​FLAVIO FROHLICH, PH.D. – PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Flavio’s goal is to revolutionize how we treat psychiatric illnesses. His vision is that understanding cortical state dynamics will enable the development of novel non-invasive brain stimulation paradigms that directly target pathological network dynamics. Flavio is convinced that such rational design of neurotherapeutics will open the door for individualized, highly effective brain stimulation in psychiatry. Flavio is passionate about combining different methodological approaches to scientific problems and hopes to establish the field of network neuroscience. Flavio's personal website is here and he maintains tacs.academy, an online resource about tACS. When Flavio is not busy in the lab (ever?), he enjoys being with his wife Anita and his four children (and future lab members).

AASIM KHAN- UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Aasim Khan is a second-year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. He is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Aasim is a research assistant at the Frohlich Lab and has research interests in the relationship between neural oscillations and higher cognitive functions such as attention and learning. In his free time, Aasim enjoys playing basketball, watching reruns of The Office, and spending time with his friends and family.

​AMBER MCFERREN – UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Amber McFerren is a senior undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience with minors in Chemistry and Public Policy. As a Research Assistant in the Frohlich Lab, she studies the connection between neural oscillations and cognition using noninvasive brain stimulation and neuroimaging techniques. She is particularly fascinated by the implications of this connection in regards to potential psychiatric treatments. In her free time, Amber enjoys teaching dance and baking.

ANITA FROHLICH, LL.M. - PROJECT MANAGER & SCHOLAR

​Anita loves to plan and organize. She (mostly) manages to convert her husband’s passions and the kids’ energy into a reasonably structured routine. As a homeschooling mom, Anita knows how to see things through from the beginning to the end. And her background as a comparative lawyer helps Anita to build bridges and find creative solutions to apparently unsurmountable obstacles. Anita’s wish is to help the Frohlich lab achieve its goal by optimizing the use of time and resources. In addition, Anita is on a journey to understand the neuroscience of conflict transformation in the context of psychiatric illnesses; she is a human translational and social neuroscience researcher in training. In her “free time” (an oxymoron for a mother of four kids!), Anita likes to play the cello and spend time in the garden.

​DAVIN RAMMANI – UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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​Davin Rammani is a first-year undergraduate student at UNC. He is pursuing a B.S.P.H in Biostatistics with a double minor in Chemistry and Computer Science. As a research assistant, he is interested in the relationship that exists between neural oscillations and cognitive functions. In his free time, Davin enjoys playing the piano, running, and cooking.

DJ PASSEY - GRADUATE STUDENT

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​DJ Passey is a first year PhD Student studying applied mathematics. He works for Oak Ridge National Lab developing deep learning algorithms and just finished his master's where he focused on network growth models applied to learning problems.

During his PhD he hopes to do research the intersection of complex networks, machine learning and neuroscience. He is especially motivated by the potential to use neuroscience models over complex networks to solve learning problems.

Outside of school he likes eating Ben and Jerry's while watching the NBA.

ELIZABETH REESE - GRADUATE STUDENT

Liz is a sixth-year PhD student in Clinical Psychology. She is interested in using neuroscience and longitudinal analysis methods to fill translational gaps between research on substance use disorder mechanisms, psychological treatment development, and implementation science. She hopes that her work will contribute to increased access to (and use of) evidence-based psychological treatment for substance use and co-occurring disorders. Liz will be beginning her predoctoral internship at the Durham VA Medical Center in the fall where she is excited to receive specialized training in substance use disorder and PTSD intervention approaches. She spends her free time with her one-year old son, husband, and three dogs.

GRACE ROSS - GRADUATE STUDENT

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​Grace recently graduated from the Honors Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program Oregon State University and is very excited for her big move to NC! Grace is a first year Biological and Biomedical sciences PhD student, with a strong interest in understanding the neurobiology underlying human behavior. Outside of lab, Grace enjoys spending her time outdoors, grabbing food with friends and the occasional craft.

