

Makeda Turner, BA
Lab Research Technician Assistant
Makeda.Turner@som.umaryland.edu

Makeda received her bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences in 2018 from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She first joined the lab in 2017 as an undergraduate assistant, and then transitioned to full-time lab assistant in 2019. In the lab, Makeda enjoys naming the mice within the lab colony. Outside the lab, she enjoys eating food (mainly desserts) and reading.

Undergraduate Lab Assistants

Victoria Rhodes
Undergraduate Lab Assistant
vrhodes@som.umaryland.edu
Victoria is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County pursuing a degree in Biological Sciences. In the lab, Victoria assists with managing the mice colony and enjoys using the confocal microscope. Outside of the lab, Victoria enjoys hanging out with friends and family, baking desserts, and painting.

Katherine Duarte
Undergraduate Lab Assistant
kduarte@som.umaryland.edu
Katherine is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Research Volunteers

Darren Miller

Pali Keppetipola

Maya Harris

Summer Program Students

Ashley La- UM Scholar 2014, 2015
Jeremy Weiner - Prism Scholar 2015
Alison Gaynor- UM Scholar 2016
Amanda Chow- UM Scholar 2016
Julia Bazzini- UM Scholar 2016
Christopher Schiefer - PRISM Scholar 2017
Rae Herman - UM Scholar 2017
Emily Larkin- UM Scholar 2017
Madeleine McGlincy- PRISM Scholar 2017
Shavin Thomas- UM Scholar 2018
Torrance Wang- PRISM Scholar 2018
Michael Hong- PRISM Scholar 2018
Saskia Van Terheyden- PRISM Scholar 2019
Hyunjae Kim- UM Scholar- 2015, PRISM Scholar 2019

Lab Visitors

Jorge Miranda- Visiting PhD Student 2013
Genesis Dayrit- MARC Undergraduate Fellow 2013
Lace Riggs- Visiting Masters Student 2015
Gessynger Morais-Silva- Visiting PhD Student 2019
Marco Oreste F. Pagliusi Jr.- Visiting PhD Student 2019
Israel Garcia- Visiting PhD Student 2018, 2019

Lab Alumni

Eric Finkel, BS
Research Assistant
2011-2013
Current Position: Neuroscience Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins University

Chase Francis, PhD
Neuroscience PhD Student
2012-2016
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Morales Lab, NIDA IRP

Shweta Das, BS, MA
Research Assistant
2015-2016
Current Position: Medical Student at Trinity School of Medicine

Brianna Evans, BS
Research Assistant
2016-2018
Current Position: MD/PhD Student at Pennsylvania State University

Jeffrey Lenz, MS
Masters Student
2012-2013
Current Position:

Lucia Xiang- High School Researcher 2012
Meg Ryan- Undergraduate Researcher 2013-2014
Dipal Patel- Undergraduate Researcher 2013-2014
Leah Jensen- Undergraduate Researcher 2013-2014
Meranda Bobbit- Undergraduate Researcher 2013-2014
Ariunzaya Amgalan- Undergraduate Researcher 2013-2015
Akansha Girish- High School Researcher 2015
Alex Serafini- Undergraduate Researcher 2016
Jessica Kang- Undergraduate Researcher 2016
Shams Haider- Undergraduate Researcher 2016
Emily Huang- Undergraduate Lab Assistant 2017
Miranda Fennel- Lab Assistant 2017
Ishan Patel High School/Undergraduate Researcher 2018-2019
Paul Henderson- Lab Assistant 2018
Heather Brewer-Scotti- Masters Researcher 2018
Se Rin Lee Undergraduate Researcher 2019
Alexander Brown Undergraduate Researcher 2019