Meet our Lab!
Lucas Cheadle, PhD
(he/him/his)
Principal Investigator
Lucas received his PhD in neuroscience from Yale University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School before joining Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory as an assistant professor in 2020. Originally from the Chickasaw Nation in rural Oklahoma, Lucas is passionate about research, mentorship, and promoting diversity in academic science. When not in lab, Lucas enjoys weight lifting, playing the banjo and guitar, and hanging out with his cat, Charlie.
Austin Ferro, PhD
(he/him/his)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Austin recently received his PhD from the University of Minnesota. He is interested in the beautiful interactions between neurons and glia in the brain. When he is not at lab you can find him romping in the woods with his dog Ollie or watching movies with his cat Momo.
Jessica Kahng
(she/her/hers)
Graduate Student
Jessica is a graduate student currently pursuing her Ph.D. at CSHL's School of Biological Sciences. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College in 2020. She is currently interested in studying the role of glia during neurodevelopment. When not researching, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and reading comics.
Samantha Tang
(she/her/hers)
Graduate Student
Samantha is a Ph.D. student in Stony Brook University’s Neurobiology and Behavior program. She grew up in Malaysia and obtained her bachelor’s degree at The Ohio State University. Since the aberrant reactivation of neurodevelopmental mechanisms are seen in neurodegenerative diseases, her project explores the contribution of glia in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. When not in lab, she enjoys visiting art museums in the city, being in the outdoors, catching up on movies and listening to podcasts.
Irene Sanchez Martin, DVM, PhD
(she/her/hers)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Irene is originally from Spain and did her PhD in Developmental Biology at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France where she gained expertise in several fields. She is a clinician in veterinary medicine and has a passion for molecular medicine and immunology. Her project focuses on correlating genetics with microglia function in a model of maternal immune activation. When she is not in the lab, she is hiking in the forest or exploring the city.
Justin Park
(he/him/his)
Laboratory Manager
Justin graduated with a B.S. in Biology and is currently finishing his M.S. in Pharmacology at Stony Brook University. His passions outside of science are tennis, forming loving relationships, and video games. In addition, music, philosophy, nature, and food gets him out of bed!
Qianyu Lin, PhD
(he/him/his)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Lin is from China and recently received his PhD from Tsinghua University. He is interested in the cell-cell communications and cell heterogeneity in single-cell resolution in brain tissues. Outside the lab, he enjoys running, playing badminton, swimming, and playing video games.
Chao Zhang, PhD
(he/him/his)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Chao received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Lehigh University, PA USA. He is interested in unveiling the global factors that sculpt the delicate circuitry and complex function in developing brain. Having been trained in both in vivo and in vitro electrophysiology, he is obsessed with maneuvers that require extreme precision, which is why he always keeps his snooker cue in the car.
Aisha Ademola
(she/her/hers)
Research Technician
Aisha graduated from the University of South Florida with a BS in biomedical sciences and a minor in aging studies. She is interested in neuroimmunology, particularly the role of microglia in development. Outside the lab, she is passionate about music, reading, and cooking.
Dominic Vita, PhD
(he/him/his)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dominic completed his PhD at Vanderbilt University exploring the molecular mechanisms underpinning circuit remodeling defects associated with the neurodevelopmental disorder fragile X syndrome. Following this he completed a small postdoc studying the development of orientation selectivity in the retina. His current interests are in understanding the intra- and intercellular signaling mechanisms that govern the malleability and adaptability of the nervous system and how these paradigms are misregulated in disease. When not in the lab he enjoys adventuring in nature, writing music, and ballroom dancing.
Valerie Bagan
(she/her/hers)
Veterinary Technician
Valerie got her AS in liberal sciences from NCC and is an AALAS certified Laboratory animal technician. She will be managing our ever growing and ever changing mouse colony. She’s passionate about animals. When not in the lab she enjoys spending time with her dogs, reading, gardening and traveling with her family. She has visited over 25 different countries and counting.
Trevor Fallon
(he/him/his)
Research Intern
Trevor graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in neuroscience and a minor in chemistry. He is interested in how glia influence neurodevelopment and the effects of inflammation on the brain. Trevor has been captivated by science since a young age, and his passion has led him to pursue a future Ph.D. in neuroscience. Outside of the lab, he enjoys cooking, playing video games, and racket sports like ping pong and tennis.
Lisa Kimoto
(she/her/hers)
Administrative Assistant
Lisa was born and raised on Long Island. She supports 3 Neuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Lab including Dr. Cheadle. She received her BA degree at Stony Brook University. When not at the lab, Lisa enjoys hiking, gardening, playing Mah Jongg and traveling.
Lab Alums
Yohan Auguste
(he/him/his)
Research Technician I
Yohan is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Stanford University.
Uma Vrudhula
(she/her/hers)
Research Technician I
Uma is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Arizona.
Anne-Sarah Nichitiu
(she/her/hers)
Partners for the Future Student
Anne-Sarah is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience at Dartmouth College.
André Machado Xavier, PhD
(he/him/his)
Postdoctoral Fellow
André is currently a research fellow at Universidade de São Paulo (USP) - Chemistry Institute - Biochemistry department.
Anosha Arshad M.S
(she/her/hers)
Graduate Student
Anosha is currently pursuing her PhD at SUNY Downstate.
Chris Kang
(he/him/his)
Research Technician I
Chris is currently pursuing an M.D. degree at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Daniel DiMartino
(he/him/his)
PREP Scholar
Daniel DiMartino is currently pursuing his PhD at Harvard University Division of Medical Sciences.