Arun Anantharam, Associate Professor

I received my undergraduate degree from Columbia University, where I double-majored in Neurosciences and English Literature. I then attended graduate school at Cornell University where I received a Ph.D. in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics working under Dr. Lawrence G. Palmer. For my thesis work, I studied the gating mechanisms of ion channels with electrophysiological recording techniques.

My postdoctoral training was conducted at the University of Michigan in the lab of Drs. Ronald Holz (Pharmacology) and Daniel Axelrod (Physics). Here, I employed a variety of TIRF-based optical methods to study the mechanisms of dense core vesicle fusion and fusion pore expansion.

Prior to joining the University of Toledo in 2022, I was a faculty member at Wayne State University (2011-2016) and the University of Michigan (2016-2021). At UM, I was an Associate Director and then Interim Co-Director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program.

I am currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at the University of Toledo. I am also the track director for the Neurosciences Graduate Program and Director for the new undergraduate B.S. degree in Neuroscience.

email: arun.anantharam@utoledo.edu

Sam Chen, Postdoctoral Fellow

Xiaohuan (Sam) Chen has more than 10 years of experience in studying the mechanism and treatment of sepsis. His current research interest is in the mechanisms underlying hormone release from chromaffin cells which he studies using TIRF microscopy and electrophysiological approaches.

email: xiaohuan.chen@utoledo.edu

Nicole Bell, Graduate Student

Nicole is a Ph.D. student in Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program. She studies the mechanisms of synaptic function and plasticity in the adrenal medulla. She also has experience studying the plasticity of the inhibitory neural circuitry of the mouse prefrontal cortex using whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology. Nicole obtained a Master’s degree in microbiology from Wagner College in Staten Island, NY, working on zebrafish brain tissue regeneration after traumatic brain injury.

email: nicole.bell4@utoledo.edu

(Recent) Lab Alumni!

Wilma Wu (2022). Wilma single-handedly got our lab at UToledo off the ground. Literally, one of the most talented and kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Good luck with all your future plans Wilma!

Ramkuman Mohan (2019-2021). Ram was a postdoctoral fellow and then a research investigator in my lab at UM and introduced us to the wild world of insulin secretion. Ram is currently a research investigator in the Singer lab at UM.

Alina Morales (2017-2021). Alina graduated from my lab in 2021 with a Ph.D. in Pharmacology. She is currently a Scientific Associate at Viscira.

Noah Schenk (2016 - 2020). Noah was with us for all 4 of his years as an undergraduate at UM. Noah is currently a student in the M.D./Ph.D. program at UM and will one day save the world! I’m super-grateful that our paths crossed and I’m very proud of you Noah!

Kate Smith (2017 - 2019). Kate originally joined the lab as an ASPET summer fellow in pharmacology while attending Harvey Mudd College. She transferred to UM and completed her undergraduate degree in 2020. Kate has recently decided to attend the University of Alabama, Birmingham for an M.D./Ph.D. CONGRATULATIONS KATE!!! I couldn’t be prouder of you! :)

Mounir Bendahmane (2017 - 2019). Mounir was one my first hires at UM. Undoubtedly, my decision to bring Mounir into the group was one of the best I’ve ever made! He has since moved on to a position at a biotechnology company (Canaery).

Tejeshwar Rao (2012 - 2017). Tejeshwar was my first graduate student at Wayne State University. He is now a postdoctoral fellow at UAB and doing great things!

Peter Dahl (2014 - 2017). Peter graduated from Wayne State in 2017 with a B.S. in Biomedical Physics. He is now a Ph.D. student in Biophysics at Yale University. We fully expect Peter to be running his own lab one day!

Alexandra Ranski (2016 - 2017). Lexie was a research assistant in my lab during our first year at UM. She was the glue that held the lab together. She went on to graduate from Oakland University Medical School (Rochester, MI) and is now a medical resident in Savannah, GA.

Wooree Ko (2016 - 2017). Wooree was my first M.S. student at UM. She is now in the Ph.D. program in Pharmacology/Physiology at the University of Rochester. She is doing her dissertation work in the lab of Dr. John Lueck.

Boya Zhang (2016 - 2017). Boya was an M.S. student in my lab at UM. She is now a Ph.D. student in UM’s Pharmacology program.