A Career Coach is a faculty member, or other career professional, who is not the dissertation mentor nor on the thesis committee, and who is chosen by the scholar to provide supplemental perspectives on the challenges of graduate training and the development of a career plan. Career Coaches are dedicated to your success.
Seeking a Career Coach? Interested in becoming a Career Coach? Contact us at roadmap@uab.edu.
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Jarrod Barnes, Ph.D.
Jarrod Barnes, Ph.D.
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Sofia Beas, Ph.D.
Sofia Beas, Ph.D.
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Mark Bolding, Ph.D.
Mark Bolding, Ph.D.
Director, Civitan International Neuroimaging Laboratory
Associate Professor, Division of Advanced Medical Imaging Research
Department of Radiology profile
Scholars@UAB profile
Bolding Lab website -
Lillian Brady, Ph.D.
Lillian Brady, Ph.D.
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Kauê M. Costa, Ph.D.
Kauê M. Costa, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
Department of Psychology profile
Scholars@UAB profile
Costa Lab website
I was born and raised in the north of Brazil, in the city of Belém, right on the delta of the Amazon river. I got a bachelor's in Biological Sciences from the Federal University of Pará, in my hometown. I later received a master's degree in Physiology from the University of São Paulo, and a Doctoral degree from the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research and Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. I moved to the United States for a postdoc at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and in January 2024 I became an assistant professor here at UAB. Growing up in the Amazon as a kid of indigenous descent provided me with experiences that are unique within my current peer group, which I greatly appreciate. But it also meant I had to emigrate to pursue a more productive scientific career, first to other regions in Brazil, then to Germany, and finally the United States. I learned a lot in the course of that journey, including the impact of the additional burdens that people from underrepresented groups have to face, but also many strategies on how to overcome them. I had the privilege of working with outstanding mentors who taught me several effective ways to optimize my career development, and I am always eager to provide the same lessons to my own trainees. I have practical experience in different programs that provide mentorship and opportunities for early career investigators, and in successfully mentoring people from underrepresented backgrounds. This has meant helping them get into college/grad school/med school, all the way to publishing papers, getting grants, dealing with toxic work relationships, and overall navigating the world of academia. In terms of research, I investigate how learning is instantiated in the brain, with a focus on the mechanisms of how new information gets integrated with previously existing knowledge. I believe that understanding how learned associations are mapped within pre-existing internal representations is a key problem in neuroscience, and I study how different circuits, cell types, and genetic and environmental factors shape this process. Work in my lab addresses the function of brain regions like the frontal cortex, basal ganglia, and the midbrain dopamine system, and we use theory-inspired behavioral tasks in rats combined with state-of-the-art methods for recording, imaging, and manipulating brain activity, genetic manipulations, and computational modelling. -
Rita Cowell, Ph.D.
Rita Cowell, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Neurology
Associate Director for Training, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics
Scholars@UAB profile -
Camerron Crowder, Ph.D.
Camerron Crowder, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Assistant Director of Education, Research, and Science Communication, Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute
Scholars@UAB profile
Website -
Scott Cruikshank, Ph.D.
Scott Cruikshank, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Department of Neurobiology profile
Scholars@UAB profile
Dr. Cruikshank believes that inequities associated with circumstances of birth should not be allowed to interfere with academic and scientific progress. He was a first-generation college student with full financial need, and directly benefitted from generous institutional grant support and mentorship. As an RMS Career Coach, he hopes to facilitate progress of hardworking students who have an interest in pursuing Neuroscience. -
Kirstie Cummings, Ph.D.
Kirstie Cummings, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Department of Neurobiology profile
Cummings Lab website
I am originally from New York, and I am the first in my family to go to college and pursue post-graduate education. Unlike many others, I never really knew what I wanted to do and have changed fields from microbiology to biophysics to systems neuroscience. I also have experience and success with interviewing for industry research, consulting, and academic positions. My greatest passion lies in mentoring and supporting my trainees in whatever endeavors they wish to pursue. Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time outdoors, cooking, and playing with my dogs. -
Mariana DuPont, Ph.D.
Mariana DuPont, Ph.D.
IRACDA-MERIT Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Psychology
Google Scholar profile
LinkedIn
Dr. Mariana DuPont received a BS in Biology from Dillard University in 2017 and a PhD in Vision Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2022. She is performing her postdoctoral research under the mentorship of Burel Goodin PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, conducting laboratory-based pain research in patient cohorts. Dr. DuPont is an expert in NASA based software (VESGEN) and a former Roadmap Scholar. -
Aurelio Galli, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Aurelio Galli, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Professor, Department of Surgery
Director for Gastrointestinal Biology Research
Senior Scientist, Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, General Clinical Research Center
Department of Surgery profile
Scholars@UAB profile- Karen Gamble, Ph.D.
