Training Program
in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

Program Mentors

  • Amelia Eisch, PhD Program Director
    Professor Anesthesiology and Critical Care
    Research Interests: Developmental and adult neurogenesis and dentate gyrus plasticity’s contribution to abnormal functioning
    eischa@chop.edu
  • Eric Marsh, MD, PhD Eric Marsh, MD, PhD Program Director
    Associate Professor of Neurology
    Research Interests: Interneuron development, epilepsy models, intracranial EEG recordings, electrophysiology
    marshe@chop.edu
  • Stewart Anderson, MD Stewart Anderson, MD Professor of Psychiatry
    Research Interests: Molecular and cellular development of the mammalian forebrain
    sande@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
  • Naiara Aquizu Lopez, PhD Naiara Aquizu Lopez, PhD Assistant Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
    Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms by which neurogenetic disorders alter neurogenesis and development, including mutations in AMPD2 and SNX14
    aquizun@chop.edu
  • Greg Bashaw, PhD Greg Bashaw, PhD Professor of Neuroscience
    Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of axon guidance in invertebrate and vertebrate nervous systems
    gbashaw@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
  • (Frederick) Chris Bennett, MD (Frederick) Chris Bennett, MD Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
    Research Interests: Origin and development of microglia and the contributions of microglia to NDDs including Globoid cell leukodystrophy and Krabbe Disease
    Frederick.Bennett@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
  • Seema Bhatagnar, PhD Seema Bhatagnar, PhD Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
    Research Interests: Neural mechanisms related to chronic stress exposure
    bhatagnar@chop.edu
  • Akiva Cohen, PhD Akiva Cohen, PhD Research Professor Anesthesiology and Critical Care
    Research Interests: Cellular and circuit mechanisms of traumatic brain injury
    cohena@chop.edu
  • Douglas A. Coulter, PhD Douglas A. Coulter, PhD Professor of Pediatrics
    Research Interests: Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying epilepsy
    coulterd@chop.edu
  • Beverly Davidson, PhD Beverly Davidson, PhD Arthur V. Meigs Chair in Pediatrics
    Research Interests: Inherited genetic diseases that cause central nervous system dysfunction
    davidsonbl@chop.edu
  • Marni Falk, MD Marni Falk, MD Professor of Pediatrics
    Research Interests: Genetic etiologies to primary mitochondrial disease across the age spectrum, and wide range of disorders that involve secondary mitochondrial dysfunction
    falkm@chop.edu
  • Marc Fuccillo, PhD Marc Fuccillo, PhD Assistant Professor of Neuroscience
    Research Interests: Circuit control of behaviors related to NDDs, including autism, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder
    fuccillo@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
  • Ethan Goldberg, MD, PhD Ethan Goldberg, MD, PhD Assistant Professor of Neurology
    Research Interests: Studying the structure and function of cerebral cortical circuits and circuit dysfunction in epilepsy
    goldberge@chop.edu<
  • Judith B. Grinspan, PhD Judith B. Grinspan, PhD Research Professor of Neurology
    Research Interests: Oligodendrocyte development and myelination in the CNS
    grinspan@chop.edu
  • Hakon Hakonarson, MD, PhD Hakon Hakonarson, MD, PhD Professor of Pediatrics
    Research Interests: Genetic factors that underlie complex medical disorders
    hakonarson@chop.edu
  • Frances Jensen, MD, FACP Frances Jensen, MD, FACP Chair of Neurology
    Research Interests: pathophysiological mechanisms of epilepsy and stroke and secondary effects on synaptic plasticity
    Frances.Jensen@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
  • Matthew Kayser, MD, PhD Matthew Kayser, MD, PhD Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
    Research Interests: Understanding how sleep contributes to sculpting brain circuits during development and in other times of life
    kayser@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
  • Erica Korb, PhD Erica Korb, PhD Assistant Professor of Neuroscience
    Research Interests: Epigenetic contributions to development, memory, and stress and mechanistic understanding of the effects of histone variants that cause intellectual disability
    ekorb@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
  • Daniel Licht, MD Daniel Licht, MD Professor of Neurology
    Research Interests: Influence of congenital heart defects on fetal brain development
    licht@chop.edu
  • David R. Lynch, MD, PhD David R. Lynch, MD, PhD Professor of Neurology
    Research Interests: NMDA receptors and excitotoxicity
    lynchd@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
  • Guo-Li Ming, PhD Guo-Li Ming, PhD Perelman Professor of Neuroscience
    Research Interests: Understanding molecular mechanisms underlying neurodevelopment and how its dysregulation may contribute to developmental neurological disorders.
  • Timothy P. Roberts, PhD Timothy P. Roberts, PhD Vice Chair of Research in Radiology and Professor of Radiology
    Research Interests: Functional neuroimaging
    robertstim@chop.edu
  • Robert T. Schultz, PhD Robert T. Schultz, PhD Professor of Clinical Psychology in Pediatrics
    Research Interests: Cognitive neuroscience and autism research
    schultzrt@chop.edu
  • Amita Sehgal, PhD Amita Sehgal, PhD John Herr Musser Professor
    Research Interests: Mechanisms that control the circadian cycle and sleep and the interactions of circadian cycle with pathogenesis of NDD, including epilepsy
    amita@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
  • Hongjun Song, PhD Hongjun Song, PhD Perelman Professor of Neuroscience
    Research Interests: Research Interests: Neural stem cell regulation & neurogenesis; epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms
  • Yuanquan Song, PhD Yuanquan Song, PhD Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
    Research Interests: Mechanisms of axon regeneration
    songy2@chop.edu
  • Douglas Wallace, PhD Douglas Wallace, PhD Michael and Charles Barnett Chair of Pediatric Mitochondrial Medicine and Metabolic Disease
    Research Interests: Mitochondrial inborn errors in metabolism
    wallaced1@chop.edu
  • John H. Wolfe, VMD, PhD John H. Wolfe, VMD, PhD Professor of Pathology and Medical Genetics in Pediatrics
    Research Interests: Lysosomal genetic disorders that affect the brain
    jhwolfe@vet.upenn.edu
  • Zhaolan (Joe) Zhou, PhD Zhaolan (Joe) Zhou, PhD Professor of Genetics
    Research Interests: Understanding how epigenetic principles integrate environmental factors with genetic code to govern brain development and function, and how defects in this process may lead to neurological diseases
    zhaolan@pennmedicine.upenn.edu