Candice M. Brown, PhD – Principal Investigator
cdbrown2@hsc.wvu.edu

Current Lab Members
Postdoctoral Fellows
Sanaz Nasoohi, PhD
Graduate Students
Rhiannon Macom – PhD Student in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Briana Clary – PhD Student in Neuroscience
Shokofeh Rahimpour – PhD Student in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Brandon Kirby – MD/PhD Student in Neuroscience
Research Staff
Muna Al-Humaire, MS
Cory Beswick
Undergraduates
Kennedi Lewellyn
Chloe Hernandez
Abby Tillema
Bernardo Pacheco Pereira
Lindsey Hinckley
Yohanna Berhanu
Audrey Plumtree
Landon Richards
Gabe Sankey
Residents and Medical Students
Lincey Wilson, MD, MBA: Neurology Resident
Katie Barnes
Recent Alumnae/Alumni
Allison Brichacek, MS – PhD in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Current: Staff Scientist, NIH

Divine Nwafor – MD/PhD Student in Neuroscience
Current: Divine is currently a MS4 student and is applying for Neurosurgery residencies. He will receive both degrees in May 2023.

Undergraduate Army
Maria Mace – WVU Immunology and Medical Microbiology, RAP Program
Sophia Kenney – WVU Immunology and Medical Microbiology Research Internship Program
Grace Maley – WVU Biochemistry, RAP Program
Mikaela Barbour – WVU Biology, RAP Program
Caitlin Mickles – WVU Immunology and Medical Microbiology; 2019-2020 WV-INBRE Research Fellow
Luke Cox, WVU Exercise Physiology
Rachael Lee – WV INBRE Summer student 2021
Betty Abdelgelil – WV-INBRE Summer student 2022
Crystal Ama – NURO Summer student 2022
Andrew Strutz
Maddie Stamper
Cory Beswick
M.S. Health Sciences students
Maggie Dransfeld
Daniel Proctor
Ahsan Ali
Medical students
Sneha Gupta: MS1 Intro Program; Current – Neurology Resident at Johns Hopkins
Brandon Neeley: WVU Medicine, Class of 2019; Resident: WVU Dept. of Neurology
Samantha Johnson and Roberto Tellez: WVU Medicine, Class of 2020;
Brown Lab Alums – 2019 and earlier
- Sarah Sine – WVU BS Biology 2016; Current Position: Master’s in Biotechnology at Keck Graduate Institute
- Josh Wang – WVU Biology and Research Technician; Current Position: Medical Student, Class of 2020 at West Virginia University School of Medicine

- Kaitlyn Runner – PhD student; Current Position: Researcher at Drexel University
- Austin Nichols WVU MS Health Sciences, 2017
- Sujung Jun PhD – Research Associate; Current Position- Research Associate at Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Yamini Anantula WVU Biology Honors Student, Class of 2017; Current Position: MPH Program in Global Health Policy, Emory University
- Pooja Ajay Warrier WVU Biomedical Engineering, class of 2018; 2016 SURI Student – Current Position: NIH/NIA Postbaccalaureate IRTA intern
- Emily Hone – WVU Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Class of 2018; research intern – Current Position: MS Biostatistics, WVU
- Patty Doyle – WVU Biology, Class of 2018 – Current Position: Research internship program at Jackson Labs, Bar Harbor, ME
- Sreeparna Chakraborty, PhD, Research Associate
- Jorge Garcia – WVU Biology
- Yumi Tze – BS Biology, Minor Neuroscience, Concord University; WV-INBRE 2018 Summer Internship Program
-
Stanley Benkovic, PhD
I began my science career as a chemistry student in high school and earned associate’s degrees in Chemistry and Mathematics, and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. I obtained graduate degrees in Anatomy and Medical Science-Pharmacology. During these years, I developed an interest in brain disorders and diseases and worked on Alzheimer’s disease for my doctoral dissertation. My postdoctoral training was at CDC-NIOSH where we investigated the effects of stress and neurotoxins on the brain. I joined a neurohistology laboratory as a project manager and quality control agent and worked with many investigators specifying stains and analyses appropriate for their experiments. I missed the research environment and joined the WVU Neuroscience department to investigate Alzheimer’s disease, sepsis, and stroke. When I’m not in lab, I enjoy playing bass guitar and synthesizer. A stray cat colony from my neighborhood has largely moved into my home.
- Rhiannon Macom: BS Biology, West Liberty University; Summer 2019 WV-INBRE Summer Internship Program
- India Bender – WVU Sociology with an emphasis in Gerontology, RAP Program
Collaborators
- Duaa Dakhlallah, PhD – WVU
- Jose Luis Millan, PhD – Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
- Mark Driscoll, PhD: Shoreline Biome