News

January 2026: Eleni gives a short presentation at the WSU TNP (Translational Neuroscience Program) Faculty Blitz.

January 2026: Eleni teaches BIO6690-Special Topics in Neurobiology: Neuronal Circuits and their role in behavior

January 2026: Jena Mellin, Master’s student, joins our lab for her lab rotation. She will explore how exposure to a sensory enriched environment affects nematode mobility. Welcome, Jena!

November 2025: Big news! We moved into our new and final lab space, on the 2nd floor of the Biological Sciences building. Our lab worming party was a success and our new home is awesome!

November 2025: Keita Kuramitsu joins the group as a rotation student. He will work with Bianca on the effect of sensory enrichment on C. elegans physiology and behavior. Welcome, Keita!

October 2025: Arpita Bhandari joins our group as an undergraduate research assistant. She will work on the maze learning project. Welcome, Arpita!

October 2025: Eleni gives a talk at the Department of Pharmacology of Wayne State University Medical School.

October 2025: Jonathon and Sima present their posters at the annual Biological Sciences Department Research Retreat.

September 2025: Dr. Bianca Pereira joins our group as a postdoctoral researcher. Welcome, Bianca! (her previous academic home: Wayne State University, Alcedo lab)

August 2025: Eleni teaches the Graduate Seminar Course, for BioSci graduate students.

June 2025: Eleni, Jonathon, and Sima attend the 25th International Worm Meeting, at UC Davis, CA. Sima presents a poster on C. elegans behavior in granular terrains!

April 2025: Eleni, Sima, and Jonathon attend the 11th annual Midwest C. elegans Meeting, at the Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Eleni chairs a session.

March 2025: Eleni gives a talk at the APS Global Physics meeting, Anaheim, California, where she presents findings on the granular matter and nematodes project (collaboration with Hongyi Xiao, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan).

January 2025: Jonathon McSwain joins our group as a PhD student! Welcome, Jonathon!

January 2025: Eleni teaches Special Topics in Neurobiology: Neuronal Circuits & their role in Behavior.

January 2025: Kareem Hassouna, Ada Squires, and Joseph Suchyta join our group as student research assistants. Welcome!

December 2024: Sima Maleki joins our group, as our new Research Assistant and Laboratory Technician. Welcome, Sima! (her previous academic home: University of South Florida)

August 2024: Eleni joins the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan! Very excited! (previous academic home: Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Michigan)