Christian joined the lab in August of 2021 as the lab's first PhD student. He is interested in how unipolar brush cells in the dorsal cochlear nucleus impact auditory processing at multiple different levels, from ion channels to in vivo auditory responses. He got his undergraduate degree from Belmont University in Neuroscience, and worked as a lab technician in Dr. Mark Bear's lab at MIT studying ocular dominance plasticity and amblyopia in mice. Outside of the lab, Christian enjoys swimming, hiking, and going to Arizona State sporting events. 

Harsh joined the lab in 2022 as a Neuroscience PhD student after a short stint in bay area industry studying neurodegenerative disease modeling using iPSC derived brain organoids. As an undergraduate, he studied medicine in India. He received a masters in neuroscience from Loyola University Chicago studying neuron-glia communication via exosomes in the rodent retina. Although electrophysiological recordings scared him, he faced his fears and joined the lab. Now he scares us with his exciting whole-cell patch clamp data. He studies the role of NMDA receptors in the development and plasticity in the mouse cerebellum. He enjoys watching and playing soccer, trying new foods not prepared by him and running his experiments at night.

Zoey joined the lab in August 2025 as a Neuroscience PhD student. She received her B.A. in Neuroscience from Pomona College where she was an NCAA student-athlete for the Pomona-Pitzer Women's Softball and Track & Field teams. After graduating, Zoey volunteered in Dr. Federico Sanabria’s lab here at ASU studying collective learning in rats. She then went on to complete an NIH PREP postbaccalaureate year at UNC Chapel Hill in Dr. Donita Robinson’s lab where she investigated the impact of a “double-hit” developmental binge alcohol exposure on behavioral/neurochemical outcomes in adulthood. Outside of the lab, Zoey enjoys baking bread, crocheting, and anxiously rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Olivia joined the Balmer lab in early 2025, motivated by an interest in electrophysiology. She quickly fell in love with the lab and is currently an accelerated BS/MS student in neurobiology. Her research interests span systems neuroscience, sensory neuroscience, and biophysics, all fields she hopes to further explore throughout her career. Ultimately, Olivia's fascination with natural complexity is what first drew her to neuroscience and continues to drive her work today. Outside of the lab, she explores bioethics, focusing on the ethical dimensions of biological innovation and research. In her personal time, she enjoys dancing, bird-watching, and spending time with loved ones. 

Barrett Honors Scholar and Undergraduate Volunteer 2021-2022

Current MS student in Entrepreneurship at the Foster School of Business Administration, University of Washington

Molecular and Cellular Biology MS Student 2021-2023

Current Research Technologist at Mayo Clinic

Research Technician 2022-2024

Current Neuroscience PhD Student at Emory University

Undergraduate Volunteer 2021-2024

Current Medical Student at UCSF

Undergraduate Volunteer 2022-2024

Current Medical Student at Chicago Medical School

Research Technician 2024-2025

Current Medical Student at University of Toledo