Meet The Guild

Jonathan Morrow, M.D. Ph.D.

Principal Investigator / Paladin
jonmorro@med.umich.edu

Jonathan Morrow, M.D., Ph.D. received his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Southern California, and his M.D. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan. His graduate studies focused on the relationship between sleep and the immune system. Specifically, Dr. Morrow used rodent models to show that interleukin-6 does not directly increase or decrease non-REM sleep the way other cytokines had been previously shown to do; rather it disrupts the circadian timing of non-REM sleep to allow sleep and wakefulness at unorthodox time periods in response to homeostatic challenges. Dr. Morrow went on to complete his residency training in Adult Psychiatry at the University of Michigan, and subsequently became certified in Addiction Medicine.

Dr. Morrow joined the faculty of the University of Michigan as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in 2011. He provides medication management and other clinical care to patients through the University of Michigan Addiction Treatment Services. His clinical interests include treatment of co-occurring psychiatric disorders such as addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Frankie Czesak - Ph.D Candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program / Bard
czesakf@umich.edu

Frankie Czesak received her Bachelor of Science in Animal and Poultry Sciences and Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, with a minor in English Literature, from Virginia Tech in 2020. She then began pursuing her PhD with the University of Michigan's Neuroscience Graduate Program, officially joining the Morrow Lab in 2021.

Frankie's work in the lab focuses on the comorbidity of addiction and PTSD, looking at the relationship between Pavlovian conditioning and fear conditioning as models for these disorders. She is particularly interested in the role of pathway-specific inputs to the nucleus accumbens in these behaviors, as well as behavioral and neurobiological sex differences. She hopes to one day lead a research team and study vulnerability to psychiatric disease on an individual and sex-related basis. Frankie also has a wealth of knowledge on personality taxonomies, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Enneagram of Personality. She's an INFJ, sometimes an ENFJ, but usually an INFJ.

Marcel El Kouri - Ph.D Candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program / Bard
melkouri@umich.edu

Marcel Elkouri earned his Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience from The College of Wooster in 2021, and came to Michigan the same year. He joined the lab in 2022 to study individual variations in emotional memory consolidation, a process which typically occurs during sleep. His career interests center around science communication; sharing knowledge of psychiatric disorders in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. When not in lab, he sits outside and wishes he could come back as a flower.

Ilanis Rodríguez-Torres - Ph.D Candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program / Witch
ilanisr@umich.edu

Hello! I’m Ilanis Rodriguez-Torres; I have a B.S. in Cellular Molecular Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. After I graduated, I began my PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, joining the Morrow lab in 2024. My interest in research focuses on how psychostimulants impact synaptic plasticity and cued & contextual learning in Sign Trackers and Goal Trackers. When I'm not in the lab, my favorite thing is to walk my corgi at 10°F and watch him roll around the snow. I like to stand out by speaking in first-person on the Lab Website.

POST-BACCALAUREATE STUDENTS

Elizabeth "Liz" Schmidt - Post-Bac Student / Rouge
elschmid@umich.edu

Liz received her Bachelor's from the University of Michigan Dearborn, dual-majoring in Behavioral & Biological Sciences and Psychology, minoring in Biochemistry. She came to the lab in 2023 as a SIREN Summer Student, and joined at the end of her program. Liz is planning on attending graduate school to further investigate the relationship between sleep and memory. When she is not in the lab hanging out with rats, Liz loves to collect and climb rocks. She is also very skilled at photographing animals with unique behaviors.

Ryan Schubiner - Post-Bac Student / Chimeric Rat with Wings
rschooby@umich.edu

Ryan Schubiner received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor in May 2024. She then returned to campus as a post-baccalaureate student, joining the Morrow Lab in September 2024. She hopes to apply to veterinary schools with a focus on laboratory animal medicine in the coming year. She's an ISTJ, Michigan native, lifelong wolverine, night owl, and a hockey fan.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Mercedes Morin - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
mermor@umich.edu

Mercedes Morin is a senior at the University of Michigan majoring in Neuroscience. She joined the lab in 2023 and is very interested in the role of sleep in the brain, and how different hormones affect our behaviors and experiences. After graduating, Mercedes plans to enter a doctoral program to continue her training in behavioral neuroscience. In her free time, she enjoys running, lifting, and listening to music (taking all recommendations).

Hallea Michell - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
halleami@umich.edu

Hallea Michell is a senior at the University of Michigan, with a very cool bio coming soon!

Darian Rashid - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
darianr@umich.edu

Darian Rashid is a senior at the University of Michigan, with a very cool bio coming soon!

Ziv Schon - Undergraduate Student / Druid
shiracs@umich.edu

Ziv Schon is a senior at the University of Michigan majoring in neuroscience and minoring in the sociology of health and medicine. Ziv plans to attend medical school after graduation. He joined the lab in 2025 and is focusing on chromatin dynamics in hippocampal tissue to study histone remodeling in response to fear-learning with and without proper sleep. Ziv is particularly interested in the social and biochemical aspects of the development of psychiatric disorders. In his free time Ziv spends time with family, creates art, and is training for a half marathon with friends.

Menami Gordon - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
mygordon@umich.edu

Menami Gordon is a junior at the University of Michigan studying neuroscience. She joined the lab in 2023 due to her interest in the mechanisms explaining the development of psychiatric disorders. After graduating, Menami plans to attend medical school and pursue her passion for medicine as a physician. In her free time, she enjoys playing hockey, trying new foods, and spending time outdoors.

Aya Moughni - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
moughni@umich.edu

Aya Moughni is a sophomore at the University of Michigan majoring in Neuroscience on the pre-medical track. She joined the Morrow Lab in 2025 and is excited to support the team’s research on trauma, emotional learning, and behavior. Outside the lab, Aya is involved in student organizations focused on advocacy, culture, and healthcare. In her free time, she enjoys choreographing dances for Arab Xpressions, walking and running outdoors, and spending time with family and friends.

Gracie Shahu - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
gshahu@umich.edu

Gracie Shahu is a sophomore at the University of Michigan majoring in Neuroscience on the pre-medical track. She joined the Morrow Lab in 2025 and is excited to support the team’s research on how sleep affects the brain. After graduating, Gracie plans to attend medical school to continue learning about neuropathology. In her free time, she enjoys playing basketball, watching movies, listening to music, and baking.