Team
Lab Members:
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Sarah RossAssociate Professor
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Aihua SuResearch Associate
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Eileen NguyenMSTP Student
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Catherine RuffPhD Student
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Tayler SheahanPost Doc
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Kelly SmithPost Doc
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Charles WarwickPost Doc
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Ruby HollandMSTP Student
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Talia AdiMSTP Student
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Haichao ChenTsinghua Scholar

Sarah Ross
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
E-MAIL: saross@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-624-9178
EDUCATION:
- B.S. University of Western Ontario
- Ph.D. University of Michigan (MacDougald Lab)
- Post-Doc Harvard Medical School (Greenberg Lab)
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: reviewer #3, creationists, telephone solicitors
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: NYC to see The Colbert Report Live
ITCHING TO TRY: scuba diving in the Red Sea

Aihua Su
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
E-MAIL: (Aihua)@pitt.edu
EDUCATION:
- (previous education)
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: scary snakes, earthworms and other slithery things
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Hawaii in the winter to get away from the cold, and China to see family and all the big changes
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: swimming, I want to learn

Eileen Nguyen
MSTP Student
E-MAIL: ekn11@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
EDUCATION:
- B.S. Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles
- NIH Postbaccalaureate Research Fellow
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: snowstorms, cinnamon, walking barefoot on crumbs
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Serengeti National Park
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: cross-country skiing

Catherine Ruff
PhD STUDENT
E-MAIL: car147@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
EDUCATION:
- B.S. University of Iowa
- M.S. Cornell University
- D.V.M. Purdue University
- Anatomic Pathology Residency Purdue University
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: wet socks
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Madagascar (to see the wild lemurs!)
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: fly fishing

Tayler Sheahan
POST DOC
E-MAIL: tayler.sheahan@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
WEBSITE: taylersheahan.com
EDUCATION:
- B.S. Marquette University
- Ph.D. Washington University in St. Louis
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Stinky Cheese
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: Ireland, Germany (again)
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: A ragnar relay!

Kelly Smith
POST DOC
E-MAIL: ksmith5@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
EDUCATION:
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B.Biomed Sci – University of Newcastle
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PhD – University of Newcastle
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Pistachios that won’t open!
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: India
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Diving with whale sharks

Charles Warwick
POST DOC
E-MAIL: warwickc@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
EDUCATION:
- PhD, Pharmacology, University of Iowa
- B.S. Biology and Spanish, Iowa State University
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Humidity
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: Every national park
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Powered paragliding

Ruby Holland
MSTP STUDENT
E-MAIL: rah143@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: People who chew with their mouth open
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: Brazil
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Playing the guitar

Talia Adi
MSTP STUDENT
E-MAIL: adi.talia@medstudent.pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
EDUCATION: BA Molecular Neuroscience & Physiology, Hampshire College
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: people who interrupt you mid-sentence & fake phone calls
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: The Maldives & New Zealand
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: salsa dancing & baking my own bread

Haichao Chen
Tsinghua Scholar
E-MAIL: haichaoc@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-684-8182
EDUCATION: Tsinghua University Medical School
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Gaining weight but still want to eat and no exercise
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: Korean food??I guess
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Baking and traveling
Part Time:
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Thomas SmithLab Manager and Webmaster
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Sofina ShekharLab Manager
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Angelique HaleLab Manager
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Lauren BrucksteinLab Manager
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Louis FanienUndergraduate Student
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Allison ManaloUndergraduate Student

Thomas Smith
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT, LAB MANAGER, AND WEBMASTER
E-MAIL: tjs99@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-684-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: slow internet and slow drivers
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Australia
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: adopting a baby kangaroo and caribou hunting

Sofina Shekhar
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: sks95@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-684-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Disorganization and bugs
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: Bali, Indonesia
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Meditation silent retreat

Angelique Hale
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: anh161@pitt.edu
PHONE: 216-551-6721
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: People who move slow, Humble bragging, People who are rude, People in general (sometimes)
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: Madagascar
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: To climb Mount Everest

Lauren Bruckstein
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: leb127@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-684-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: People who skip the line
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: Iceland
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Snowboarding a black diamond

Louis Fanien
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: LGF8@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-468-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Close talkers
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: Alaska, Japan
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Attend the World Cup one day

