Bambah-Mukku Lab
at UCSD
Dhananjay Bambah-Mukku
Principal Investigator
I received PhD training in Cristina Alberini's lab at Mount Sinai and NYU and was a postdoctoral fellow in Catherine Dulac's lab at Harvard. I am interested in animal behavior and the biological underpinnings of emotion and subjective experience.
John Jefferson
Research Associate
I received my BS in Neurobiology at UCSD in 2023, where I studied the neural basis of internal states in larval zebrafish in the Lovett-Barron lab. I joined the Bambah-Mukku lab in 2023. I am broadly interested in characterizing neural circuits governing animal behavior and emotion.
Caitlin Miller
Postdoctoral Fellow
Supported by an IRACDA and UCSD Chancellor's Fellowship
I earned my BS in Biology at Reed College, where I studied sexually dimorphic aggression in cichlid fishes. I then worked on desert baboons in Namibia and Black-backed woodpeckers in California. I received my PhD in the Sheehan Lab at Cornell University, where my research focused on state-modulated communication strategies in house mice. I’m interested in examining the molecular and physiological changes that occur in the brain during pregnancy, with a specific interest in how this life history stage orchestrates adaptive behavioral changes.
Sunaina Martin
Graduate Student
I received my BS in Neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles where I studied spatial representations in the retrosplenial cortex under Alcino Silva. I then worked with Tiago Gonçalves to uncover how experience impacts hippocampal spatial representations. I am broadly interested in understanding how animals interact with each other. Particularly, I am interested in how differences in age, sex, and environment govern social interactions.
Elizabeth Chamiec-Case
Graduate Student
I received my BSE in Engineering Physics from the University of Connecticut, where I studied melanin concentrating hormone neurons in the lateral hypothalamus under Alexander Jackson. I am broadly interested in understanding social behaviors at the molecular level. Specifically, I look forward to using transcriptomic analyses to understand how the brain has evolved to support social diversity.
Crystine Sobrian
Undergraduate Student
Kavli Colors of the Brain Fellow
I am a 4th year cognitive and behavioral neuroscience major at UCSD. I joined Bambah-Mukku Lab July 2023. I am generally interested in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying mood disorders and social behavior.
Khushi Vakil
Undergraduate Student
I am a 3rd year undergraduate student who joined the lab in January 2023. I am interested in learning more about the physiological basis of various mental processes and behaviors. Specifically, I am intrigued by the field of puberty and decision making.
Imo Gong
Undergraduate Student
I’m a second year studying cognitive neuroscience at UCSD. I joined the lab fall of 2023. I’m specifically interested in understanding the biological formation of emotions and how emotions affect conscious behavior.
Inaya Nicholls
Undergraduate Student
I’m a sophomore studying Molecular and Cell Biology with a minor in Psychology at UC San Diego. I joined the lab during the Summer of 2023 and my general focus is understanding the molecular diversity of neurons in specific brain regions and the implications of this diversity on social behaviors in mice. Beyond the rodent model, I am interested in how these findings may be applied to understanding neural mechanisms in humans and potentially contributing to our understanding of the neurological aspects of social behaviors in a broader context.
Alumni​
Name | Lab Position | Duration | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|