Principle Investigator

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Ph. D. Candidate
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Marcia graduated with a Master’s in Experimental Psychology from CSU San Marcos in 2017. Since the start of her PhD work at UT, Marcia has made many contributions to the lab and has been awarded the prestigious Tennessee Graduate Excellence Fellowship. Currently her work examines sex differences within stress and neuroplasticity during development, and what the underlying hormonal mechanisms are produce these differences.

Ph.D. Candidate
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Arthur graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, and a Master’s in Experimental Psychology from CSU San Marcos. His current projects focus on the role of reproductive brain regions and their interplay with social experience. Specifically, his aim is to explore the underlying neuroendocrine and experiential factors between the brain, development, and social-reproductive behaviors in rodents.

Ph.D. Candidate
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Jessica graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a Spanish minor from UNC Wilmington in 2020. Here at UTK, she is working to understand how hormones affect neuroplasticity during adolescence in the medial prefrontal cortex, and how this may contribute to the development of mental health disorders later in life.

Masters Candidate 

krego1@utk.edu 

Krystiana graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a minor in Public Health from the University of North Florida in May of 2023.

PhD Candidate

awebb71@vols.utk.edu

Aly graduated with an Associate’s in Psychology from Georgia Military College in 2021, then received a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Georgia College and State University in 2024. She is currently developing a project that will investigate the effects of dietary choline supplementation and chronic variable stress during prenatal development on ɑ7 or ɑ4β2 nAChR expression in the basolateral amygdala or mPFC. 

Undergraduate Research Assistant

svetterr@vols.utk.edu

Sophia is a junior double majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. She earned her Associates of Science Degree at Roane State Community College and transferred to UTK in the Fall 2023 semester, where she then joined the lab. Sophia plans to continue working in the lab until her graduation in December of 2025. Sophia is currently working with PhD candidate AJ Castaneda on investigating a new method of influencing brain neuroplasticity involving the use of ketamine, as well as the effects of pubertal hormones and timing on social behavior. After her graduation at UTK, she aims to obtain her Masters and PhD in Neuroscience to continue research in cognitive and behavioral brain functioning.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

twheel12@vols.utk.edu

Cole is a Neuroscience and Psychology major. He is expected to graduate in December 2026, and is currently working alongside PhD candidate AJ Castaneda to assess potential effects of stressors and hormonal changes on social and emotional behaviors. After graduating, Cole intends to further his studies after graduating, attending a graduate program with the hopes of specializing in cognition.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

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Olivia is a junior majoring in Neuroscience and pursuing a minor in English. She has assisted with immunofluorescent imaging for the Hormone Monster project. Additionally, she has completed behavioral analysis while collaborating with the Richardson Lab at UMASS Amherst under Dr. Schulz’s supervision. Olivia is a non-traditional student and a mother of three. She plans to go to medical school after graduating and hopes to specialize in pediatric surgery while simultaneously conducting research on treatments for Glioblastoma.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

irochfor@vols.utk.edu

Isabella is a double major in Neuroscience and Global Health Biology expected to graduate in May of 2026. She joined the lab in the fall of 2024, assisting Marcia Chavez to investigate how stress during development interacts with the immune system to affect physiology and behavior in adulthood. After graduation, Isabella plans to apply to graduate school and eventually become the head of her own research lab.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

sgrubbs4@vols.utk.edu

Sara is a Neuroscience major, with biology and pre-health minors. She is expected to graduate in December of 2026, and is currently working with PhD candidate AJ Castaneda to investigate the neural mechanisms behind the effects of reproductive experience on social and emotional behaviors. Sara’s post-grad goal is to attend medical school and study neurology, with the objective of specializing in pediatric neurosurgery.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

dsmit306@vols.utk.edu

Dylan is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCMB) major with an anticipated graduation date of Summer 2026. He is currently working with PhD candidate AJ Castaneda to investigate how developmental stress influences neuroplasticity and social behavior. Following graduation, Dylan plans to attend medical school to pursue a career in neurosurgery.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

ckelly51@vols.utk.edu

Connor is a biochemistry major with a pre-med track, minoring in public health. He is expected to graduate in the spring of 2027. After graduation, Connor hopes to go to medical school with the goal of going into cardiology.

Undergraduate Research Assistant

csheph10@vols.utk.edu

Josie is a neuroscience major with a pre-health minor. She is expected to graduate in December of 2027. She is working alongside PhD candidate Jessica Tremblay to assess the effects of prenatal and adolescent stress on perineuronal nets in the medial prefrontal cortex. After graduation, Josie plans to attend PA school and pursue a career in pediatrics.

Undergraduate Research Assistant 

Shaferlillian@gmail.com

Lillian is majoring in neuroscience and is expected to graduate in 2029. After graduation she intends to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. Currently she is working with AJ Castaneda on investigating social learning between male and female hamsters with repeated exposure. Part of the research includes using keyence microscope to image brains and count PNNs.