Allison Manalo
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: @pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-468-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Slow walkers when I’m trying to get to class
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: Anywhere in Asia
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Surfing
Former Trainees:
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Lindsey SnyderCurrent VP
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Junichi HachisukaCurrent Neuroscience Lecturer
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Michael ChiangMSTP Student

Lindsey Snyder
CURRENT VP OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AT FARMACEUTIALRX
E-MAIL: mccleml@gmail.com
PHONE: 412-624-8182
EDUCATION:
- B.S. Allegheny College
- Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: baking, traffic, and how much my dog sheds
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: the pacific northwest, including Yellowstone national park
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: cage diving with great white sharks

Junichi Hachisuka
CURRENT SENIOR LECTURER IN NEUROSCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
EDUCATION:
- B.S. Nagoya University, Japan
- M.D. Nagoya University, Japan
- Ph.D. Kyushu University, Japan
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: candy sticking between the teeth
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATIONS: three-star restaurants all over the world
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: fish yellowtail

Michael Chiang
MSTP STUDENT
E-MAIL: MichaelCChiang@gmail.com
PHONE: 412-624-8182
EDUCATION:
- B.S. University of California, Berkeley
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: poor sleep
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Scandinavia
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: new eats!
Former Staff:

Adam Kardon
FORMER STAFF
E-MAIL: adkardon@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
EDUCATION:
- B.S. Vassar College
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Excessive online chat lingo, The New York Yankees, romantic comedies
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: The Himalayans, to hike Mt. Everest
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Kite surfing, durian (a husky southeast Asian fruit, known for its large size, thorns, and unpleasant smell)
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Adam is currently studying medicine in Philadelphia

Xiaoyun Cai
FORMER STAFF
E-MAIL: ificcy@gmail.com
PHONE: 412-648-8182
EDUCATION:
- B.S. Nankai University, China
- Ph.D. Fudan University, China
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Things that itch me should be that it is so difficult to settle down. However, someone said that “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re fonna gert”, which means you can get a surprise to make your life more colorful.
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: There are so many itchy-foot destinations. The itchiest one should be Japan: sakura, kimono and tons of Japanese cuisine. If I will have chance to travel around Europe, it would be another fantastic highlight for my life.
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: to learn how to cook all kinds of fine food for my beloved family and friends

Monica Domaracki
FORMER STAFF
PHONE: 412-648-8182
EDUCATION:
- B.S. University of Adelaide, Australia
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Egotistical people and cold weather
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: To revisit the most beautiful place on Earth, the Cook Islands
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Sand boarding on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Zorbing in New Zealand. Deep sea fishing in the South Pacific
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Monica is currently in Aukland, New Zealand
Former People:

Huizhen Huang
VISITING SCHOLAR
E-MAIL: huh12@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-624-8182
EDUCATION:
- Tsinghua University, China
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: I want to be taller but I hate high heels
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: France and Japan! and everywhere that has tasty food
ITCHING TO TRY: bungee jumping!!!

Yu Omori
VISITING SCHOLAR
E-MAIL: yuomori@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
EDUCATION:
- B.S. Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University
- Ph.D. University of Toyama (Kuraishi Lab)
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: itch of back (i’m stiff)
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: the world’s largest salt flat, Salar De Uyuni
ITCHING TO TRY: a world cruise by ASUKA II/Queen Elizabeth

Marissa Kuzirian
Former Post Doc
E-MAIL: mkuzirian@plsg.com
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Slow technology
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Italy
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Synsepalum dulcificum (miracle berry)
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Marissa is now the Investment Manager at the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
Former Undergrad Students:
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Carlisle TurnerFormer Undergrad Student
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Nathan SchuermanFormer Undergrad Student
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Precious JacksonFormer Undergrad Student
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Brittany HumenskyFormer Undergrad Student
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Stephanie BuerkFormer Undergrad Student
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Stephanie FultonFormer Undergrad Student
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Zeyu HuFormer Undergrad Student
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Michael LeeFormer Undergrad Student
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Luiza Arieta Frota de SouzaFormer Undergrad Student
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Dylan BurbeeFormer Undergrad Student
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Erica KundrickFormer Undergrad Student
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Chris FanFormer Undergrad Student
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Eric BurrageFormer Undergrad Student
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Gregory HemenwayFormer Undergrad Student
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Damian DiCostanzoFormer Undergrad Student
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Andrzej DubielFormer Undergrad Student
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Cassie NelsonFormer Undergrad Student

Carlisle Turner
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: crt43@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Slow walkers and American cheese
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Sky diving
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Carlisle is a current senior studying civil engineer with a concentration in transportation engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. Expected graduation is 2020.

