Team - Frohlich Lab

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 maintains tacs.academy, an online resource about tACS. When Flavio is not busy in the lab (ever?), he enjoys spending time with his family.

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 working towards pursuing a MSW degree to become a clinician-scientist and psychotherapist in the social work field.

STEPHAN GERBER, PH.D.- POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR

Stephan graduated with a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Bern, Switzerland, where he developed a method using Virtual Reality to stimulate critically ill patients in the intensive care unit, reducing stress and long-term cognitive impairment. Currently, he is interested in neuro feedback by using adaptive Virtual Reality environments and neural oscillations in order to develop new treatment methods for patients suffering from psychiatric disorders. He is convinced that brain stimulation in combination with closed loop application can booster psychiatric treatments. Outside of the lab, Stephan enjoys running, climbing, and cooking.

ELIZABETH REESE - COLLABORATOR

Liz is a clinical psychology doctoral candidate currently completing her doctoral internship at the Durham VA Medical Center. She is passionate about increasing access to and effectiveness of interventions for SUD and has worked closely with the Frohlich Lab on projects related to developing and testing psychological interventions in clinical populations. She looks forward to continuing her work with the Frohlich Lab as a collaborating clinical supervisor as she completes a clinical postdoctoral fellowship and obtains licensure as a practicing clinical psychologist.

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.

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

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. 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

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

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

HADDEN LAGARDE - RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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 assistant, she is interested in the role of neural oscillations in 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 MANAGER

Zach received his BA in Psychology from UNC Asheville and is a Research Assistant & Lab Manager 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.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

RUTH BERHANA - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Ruth Berhana is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in neuroscience with minors in chemistry and data science. As a research assistant, she investigates the connection between neural oscillations and various neurological disorders. She is also interested in how to further apply that to treat psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia. In her free time, Ruth enjoys painting, listening to music, watching films, and spending time with family!

GRACE BLAKE - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Grace Blake is a senior undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry. Grace is excited about the opportunity to assist in researching the neural basis of behavior to help discover new treatments for psychiatric disorders. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, listening to podcasts and spending time outdoors.

ALVIN DINH - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Alvin Dinh is a third-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 first-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.

ANNABEL HINKLE - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Annabel is a third-year undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill pursuing a major in Biology and a minor in Religious Studies. Her research interest includes studying how neural oscillations in the posterior network can be modulated and how they affect sustained attention and cognitive function. In her free time, Annabel enjoys hiking, surfing, going to the gym, and spending time with friends and family.

ANNIE LI - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Annie is a second-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.

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.

SANVI KORSAPATHY - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Sanvi is a first-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!

DAVID MAHAN - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

David Mahan is a Sophomore 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

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.

JOHN KYLE MITCHELL - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

John Kyle is a senior undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Majoring in Biology (BS), with minors in chemistry and study of Christianity and Culture. I am an undergraduate research assistant working on GLAD2. I am interested in learning about new potential treatments for neurological disorders and also the way brain stimulation can play a role in treating these disorders. In my free time, I enjoy any type of fitness, watching/playing sports with my friends, and helping my dad run our family's car-detailing business.

ABDULAZIZ NORBEKOV - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Abdulaziz Norbekov is a second-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.

FRANCESCA PUPILLO - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Francesca Pupillo is a third year undergraduate student 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 relation to psychiatric 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.

DAVIN RAMMANI – UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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.

JUSTICE ROBINSON - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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.

SIENA RODRIGUES - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Siena Rodrigues is a first-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.

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.

PREETAM TANIKELLA - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Preetam Tanikella is a first-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 third-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 third-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.

TAMERA WATERS - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Tamera Waters is a first-year undergraduate at UNC. She is currently majoring in Neuroscience. Tamera works as a research assistant in the Frohlich Lab and is investigating the relationship between neural oscillations and higher cognitive functions such as attention and learning. In her free time, Tamera enjoys doing yoga, watching cheesy rom coms, and baking.

​FLAVIO FROHLICH, PH.D. – PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR