Team

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 directs the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation that offers numerous clinical trials of novel experimental treatments for depression and other mental illnesses.

Postdoctoral & Associated Scholars

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.

ANITA FROHLICH, LL.M., RYT-200 - RESEARCHER

Anita Frohlich is a lawyer by training and a registered yoga teacher. She is interested in the neurophysiological effects of breathing and how breathing exercises may affect brain activity. Her vision is to be able to help patients with anxiety disorders, panic disorder, or chronic pain. Anita is also a study coordinator working with Dr. McClure in the Department of Psychiatry on an at-home brain stimulation study for depression (MOOD study). Anita is working towards pursuing a MSW degree to become a clinician-scientist and psychotherapist in the social work field.

JUSTIN RIDDLE, PH.D. - POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR & STUDY DIRECTOR

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 is the Scientific Director of the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation. 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.

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.

TOBIAS SCHWIPPEL, M.D. - POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR & STUDY DIRECTOR

Tobias received his medical doctor from the University of Tübingen, Germany. During his Psychiatry Residency in Tübingen, Tobias combined his clinical work with research and participated in brain stimulation studies in patients with alcohol use disorder, depression and schizophrenia. After board certification as psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Tobias moved to UNC to fully concentrate on neurophysiological research. He aims to investigate the relation between transdiagnostic symptoms and neural oscillations by means of non-invasive brain stimulation. His goal is the extension and combination of existing treatment tools for mental disorders. Tobias is the Director of Clinical Research at the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation. Outside of work, Tobias enjoys literature, political discussions and is joyfully struggling with yet another ball to juggle: his lack of rhythm in guitar playing and the perfect boardgame move.

MENGSEN ZHANG, PH. D. - POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR

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/

Graduate Students

ERIN BONDY - CLINICAL INTERNSHIP GRADUATE STUDENT

Erin is in the sixth year of her Clinical Science PhD program at Washington University in St. Louis. She is currently on clinical internship at UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine (Affective Neuroscience track). Erin is interested in studying the relationship between reward-related brain networks and inflammatory biomarkers, particularly as they relate to anhedonia and depression. While on internship, she conducts clinical assessments for the lab, and she hopes to examine the effects of combined single-session psychotherapy with non-invasive brain stimulation in the treatment of anhedonia.

BLAKE FORDYCE - BBSP ROTATION STUDENT

Blake graduated from Boston University with an Honors B.A in Neuroscience, where she utilized electrophysiology to study how place cells in the dorsal CA1 region of the rodent hippocampus encodes space during navigation. Before coming to UNC-Chapel Hill, Blake worked in the Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics at Massachusetts General Hospital, studying how 5HT2A agonists modulate molecular-level plasticity and electrophysiological signatures in 2D cell cultures. She is very excited to expand her contribution to psychedelic research by studying the application of plant-based medicine for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.

GRACE ROSS - GRADUATE STUDENT

Grace graduated from Oregon State University with an Honors B.S in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, where she was apart of a healthy aging research lab. Grace left Oregon for North Carolina, to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience from UNC-Chapel Hill. Grace came to Chapel Hill interested in understanding how neural circuitry and brain organization can explain human behavior in the context of human disease. She is now thrilled for the opportunity to study the brain through the lens of neural oscillations with the ultimate goal of developing effective therapeutics for neuropsychiatric disorders.

Research Staff

PAUL EDWARDS, M.S. - STUDY COORDINATOR

Paul received his B.S. in Neuroscience with minors in both Chemistry and Biology from UNC-Chapel Hill. Following his undergraduate career, he received his M.S. in Integrative Neuroscience from Georgetown University. Paul has conducted research on substance-use disorders and neuroinflammation in rodent models. After attaining his Master’s degree, Paul began to find himself becoming more interested in directly translational research. As such, his research interests began to shift towards the study of neural oscillations and use of brain stimulation as a novel therapeutic for mental health disorders; namely, he aspires to explore this with regards to anxiety and rumination. In his free time, Paul enjoys music and singing, going on hikes, tennis, traveling, and learning about space.

HADDEN LAGARDE - STUDY COORDINATOR

Hadden LaGarde received dual degrees at UNC-Chapel Hill: a B.S. in Neuroscience, a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Chemistry. As a research coordinator, she is interested in the role of neural oscillations in neurological psychiatric disorders, and how the influence of brain stimulation on neural oscillations may aid in the treatment of these disorders. In her free time, Hadden enjoys tennis, boxing, and is learning how to play the saxophone.

PEYTON SIEKIERSKI - RESEARCH TECHNICIAN

Peyton received a dual BS in Neuroscience and Chemistry from UNC Chapel Hill and is a research technician in Frohlich Lab. She is interested in neural networks and their oscillations, and how they relate to behavior. Furthermore, she is also investigating the role of the claustrum in the frontoparietal network during attention tasks. 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.

ZACHARY STEWART - LAB COORDINATOR

Zach received his BA in Psychology graduating summa cum laude from UNC Asheville and is the lab coordinator for 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 also studies the role infection and inflammation play in neuropsychiatric illness. In his free time he enjoys film and digital photography, cooking, spending time with his spouse Christine and crushing Netflix.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

ALVIN DINH - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Alvin Dinh is a fourth-year undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill, pursuing a major in Neuroscience with minors in Medical Anthropology and Religious Studies. As a research assistant, he is interested in neural networks and their oscillations, specifically with their relation to cognitive function. Outside of the lab, he enjoys hanging out with friends and trying new coffee and tea shops.