Karen Gamble, Ph.D.
Tate Jordan Thomas Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
Vice Chair for Basic Research
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology profile
Scholars@UAB profile- Cristin Gavin, Ph.D.
Cristin Gavin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Biomedical Programs, School of Medicine
Co-Director, Undergraduate Neuroscience Program
Co-Director, Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program
Department of Neurobiology profile
Scholars@UAB profile- Matthew Goldberg, Ph.D.
Matthew Goldberg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurology
Charles S. Ackerman Endowed Professorship
Senior Scientist, Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, General Clinical Research Center
Department of Neurology profile
Scholars@UAB profile
Goldberg Lab website- Merida Grant, Ph.D.
Merida Grant, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology profile
Scholars@UAB profile- Alecia Gross, Ph.D.
Alecia Gross, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Assistant Dean of Faculty Affairs
Department of Neurobiology profile
Scholars@UAB profile- Ashley Harms, Ph.D.
Ashley Harms, Ph.D.
- Caesar Hernandez, Ph.D.
Caesar Hernandez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine - Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care
Department of Medicine profile
Scholars@UAB profile- Rajesh Kana, Ph.D.
Rajesh Kana, Ph.D.
Professor, UAB Department of Psychology
Associate Dean for Graduate & Continuing Education
UAB Department of Psychology profile
The Cognition, Brain, and Autism (CBrA) Lab
Scholars@UAB profile- Annesha King, Ph.D.
Annesha King, Ph.D.
UAB IRACDA-MERIT Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biology
Dr. Annesha King received a BS in Biology from the University of the Virgin Islands in 2014 and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2021. She is an alumni of the UAB Neuroscience Roadmap Scholars Program. Dr. King is performing her postdoctoral research under the mentorship of Nicole Riddle Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology, elucidating chromatin structure in Drosophila.- David Knight, Ph.D.
David Knight, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology
Director, Behavioral Neuroscience Program
Department of Psychology profile
Scholars@UAB profile- Suzanne Lapi, Ph.D.
Suzanne Lapi, Ph.D.
Vice Chair of Translational Research & Professor, Department of Radiology
Department of Pathology profile
Scholars@UAB profile
Lapi Lab website- Jose O. Maximo, PhD
Jose O. Maximo, PhD
Scientist, UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
Google Scholar profile
Dr. Jose O. Maximo, a California native, graduated from San Diego State University (SDSU) with a B.A.& Sc. in Psychology. While at SDSU, he was under the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) research training program, which main goal is to develop a diverse pool of scientists earning a Ph.D. and increase the number of underrepresented people in science. He then moved to Birmingham, AL. to complete his M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology with a concentration in Developmental Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. While at UAB, Dr. Maximo was involved in serving as a mentor for students, a judge for several conferences, and a speaker for talks to undergraduate students. He was part of the Neuroscience Roadmap Scholar programs, which seeks to provide the necessary tools for underrepresented graduate students to succeed in science. He was also active in the community by serving as a science advocate to K-12 students during Brain Awareness Week and other events. Dr. Maximo graduated in the Fall of 2018 and started a postdoctoral position in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology at UAB. His research examined the neural correlates of first episode psychosis (FEP) patients using various neuroimaging techniques such as functional, structural, spectroscopy, and diffusion weighted imaging. After his postdoctoral training, he secured a scientist position in the same department and continues his research in FEP.- Tanecia Mitchell, Ph.D.
Tanecia Mitchell, Ph.D.
- Jerome Moulden, Ph.D.
Jerome Moulden, Ph.D.
Dr. Moulden is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University and an alumni of the UAB Neuroscience Roadmap Scholars Program.- Lucas Pozzo-Miller, Ph.D.
Lucas Pozzo-Miller, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Department of Neurobiology profile
Scholars@UAB profile
One of my goals as a faculty mentor is to support and encourage young neuroscientists from disadvantaged groups to excel in our programs to prepare them for successful job placement after graduation. I am convinced that all our labs will benefit from the different perspectives that graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, and faculty from diverse life backgrounds bring to our teams, as much as approaching a scientific question from different technical and conceptual perspectives does. I am convinced that the most important contribution and scientific legacy is to prepare the next generation of scientists, much more than any research article archived in PubMed.
