Lab Staff

Dr. Giusti-Rodriguez earned her BS in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras. She completed her PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology at Harvard University, where her doctorate research focused on studying the molecular basis of neurodegeneration. Her postdoctoral research was conducted at UNC Chapel Hill, where she studied antipsychotic side effects through mouse populations.

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​giustirodriguezp @ ufl.edu

Dr. Porras obtained her PhD in Genetics at the University of Barcelona-Spain, where she focused on programming and machine learning, developing pathogenic predictors. Her focus has been on experimental laboratory, particularly in molecular and cell biology. One of her contributions in the lab include the standardization of protocols for bioinformatic genetic analysis.

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luz.porras @ ufl.edu

Curtis is from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was a part of the Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program at Vanderbilt University working with genetics and most recently finished his second graduate rotation in Dr. Sai Zhang’s lab exploring the intersection between genomics and AI. Curtis currently works as the Giusti-Rodriguez Lab's main research assistant, handling new protocols and facilitating a lot of the hands-on research in the lab. 

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curtis.dearing @ ufl.edu

Giovanna is a PhD student in Neuroscience at Fluminense Federal University (UFF), Brazil, currently conducting a research visit at the University of Florida under the supervision of Dr. Paola Giusti-Rodriguez. Her research focuses on the genetics of anxiety and the effects of environmental enrichment on gene expression and behavior in an animal model of generalized anxiety disorder. During her research visit, she is working on genomic and transcriptomic analyses to investigate the molecular pathways associated with anxiety. Outside the lab, Giovanna enjoys hiking, staying active and exploring new places.

monteirogiovanna @ ufl.edu

Christian Williams is a fourth-year Health Science major on the Pre-Med track. He is currently involved with some of the lab's significant projects, one being mouse behavioral studies. In addition to being a researcher, he is part of the University of Florida's competitive Speech and Debate team, traveling to places such as Nashville, Tennessee, and Rome, Georgia, to compete in national tournaments. After completing his undergraduate degree, he plans to get admitted into top medical schools through an MD program, with neurology as a top specialty choice. 

Alicia is a Biology student at the University of Florida in her fourth year. She is also involved in another research project with Lilian Hendrick currently using metabarcoding to analyze biodiversity in Gainesville's microlepidoptera. She is maintaining some of the social media presence of the lab, as well as helping with general upkeep and wet-lab duties. This semester, she is taking a central role in one of the lab's main projects focusing on intron deletions. 

Alex is a third year undergraduate student double majoring in Biochemistry and Computer Science. He plans to use computational methods to analyze how structural variants impact the 3D structure of the genome, which can lead to neurological conditions. Ultimately, he hopes to contribute to building a model to predict which structural variants should be prioritized in experimentation. Beyond research, Alex is on the Underwater Hockey Club and the Honors Chords singing ensemble at the University of Florida. 

Vivek is a fourth year undergrad at UF majoring in Biology with a Minor in Anthropology. He hails from Georgetown, Guyana and works with two non-profits when he's not working with bioinformatics in the lab. He also works on the lab's social media presence among his other lab duties. He plans to pursue a career in medicine and hopes to specialize in pediatric surgery. 

Savina is a fourth-year Health Science student on the pre-med track. She is currently involved in the RDT pilot study project. In addition to conducting research at the lab, she also has volunteered it multiple lab departments at Shands Hospital and is currently volunteering in the NICU. She hopes to pursue a career in OB/GYN and possibly specialize in fertility medicine.

Lauren is a third year majoring in Microbiology with a minor in Education Studies. She’s passionate about neurological developmental disorders and finds biomechanics fascinating. She is on the scSPRITE wet-lab project and has worked with mice. Outside of the lab, she enjoys writing and thrifting. 

Jocelyn is a third year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology/Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience and minoring in Nutritional Sciences as a Pre-Med student. She is currently involved in with some of the lab's significant projects, one being single-cell split pool recognition and also focusing on programming and machine learning with Dr. Porras. Beyond the lab she is a Certified Personal Trainer and likes to train for half and full marathons and weight-lift. She hopes to specialize in Forensic Psychiatry or Neurology. 

Layla is a third year Biochemistry major with a minor in Bioinformatics and Religion, on the Pre MD-PhD track. She works on the CACNA1C project and enjoys 3D genome analysis and bioinformatics. Her hobbies include dancing, cooking, and taking care of her baby sister.

Kleimy a second year undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Engineering and minoring in Pathogenesis as a Pre-Med student.  She most recently worked on our mice RDT project and is hoping to work with more of the cellular-level projects of the lab. She is aiming to pursue a career in psychiatry. Outside of the lab, she enjoys drawing, painting, and ice skating. 

Isaac is a fourth year undergraduate student on the Pre-Medical track majoring in Biology and Women's Studies. He is set to work on cell culturing and is interested in mice model research. He is striving for a future career in either family medicine or internal medicine, but is open to most specialties. He enjoys drawing, playing rhythm games, and listening to music. 

Lia is a second-year undergraduate student double majoring in Psychology and Chemistry with a minor in Philosophy as a Pre-Med student. She recently joined the lab and is excited to learn more about the research process, particularly by developing her coding skills and exploring computational approaches to research. She hopes to pursue a career in psychiatry. Outside of the lab, she enjoys writing poetry, listening to music, and playing piano.