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.

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 Research 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.

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.

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.

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

REAGAN BULLINS- BBSP ROTATION GRADUATE STUDENT

Reagan is a first-year graduate student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program. She received her BS in Computational and Systems Neuroscience from Virginia Tech, where she was a member of the English Lab studying the neural circuitry of the hippocampus. Reagan was first introduced to neural oscillations in her electrophysiology work, which initiated her interest in cognitive neuroscience. Reagan is energetic to research the role of neural oscillations in cognition and behavior. Studying neural oscillation interactions between individuals is also a research area she would like to explore. Outside of the lab, Reagan enjoys playing trumpet, watercolor painting, and hiking.

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

DJ PASSEY - GRADUATE STUDENT

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

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

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 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.

HAYDEN BULLARD - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Hayden Bullard is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is working on a B.S. in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry. In a research capacity, he is interested in the implications of neural oscillations in cerebral network connectivity and potential disorders related to disconnections in those networks. Outside of the lab, Hayden enjoys hiking, skiing, and kickboxing.

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.

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.

ANIKA JAIN - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Anika Jain is a first-year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Philosophy. As a research assistant, she is interested in understanding the relationship between neural oscillations and animal behavior. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring Franklin Street, figure skating, and riding her unicycle.

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.

HADDEN LAGARDE - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Hadden LaGarde is a senior undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is pursuing 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.

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.

TAYLOR MURRAY - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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.

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.

NIVI RAMASAMY - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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.

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.

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.

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