I am a naturalized US citizen born and raised in Argentina, where I completed my university studies in Biology (MS 1986) and earned a Doctorate in Biology (PhD 1989), both from the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. My father, a son of Italian immigrants, grew up in a farm in the Argentinean pampas and had to drop out of elementary school after the 6th grade to work full-time in the family farm. He was a self-taught accountant in the local agricultural cooperative, rising through the ranks in the national association of agricultural cooperatives of Argentina. He continued to work until his retirement, mostly as a consultant in small town agricultural cooperatives throughout the country. My mother, a daughter of English immigrants, first studied, and then worked as an elementary school teacher in the same small town of the Argentinean pampas where she met my father, and continued to work as a teacher until her retirement. My three brothers and I were the first in my family to attend University, with two accountants and one architect.
My point in relating this personal story is that I recognized early on that there are many ways to achieve success coming from a disadvantaged background, and that’s why it is important to provide career opportunities for students of disadvantaged groups, especially foreigners that have the additional burden of overcoming language and cultural barriers when moving to the USA. Therefore, training individuals from abroad and minoritized (under-represented) groups in science and technology has been a career-long emphasis of mine. The 53 trainees at different levels that I have mentored include 2 African American women, 14 foreigners, and 22 women. I have served as Career Coach for two students in the RMS program that successfully completed their PhD, and currently coach two RMS students.- Stefanie Robel, Ph.D.
Stefanie Robel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Cell, Integrative and Developmental Biology
Scholars@UAB profile
Robel Lab website- Glenn Rowe, Ph.D.
Glenn Rowe, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine - Cardiovascular Disease
Scholars@UAB profile
Rowe Lab website- Kirsten Schoonover, Ph.D.
Kirsten Schoonover, Ph.D.
- Brian Sims, M.D., Ph.D.
Brian Sims, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics profile
Scholars@UAB profile
SOM Office for Diversity and Inclusion profile- Lawrence Sincich, Ph.D.
Lawrence Sincich, Ph.D.
- Rachel June Smith, Ph.D.
Rachel June Smith, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering profile
The Neural Signal Processing and Modeling Lab- David Standaert, M.D., Ph.D.
David Standaert, M.D., Ph.D.
John N. Whitaker Endowed Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology
Department of Neurology profile
Scholars@UAB profile- HaoSheng Sun, Ph.D.
HaoSheng Sun, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Cell, Integrative and Developmental Biology
Scholars@UAB profile
Sun Lab website- Daniel Tyrrell, Ph.D.
Daniel Tyrrell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology
Scholars@UAB profile
Tyrrell Lab website- Kristina Visscher, Ph.D.
Kristina Visscher, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Co-director, Civitan International Neuroimaging Laboratory
Department of Neurobiology profile
Scholars@UAB profile
Visscher Lab website- Laura Volpicelli-Daley, Ph.D.
Laura Volpicelli-Daley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurology
Department of Neurology profile
Scholars@UAB profile
Volpicelli-Daley Lab website
I love collaborating with scientists and colleagues in academia, industry, and foundations who all have the same goal of curing Parkinson’s disease and DLB. I am lucky to have awesome trainees, and am passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists. One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is seeing my students achieve their dreams. I also love being a soccer/cross country/robotics mom, sarcastic humor, and nerdy science memes. I am a proud Ravenclaw.- Jacques Wadiche, Ph.D.
Jacques Wadiche, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Department of Neurobiology profile
Scholars@UAB profile
Wadiche Labs website
Dr. Wadiche is originally from São Paulo Brazil, and is the first generation within his family to earn a college and post-graduate education. His research is focused on fundamental mechanisms of synaptic transmission & inhibitory as well as collaborative work on neurons within the dentate gyrus, a brain region with continued neurogenesis into adulthood. Outside of the lab, Dr. Wadiche enjoys watching his son play soccer and travel in his van. As a Career Coach, Dr. Wadiche brings a different background that is not easily represented and he is happy to impart that experience with students.- Linda Wadiche, Ph.D.
Linda Wadiche, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Department of Neurobiology profile
Scholars@UAB profile
Wadiche Labs website- Steven Wilson, M.A.
Steven Wilson, M.A.
Academic Advisor II, School of Education Office of Student Services
Office of Student Services profile- Jianhua Zhang, Ph.D.
Jianhua Zhang, Ph.D.
- Karen Gamble, Ph.D.