Arun Anantharam, 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 a 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

Olivia Thomas, Graduate Student

Olivia is an M.D./Ph.D. student at UToledo. She graduated from Case Western Reserve University with an undergraduate degree in Nutritional Biochemistry and a masters degree in Public Health (MPH).

email: olivia.thomas2@rockets.utoledo.edu

(Recent) Lab Alumni!

Nicole Bell (2022-2025). Nicole graduated from my lab in 2025 with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. Luckily for us, she has not gone far!! She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Smith lab at UToledo.

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 working in the Genomics Core at UM.

Alina Morales (2017-2021). Alina graduated from my lab in 2021 with a Ph.D. in Pharmacology.

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 Ph.D. student at Wayne State University. He is now an Imaging Core Director at the University of Houston.

Peter Dahl (2014 - 2017). Peter graduated from Wayne State in 2017 with a B.S. in Biomedical Physics. He is now working for the National Renewable Energy Lab in Denver, CO.

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 physician in Georgia.

Wooree Ko (2016 - 2017). Wooree was my first M.S. student at UM. She went on to do her Ph.D. Pharmacology/Physiology at the University of Rochester.