HEIDI OJALEHTO - GRADUATE STUDENT

Heidi Ojalehto is a 3rd year PhD student in Clinical Psychology. Her research interests center on understanding the mechanisms involved in the development of OCD and other trauma-related psychopathology in order to develop more effective interventions for trauma survivors. She is excited to gain exposure to neuroscience-based approaches to understanding and treating psychological disorders through the Frohlich lab. Outside of work, Heidi enjoys hiking, live music, cooking, and taking weekend trips to the mountains.

JUSTICE ROBINSON - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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Justice Robinson is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She graduated with an Associate degree in Biology from Tulsa Community College in Tulsa, Oklahoma as an Honors Scholar and Barry Goldwater recipient. Her research interests involve human neurobiology, biomedical innovation, and cognitive neuroscience. Outside of the lab, Justice likes listening to music of all genres, meeting new people, and exploring her new home in North Carolina. ​

JUSTIN RIDDLE, PH.D. - POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR

Justin Riddle graduated with a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. He is studying the mechanistic role of neural oscillations in cognition. He uses noninvasive brain stimulation concurrent with neuroimaging to analyze the network level organization of the brain as human subjects engage in cognitive control. Justin hopes that his research will provide crucial scientific groundwork for the development of new brain stimulation treatments in psychiatry. In his free time, Justin is an avid yoga practitioner, board gamer, and consciousness enthusiast.

LAUREN SIDELINGER - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

​Lauren Sidelinger is a first-year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry. As a research assistant, she is interested in the role neural oscillations play in the development of psychiatric illnesses. Furthermore, she is fascinated by how neurostimulation works with neural oscillations in order to treat maladaptive cognition in these disorders. In her free time, Lauren likes to sing, play video games, and spend time with her friends and family.

MENGSEN ZHANG, PH. D - POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR

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Mengsen Zhang earned her Ph.D. in Complex Systems and Brain Sciences from Florida Atlantic University and was trained as a postdoc at Stanford University in computational neuroscience. She works to unravel the mystery of complex systems – how complex function and organization of the brain and social systems emerge out of simple (but no simpler) interaction between the constituents. She is currently developing computational techniques for analyzing and modeling oscillatory brain dynamics across multiple spatiotemporal scales, bridging animal and human research. Learn more on her personal website: https://mengsenz.github.io/  ​

NEHEMIAH STEWART - GRADUATE STUDENT

Nehemiah Stewart is a first year medical student in the MD-PhD program at UNC, wherein he seeks to complete his PhD in neuroscience and embark on a clinical career in neurology. Nehemiah graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in May 2021 with bachelor's degrees in Chemistry and Mathematics, and was honored with the Venable award in chemistry which denoted him as the top graduating chemistry student in his class. As an undergraduate, Nehemiah competed for Carolina's Men's basketball team as a practice player all four years, whilst maintaining an avid academic and research focus in topics ranging from molecular biology for Alzheimer's Disease to synthesizing catalyst that can reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide. In the Frohlich lab, Nehemiah seeks to apply his mind towards identifying novel treatments and methods to care for patients that suffer from substance abuse disorders with a focus on the pharmacological and genetic implications. In his free time, Nehemiah likes to read any book he can find and play the string bass.

​NIVI RAMASAMY - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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​Nivi Ramasamy is a first-year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry. Nivi is a research assistant at the Frohlich Lab and is helping investigate the relationship between neural oscillations and animal behavior during an attentional task. Her research interests lie in cognitive neuroscience and she loves playing the violin, trying new foods, and spending time with family and friends.

NUMAIR ATTAAR - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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Numair Attaar is a first year undergraduate student at UNC pursuing a BS in biology and neuroscience with a minor in philosophy. In terms of research involvement, he is currently working on the animal behavior and attention task and is interested in how our understanding of neural networks can apply to novel treatment approaches. Outside of medicine, Numair loves to run, watch sports, and serve as an EMT/CNA.

