People

Principal Investigator

Rebecca Cunningham, Ph.D.

Students

• Rachel Engelland – A third year Ph.D. student whose project is translational. She is examining the impact of sex on mitochondrial oxidative stress signaling on Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology. Her project includes cell culture, animal studies, and human samples.
• Dara Fadeyibi – A second year M.S. student whose project is examining the effects of cholesterol depletion on the function of the membrane androgen receptor signaling, and the potential impact of repurposing statins for oxidative stress associated neurodegenerative diseases.
• Steve Mabry – A second year Ph.D. student whose project is focused on the impact of global oxidative stress during two time points, late gestation and adulthood, on neuronal integrity in male and female rats.
• Ammaar Tajani – A second year M.S. student whose project is focused on the impact of isoflurane anesthesia on neuroinflammation.

Technicians

• E. Nicole Wilson, M.S. – Nicole has a bachelor of science in Animal Science from Angelo State University. She completed a master of science degree in Biomedical Sciences from UNT Health Science Center. is in charge of all animal experiments. Nicole is in charge of all animal experiments. In addition, Nicole does ELISAs and protein analysis.
• Nataliya Rybalchenko, M.S. – Nataliya has a master of science in Biotechnology from Ukrainian National Institute of Bioproduct Technology, Kiev, Ukraine. She is a trained molecular biologist with experience in neuroscience and molecular techniques, including neuronal/glial cell culture, quantitative rt-PCR, plasmid preparation and transfection, protein analysis, and more.
• Joel Little – Joel is completing his bachelors of science in Biology at University of North Texas. Joel is in charge of stereotaxic surgeries.

Previous Team Members

• Phong Duong, M.S. – Lab Manager (2015 – 2020).  Currently a DO student at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
• Mavis Tenkorang, Ph.D. (2015 – 2019).  Completed her Ph.D. in Dr. Cunningham’s lab. Her predoctoral research was supported by UNTHSC Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences academic scholarship.  Dr. Tenkorang is a postdoctoral fellow with Drs. Rexford Ahima and Sangwon Kim at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Brina Snyder, Ph.D. (2013 – 2018).  Completed her MS and Ph.D. in Dr. Cunningham’s lab.  Her predoctoral research was supported by NIA T32 predoctoral fellowship.  Dr. Snyder is a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Thomas Floyd, MD at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas.
• Jenny Trieu, D.O. (2017 – 2018).  A D.O. student in Dr. Cunningham’s lab.  Dr. Trieu is currently a Family Medicine Resident at Medical City Fort Worth.
• Marc Anderson, Ph.D. (2016 – 2017).  A post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Cunningham’s lab.  Dr. Anderson is an Anatomy and Physiology teacher at I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and Visual Performing Arts High School in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Jo Contreras, MS (2015 – 2017).  Completed her MS in Dr. Cunningham’s lab.  Ms. Contreras-Garza is an Integrated Physics and Chemistry high school teacher in the Irving, Texas Independent School System.
• Clayton McCuiston, D.O. (2016 – 2017). A D.O. student in Dr. Cunningham’s lab.  Dr. McCuiston is currently a radiology resident at Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis, Tennessee.
• Babak Abbassi, D.O. (2014 – 2015).  Completed his MS in Dr. Cunningham’s lab.  Dr. Abbassi is a general surgery resident physician at University Medical Center Health System in Lubbock, Texas.
• Shaletha Holmes, Ph.D. (2012 – 2015).  Completed her Ph.D. in Dr. Cunningham’s lab.  Her predoctoral research was supported by NIA T32 predoctoral fellowship.  Dr. Holmes is currently a Clinical Research Associate at Medpace in Irving, Texas.
• Rosy Lemus, MS (2014 – 2015).  Completed her MS in Dr. Cunningham’s lab.  Currently a Bilingual Speech Pathologist at PLLC MC Voice and Speech Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
• Rizwan Nazarali, D.O. (2015 – 2016).  Completed his MS in Dr. Cunningham’s lab.  Dr. Nazarali is an anesthesiology resident physician at University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado.