Summer 2026
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).
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. 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 research interests focus on how psychostimulants impact synaptic plasticity & cue-driven learning in animals biased to sign- or goal-tracking. 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.
Menami Gordon - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
mygordon@umich.edu
Menami Gordon is a senior 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.
Gracie Shahu - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
shahu@umich.edu
Gracie Shahu is a junior (graduating early!) 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 variations in memory consolidation. 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.
Haley Kampner - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
hkampner@umich.edu
Haley Kampner is a junior at the University of Michigan. She is majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Spanish and Music. She joined the lab in 2025 and is excited to support the team’s research in addiction recovery. Outside of the lab, Haley works as an EMT and plays in two orchestras, including Michigan Pops Orchestra. In her free time, she enjoys playing her violin, listening to music, and going hiking with friends and family.
Aya Moughni - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
moughni@umich.edu
Aya Moughni is a junior at the University of Michigan majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and 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 going for walks and runs outdoors, trying new cafes, spending time with family and friends, baking and cooking new recipes, and choreographing dances for Arab Xpressions!
Porshia Woods - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
porshiaw@umich.edu
Porshia, the one and only. She is rad. Pretend there is a bio here.
Kobey Jia - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
kojia@umich.edu
Kobey! A very cool junior at the University of Michigan. Bio coming....some day!
Vandya Nedle - Undergraduate Student / Chimeric Rat
vnedle@umich.edu
Sweet Vandya. A motivated sophomore at the University of Michigan. Who needs a bio in this economy?
Yueyang "Derek" Dong
BP-ENDURE Summer Student
Mia Wang
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Student
Darian Rashid
Undergraduate Student
Ziv Schon
Undergraduate Student
Ryan Schubiner
Post-Bac Student
Dr. Frankie Czesak
Neuroscience Graduate Student
Tyler Allerton
Lab Manager & Clinical Research Coordinator
Aysia Kinnaird
Undergraduate Student
Semanto Khan
Undergraduate Student
Jacklyn Staffeld
Undergraduate Student
Tejaswi
"Teju" Koneru
Undergraduate Student
Archita Girmannagari
Undergraduate Student
Trevor Geary
Lab Manager
Prabeen Singh
Lab Manager
Aidan Horvath
Lab Manager & Research Lab Specialist Associate
Undergrads Whose Names
We Forgot to Write Down
hope they're doing well!
Dr. Paolo Campus
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Ali Gheidi
Postdoctoral Fellow