PEYTON SIEKIERSKI - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

​Peyton Siekierski is a third-year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill, pursuing majors in Neuroscience and Chemistry with a minor in Biology. As a research assistant, she is interested in neural networks and their oscillations, and how they relate to behavior. Furthermore, she is also helping investigate the effects of tACS in the brain. In the future, she hopes to focus more on the mechanisms of mental illness and possible treatments. In her free time, Peyton enjoys spending time with her friends and family, baking cookies, and playing field hockey.

QI FANG, PH.D - POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR

Qi Fang obtained his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Southern California, where he mostly worked on the contextual and multimodal modulation of sensory processing and behavior via the mouse pulvinar. He now aims to further elucidate how pulvinar contributes to cognitive function via the posterior network oscillations using projection-specific experimental methods, and finally to translate the findings from animal study to the precise modulation of brain oscillation for treating patients with mental and brain disorders. He is also a big fan of deep learning and all state-of-the-art computational tools. Beyond science, Qi is a gourmet and enjoys traveling, hiking and classical music.

​RACHEL FORCE - POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR

​Rachel dedicated her career to furthering our understanding of the brain mechanisms involved in the experience of mental illness. With a PhD in the Biology of Psychopathology from the University of Minnesota and 20 years of experience in clinical research Rachel is excited about furthering the development of novel non-invasive brain stimulation methods to reduce symptomology and expand our understanding of how brain oscillation patterns may indicate risk for future pathology. Rachel is the Director of Clinical Trials for the Carolina Center and also enjoys mentoring undergraduate research assistants. Outside of work, Rachel keeps her brain challenged raising two elementary aged kids, trail-running, and learning how to contra-dance.

RITIKA KHOSLA - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Ritika Khosla is a freshman at UNC planning to major in neuroscience and minor in computer science. Ritika is from India so is really looking forward to her time here in NC. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, listening to indie rock, and watching psychological thrillers. As of now, after college, she hopes to do research in cognitive neuroscience. 

SANDY SUNDAR RAJAN - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Sandy Sundar Rajan is a senior undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry. As a Research Assistant, she is interested in understanding how noninvasive brain stimulation can influence neural oscillations in participants with psychiatric illnesses. Outside of lab, Sandy enjoys hanging out with her friends and grabbing boba on Franklin Street.

SUSANNE RADTKE-SCHULLER, PH.D. - ASSOCIATE RESEARCH SCIENTIST

Susanne focuses on the question how neuroanatomical structure is linked to neurophysiological function and especially what is the 'hardware' underlying behavior and cognitive processing in the brain. She is convinced that this is essential to understand brain processes in healthy and pathological states.

​TAYLOR MURRAY - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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​Taylor is a second-year undergradute student at UNC Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in Chemistry. Taylor is a research assistant in the Frohlich Lab and is interested in the correspondence between neural mechanisms and cognitive function as it relates to neurological disorders. In her free time, Taylor enjoys yoga, reading and dancing.

​WEI (ANGEL) HUANG - GRADUATE STUDENT

Angel received her MPA in Health Policy from New York University and did post-baccalaureate studies in Biological Sciences at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on studying brain oscillations that relate to higher cognitive functions such as attention. She is especially interested in how the disruption of these oscillations may result in cognitive abnormalities such as attention deficits in autism. She is currently working on developing computational models to simulate thalamo-cortical interactions that are important to attention modulation. Angel is interested in combining computational modeling, machine learning with animal behavioral and in-vivo electrophysiological experiments to study brain oscillations. In her spare time, Angel enjoys playing badminton, hiking, music, playing guitar, and studying artificial intelligence

ZACHARY STEWART - RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Zach received his BA in Psychology from UNC Asheville and is a Research Assistant in Frohlich Lab. His research interests include substance use disorder, behavioral activation, the intersection of substance use disorder and PTSD and the exciting new possibilities of noninvasive brain stimulation for SUD. He splits his time between the Frohlich Lab and the Biobehavioral Research on Addiction and Emotion Lab in the Clinical Psychology program at UNC Chapel Hill. In his free time he enjoys film and digital photography, cooking, spending time with his spouse Christine and crushing Netflix.