Sarah Ross

Assistant Professor

• saross@pitt.edu
• 412-624-9178

• 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

Xiaoyun Cai

Research Associate

• ificcy@gmail.com
• 412-648-8182

• 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 gonna get", which means you can get 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.
• Itching to try: to learn how to cook all kinds of fine food for my beloved family and friends

Paula Pascual

Undergraduate Student (Pitt)

• pop7@pitt.edu
• 412-648-8182

• Contribution to team itch:I was a work-study student in the Ross lab and I developed all the protocols detailing how to make basic solutions to keep the lab well stocked.
• After team itch: I am continuing my degree in Biology with the goal of doing Nursing after I graduate.
• Things that itch me: long lines and malfunctioning technology
• Itchy-foot destination: Santorini, Greece where my favorite movie was shot (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and also the Philippines to meet my extended family.
• Itching to try: backpacking on the Kalalau Trail in Hawaii and snowboarding

Adam Kardon

Lab Manager

• adkardon@pitt.edu
• 412-648-8182

• 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
• Itching to try: kite surfing, durian (a husky southeast Asian fruit, known for its large size, thorns, and unpleasant smell)

Andrzej Dubiel

• B.S. University of Pittsburgh

• Contribution to team itch: I designed the original Ross lab website as well as making a bunch of figures that you can see in some of the Ross lab publications.
• After team itch: I work for Yellow Bridge Interactive now. During my first month I was tasked to redesign their website. Here's how it turned out: http://www.ybinteractive.com
• Things that itch me: egocentrism
• Itchy-foot destination: Fiji
• Itching to try: sky diving

Junichi Hachisuka

Visiting Professor

• 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 destination: three-star restaurants all over the world
• Itching to try: fish yellowtail

Gregory Hemenway

Undergraduate Student (Pitt)

• hemen741@aim.com
• 412-624-8182

• Things that itch me: city parking, chicke n/egg salad
• Itchy-foot destination: I want to ski the world, Whistler, the Alps, so everywhere there’s snow
• Itching to try: riding an ATV and fly fishing

Damian DiCostanzo

• B.S. University of Pittsburgh

• 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.
• After Team Itch: I am planning to go to dental school.
• 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
• Itching to try: skydiving and backpacking through Europe

Kathryn Eckert

Undergraduate Student (Tufts)

• Kathryn.Eckert@tufts.edu
• 412-624-8182

• Contribution to team itch: I worked on a project with Adam to study the role of kappa opioids in itch.
• After Team Itch: I am now finishing my senior year at Tufts.
• Things that itch me:Peeling nail-polish, sun burn, traffic
• Itchy-foot destination:Ukraine, to see where my grandparents grew up
• Itchin' to try:White water rafting, living abroad

Dylan Burbee

Undergraduate Student (Pitt)

• dlb77@pitt.edu
• 412-624-8182

• Things that itch me:People who run or bike on busy sidewalks
• Itchy-foot destination:Norway, to see the Fjords.
• Itchin' to try:Skydiving

Eric Burrage

Undergraduate Student (Pitt)

• eric.j.burrage@gmail.com
• 303-859-1765

• Things that itch me:Bad drivers, traffic
• Itchy-foot destination:Scandinavia
• Itchin' to try:Golfing

Chris Fan

Undergraduate Student (Pitt)

• chrisfan52@gmail.com
• 412-624-8182

• Things that itch me:Street preachers who attack you on street with flyers, 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.

Genevieve Sanders

Undergraduate Student (Pitt)

• gls39@pitt.edu
• 412-624-8182

• Things that itch me:People that have loud personal conversations in public places. I just think it defeats the point of a private conversation.
• Itchy-foot destination:I have a slight obsession with Latin America, particularly Cuba. It has such a rich culture and revolutionary past. It is an irresistible country to me.
• Itchin' to try: I think it would be fun to learn Broadway singing and acting techniques.

Erica Kundrick

Undergraduate Student (Pitt)

• erk40@pitt.edu
• 412-624-8182

• 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.

Carcha Bernard

Graduate Student (Pitt)

• csb42@pitt.edu
• 412-624-8182

• Things that itch me: People that ride the bus only three stops up.
• Itchy-foot destination: I would love to go to Brazil or India and I would like to eventually to live in California.
• Itchin' to try: Scuba Diving.

Sergei Karnup

• skarnup@pitt.edu
• 412-624-8182

• Things that itch me: To find a partner for tennis.
• Itchy-foot destination: To excel at Argentine tango.
• Itchin' to try: To fly on wings (i.e. delta-plane, not Delta Airlines)

Stephanie Fulton

• SAF78@pitt.edu
• 412-624-8182

• 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.

Luiza Arieta Frota de Souza

• LUA5@pitt.edu
• 724-600-5782

• 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, France, England, Ireland, Holland, and Greece.
• Itchin' to try: : Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

Lindsey McClement

• mccleml@gmail.com
• 412-624-8182

• 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.

Cassie Nelson

• C.L.Nelson29@pitt.edu
• 412-624-8182

• Things that itch me: Smelly people in small rooms, the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Itchy-foot destination: New Zealand to do things like rafting and bungee jumping.
• Itchin' to try: Skydiving, traveling to new places.