Nathan Schuerman
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: njs59@pitt.edu
PHONE: 724-396-2399
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: People who don’t know the difference between irony and coincidence
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Spain
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Scuba Diving
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Nathan is currently working as an electrical engineer at JNE CONSULTING

Precious Jackson
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-Mail: pnj4@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Spiders
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Maldives
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Skydiving

Brittany Humensky
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: beh52@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: When bicyclists riding on the road don’t obey stop signs or red lights
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: There are so many rich cultures! Greece and Japan are my top choices
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Sailing

Stephanie Buerk
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: smb202@pitt.edu
PHONE: 814-594-6561
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: People who chew obnoxiously and loud phone conversations in public places
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Australia and New Zealand
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Zip lining in a tropical rainforest

Stephanie Fulton
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: saf78@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: reality television, The Heartbreak Kid, mints
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Italy, Greece, and Egypt for the ancient history
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Whale watching in Alaska

Zeyu Hu
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: zeyuh@andrew.cmu.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: why there are never enough hours in the day and fully immersive virtual reality
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Japan. I have never been there, but I always wanted to
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Going camping with friends

Michael Lee
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: rosslab@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: how much time I have to spend sleeping each day. People who don’t get into the right lane ahead of time and merge at the last second.
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Hong Kong, China and Athens, Greece
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: skydiving, paragliding, and water-skiing

Luiza Arieta Frota de Souza
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: lua5@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: annoying childish pop stars and their completely meaningless songs; obnoxiously loud gum-chewers and food-eaters
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: I would love to spend at least a month in Europe and tour as many different countries as possible, particularly Italy, Germany, Austria, England, Ireland, Holland, and Greece
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Luiza is attending the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Dentistry

Dylan Burbee
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: dlb77@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: People who run or bike on busy sidewalks
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Norway to see the Fjords
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Skydiving

Erica Kundrick
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: erk40@pitt.edu
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: People walking down the street talking on their Bluetooth, you never know if they are talking to you or not
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: I want to see the world, I’ve never left the country, so I just want to go somewhere and experience a new and different culture
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Taking a week to go backpacking or camping in the mountains

Chris Fan
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
E-MAIL: chrisfan52@gmail.com
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Street preachers who attack you on the street with flyers and pictures that are not hanging straight
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Japan, I spent one night there and I would love to have been able to explore the area more
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: I love cars and driving at an auto cross or track event would be extremely fun
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Chris is currently in the Master of Biology Sciences program at The Commonwealth Medical College

Eric Burrage
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Bad drivers and traffic
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Scandinavia
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Golfing
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Chris had worked as a web development intern for the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Gregory Hemenway
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: City parking and chicken/egg salad
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: I want to ski the world, Whistler, the Alps, so everywhere there is snow
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Riding an ATV and fly fishing
CONTRIBUTION TO TEAM ITCH: I did undergraduate research for credit in the Ross Lab. Damian and I worked together to design experiments and test whether mice lacking Bhlhb5 respond normally to cold
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Gregory had applied to medical school

Damian DiCostanzo
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Loud headphones in the library and groups of 3 or 4 people across walking (blocking) the sidewalk
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: World Cup-Brazil 2014
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Skydiving and backpacking through Europe
CONTRIBUTION TO TEAM ITCH: I did undergraduate research for credit in the Ross Lab. Greg and I worked together to design experiments and test whether mice lacking Bhlhb5 respond normally to cold
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Damian was planning on going to dental school

Andrzej Dubiel
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: egocentrism
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: Fiji
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Skydiving
CONTRIBUTION TO TEAM ITCH: I designed the original Ross Lab website as well as making some of the figures that you can see in some of the Ross Lab publications
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Andrzej works for Yellow Bridge Interactive now

Cassie Nelson
FORMER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
PHONE: 412-648-8182
THINGS THAT ITCH ME: Smelly people in small rooms and the Philadelphia Flyers
ITCHY-FOOT DESTINATION: New Zealand to do things like rafting and bungee jumping
ITCHIN’ TO TRY: Skydiving and traveling to new places
SCRATCHIN’ AN ITCH: Cassie is currently studying medicine at LECOM in Bradenton, FL