VERINA GUIRGUIS - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Verina Guirguis is a second-year undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill pursuing majors in Neuroscience and Linguistics with a minor in Chemistry. As a research assistant, she is interested in exploring the biological causes of various neurological disorders, as well as the connection between neural oscillations and cognitive functions. In her free time, she loves to read, play chess, and spend time with friends and family.

PRIMA GURJAR - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Prima Gurjar is a second-year undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience with minors in Medical Anthropology and Chemistry. As a research assistant, she is interested in studying new treatments for mental illnesses such as severe depression. Outside of the lab, she likes to dance and cook new recipes.

ELIZABETH JACKSON - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Elizabeth Jackson is a second-year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Her research interests include exploring the causes of neurological disorders and understanding treatments to reduce symptoms of mental disorders. In her free time, she loves to watch movies, spend time with her friends and family, and paint.

AASIM KHAN- UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Aasim Khan is a fourth-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.

SANVI KORSAPATHY - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Sanvi is a second-year undergrad at UNC and is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Chemistry. As a research assistant, she is interested in studying neural oscillations and how it relates to cognitive function. She is also interested in applying that research to psychiatric illnesses. She also works on researching behavioral activation as a treatment for substance abuse disorders. Outside of lab, Sanvi works on the graphic design and publicity teams for her clubs at UNC and plays guitar in her free time!

ANNIE LI - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Annie is a third-year undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill, pursuing a major in Neuroscience with minors in Chemistry and Women’s and Gender Studies. As a research assistant, she is interested in studying how neural oscillations relate to cognitive function and sustained attention. In her free time, Annie enjoys baking, playing tennis, and spending time with her friends and family.

WU LI - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Wu is a third-year undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill, pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Chemistry. As a research assistant, she is interested in the neural basis of psychiatric disorders, specifically major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. In addition, she is interested in studying how non-invasive methods can help with the treatments for psychiatric disorders. In her free time, she enjoys graphic design and photography!

DAVID MAHAN - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

David Mahan is a Junior undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. He is pursuing a Biology major with minors in Chemistry and Marine Science. In the Frohlich Lab, David works with ferrets and sustained attention. Outside of the lab, he is a member of the UNC Club Ice hockey team and the Swahili Club and enjoys hanging out with friends and playing sports

ABDULAZIZ NORBEKOV - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Abdulaziz Norbekov is a third-year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. He is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology along with a minor in Chemistry. As a research assistant, he is interested in neural networks and their oscillations, specifically with their relation to behavior. In his free time, Abdulaziz like to spend time with friends and family, go to the gym, and eat food.

DHRUVI PATEL - UNDERGRAUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Dhruvi is a third-year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. She's pursuing a major in biology on the pre-vet track. As a research assistant, she's interested in learning about the proper handling and care of animals in research. In addition, she's interested in finding more efficient and long-lasting treatments to psychiatric conditions. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, painting, and traveling.

FRANCESCA PUPILLO - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Francesca Pupillo is a fourth year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in neuroscience with a minor in chemistry. As a research assistant, she is interested in the relationship between neurological immune activation and neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition, she is interested in studying how the manipulation of neural oscillations can be used to treat psychiatric disorders. In her free time, Francesca enjoys running, reading, and spending times with friends and family.

SIENA RODRIGUES - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Siena Rodrigues is a second-year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill majoring in psychology. As a research assistant, she is interested in the role neural oscillations play in relation to psychiatric disorders. Outside of the lab, Siena enjoys perfecting her Chai recipe and writing letters.

KIRINA SHAH - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Kirina Shah is a second-year undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience with minors in Medical Anthropology and Public Policy. Her research interests include degenerative neurological disease and exploring novel treatments for mental illnesses. In her free time, she likes to read and spend time with friends and family.

LAUREN SIDELINGER - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Lauren Sidelinger 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 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.

CHRISTIAN SODANO - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Christian is a second-year undergraduate at UNC pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Physics. In the future, he aims to do research that will contribute to an increase in the number and efficacy of non-pharmacological treatments used in psychiatry. Christian believes these options will offer more personalized treatment plans and greater agency to psychiatric patients. To that end, he is interested in using neuroimaging and neurostimulation to explore the mechanisms behind effective behavioral therapies. In his free time, Christian enjoys coaching high school wrestlers, restoring thrifted shoes, and reading on his kindle.

PREETAM TANIKELLA - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Preetam Tanikella is a second-year UNC Chapel Hill student. He is pursuing a B.S.P.H in Biostatistics. As a research assistant, he is interested in applying engineering skills within neuroscience research relating to neural disorders. In his spare time, Preetam enjoys playing racquetball for the UNC club team as well as playing basketball with his friends and spending time with his friends and family.

NOAH TREXLER - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Noah Trexler is a fourth-year undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill. He is pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science with minors in Mathematics and Physics. As a research assistant, he is interested in utilizing computer engineering within scientific research. In his free time, he likes to play guitar, cook, and garden.

YASHVI VARDHAN - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Yashvi is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A in Public Policy along with a minor in Medical Anthropology. As a research assistant, she is interested in role of neural oscillations in disorders and tumors and how neural study can help discover new treatments for psychiatric disorders. In her free time, she enjoys to dance and is also a member of UNC dance team Tar Heel Raas.

​FLAVIO FROHLICH, PH.D. – PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR