Lab Alumni

Heidi Tarnaski '25 (Fall 2021 - Summer 2025) Beckman Scholar, Neuroscience major

Heidi is interested in studying neuroplasticity in relation to learning and memory. Outside of the lab, they enjoy hiking, playing video games, and embroidery.

Chao Tang (Summer 2024 - Summer 2025) Research Technician

Chao is interested in exploring the neural mechanisms of auditory learning and combining that computational methods. Outside of lab, he likes to game, watch movies, play soccer, and work out.

Quelam Tran-Perez '25 (Fall 2022 - Spring 2025) Neuroscience major

Quelam is interested in exploring the underlying neuronal functions of perception, learning, and memory in zebra finches. She has been studying the role of dopamine and the NCL in second song-tutor learning. Outside of the lab, you can find her practicing martial arts with Wellesley Wushu and attending Fusion events.

Princess Otoo '26  (Spring 2023 - Fall 2024) Neuroscience major 

Princess is interested in learning  neuronal mechanisms that drive song learning in zebra finches. Outside of the lab, she loves working out. 

Ishanya Hebbalae '26 (Spring 2023 - Spring 2024) Neuroscience major

Ishanya is interested in the neuronal mechanisms of song learning and the applications of the zebra finch as a model organism for human language learning. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, knitting, and reading old books. 

Adrianne Cheung '24 (Summer 2021 - Spring 2024) Neuroscience major

Adrianne is studying learning-related changes in dopaminergic activity in the NCL. She has also studied behavior associated with second tutor learning.

Sophia Frank '24 (Summer 2022 - Spring 2024) Neuroscience major

Sophia has been investigating the role of dopamine and the role of the NCL in second tutor learning using pharmacological inhibition. She has also studied behavior associated with learning and the lateralization of the developing HVC. Outside of the lab, she is a member of Wellesley Wushu, Organ Club, and Fusion.

Jesse Hunt (Spring 2022 - Spring 2024) Lab Technician

Jesse helps support all experiments happening in the lab. Practicing the use of techniques like behavioral assays, perfusion fixations, stereotaxic surgery, immunohistochemistry, bird-song analysis, and more! She is interested in the social and learning behavior of avian species and lateralization of the nervous system. Outside of the lab, she does rock-climbing, trail-running, and falconry.

Vivian Uzibor '25 (Fall 2022) I'm a sophomore from Bronx, New York! Prospective Neurobiology major and a Child Psychology minor on the premed track. I plan to use the research in the Gobes lab to further my understanding of child development! My long term goals are to go into the field of pediatrics and create safe spaces for kids across the country and internationally through clinic care.

Payal Arya (Summer 2017 - Summer 2022). I completed my PhD from IISER PUNE, India, where I looked at protein interactions in cellular pathways activated upon DNA damage. I gradually moved into behavior neuroscience and started working on song initiation in Bengalese finches in IISER Pune. I had a short postdoc stint at NBRC, India, where I studied the role of dopamine receptors in song learning in Zebra finches before joining the Gobes lab. Currently I am a Postdoc in the lab and my interests lie in understanding tutor song memory formation in zebra finches using fMRI. 

Alexa Pagliaro '18 (Spring 2015 - Spring 2018) Neuroscience and Spanish major.

 
Alexa is investigating the lateralization underlying memory formation in NCM using pharmacological inhibition techniques. 

Rachel Woo '18 (Fall 2015 - Spring 2018) Neuroscience major. 

Rachel has been working with electron microscopy images and 3D imaging software to reconstruct multiple synapse boutons to look into the role of en passant and terminaux boutons. 

Lynandrea Mejia '20 (Spring 2017 - Fall 2017) Prospective Neuroscience major.

 
Lynandrea is working on the longitudinal fMRI project, looking at tutor song memory in developing male and female zebra finches. 

Brenda Nguyen '19 (Fall 2016 - Spring 2017) Neuroscience major. Brenda worked on image analysis of HVC to measure neurogenesis after sequential learning experiences.

Rebecca Leu '19 (mid-Fall 2015 - Spring 2017) Prospective Neuroscience major. Rebecca was involved in a longitudinal fMRI project, investigating how zebra finch brains change during the song learning process.

Kethu Manokaran '18 (Fall 2015 - Spring 2017) Neuroscience major and South Asia Studies minor. Kethu worked on the data analysis component of the fMRI project and developed group analysis protocols.

Rebecca Jennings '17 (Spring 2015 - Spring 2017) Biology major. Rebecca had been involved in several projects, but also investigated new neuron recruitment in HVC with a sequential learning paradigm.

Julia Lord '07 (Summer 2015 - Spring 2017) Biological Sciences major and Philosophy minor. Julia was the lab's Research Technician and primarily worked on the NCM Inhibition project and helped facilitate other projects as needed.

Shivani Dayal '18 (Fall 2015 - Spring 2016) Neuroscience major and Health and Society minor. Shivani is using electron microscopy and 3D software programs to investigate changes in synaptic curvature in Zebra finches after song learning.

Leila Elabbady '16 (Fall 2014 - Spring 2016). Neuroscience major. Leila is currently working as a research associate for the Synapse Biology team at the Allen Institute for Brain Science.

Leah Hobert '18 (Fall 2015 - Spring 2016) Neuroscience major. Leah has been working with electron microscopy data to make 3D reconstructions of multiple synapse boutons, and is taking length and width measurements of the reconstructed presynaptic boutons.

Amy Hsu '19 (mid-Fall 2015 - Spring 2016) prospective Neuroscience major. Amy is working on reconstructing MSBs of zebra finch brains and reading literature about a possible project topic.

Houda Khaled '16 (Fall 2012 - Spring 2016). Biochemistry major. Houda is currently working as a research specialist in the lab of Dr. Ted Abel at the University of Pennsylvania.

Rie Maeda '18 (Fall 2014 - Spring 2016). Neuroscience major. Rie is currently working as a research assistant in the lab of Dr. Clifford Woolf at Boston Children's Hospital.

Stela Petkova '16 (Fall 2013 - Spring 2016). Neuroscience major, Anthropology minor. Stela is currently a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience at the University of California, Davis.

Elizabeth (Liz) Olsen '16 (Spring 2014 - Fall 2016). Neuroscience & French double major. This semester, Liz is conducting research in health metrics and evaluation with the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement in Cambridge, MA.

Hande Piristine '14 (June 2014 - June 2015) Lab manager/technician. Neuroscience major. Hande is an MD/PhD candidate at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Sahitya Raja '15 (Spring 2012 - Spring 2015). Biological Sciences major, Women's and Gender Studies minor. Sahitya is currently a candidate for the MMSc in Immunology at Harvard Medical School.

Sarah Zemlok '14 (Spring 2012 - Spring 2014). Chemistry major. Sarah is a Scientist at Nano Terra Inc.

Napim Chirathivat '15 (Fall 2012 - Fall 2014). Neuroscience major. Napim is currently a student at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

Tenzin Choetso '16 (Summer 2014). Electrical and Computer Engineering major. Tenzin is currently a senior at Olin College of engineering.

Savannah Hauge '16 (Summer 2013). Philosophy major. Savannah will be spending next year with the Episcopal Service Corps's Boston program and is excited to find out what the (as yet blissfully undetermined) future holds.

Catherine Ho '16 (Summer 2013). Neuroscience major, Chemistry minor. Hoping to find work in Boston and apply to medical school next year.

Kaitlin Bohon '14 (Fall 2011 - Spring 2013). Neuroscience major, Computer Science minor. Kaitlin is currently working in Boston as a Business Intelligence Analyst at Wayfair.

Sima Lotfi '13 (Fall 2011 - Spring 2013). Neuroscience & Philosophy double major. Sima is currently a research technician at the Systems Neuroscience Institute at the University of Pittsburgh and is applying for medical school.

Milena Radoman '15 (Spring 2012 - Spring 2013). Neuroscience major. Sophomore Early Research Program Fellow. Currently she is a clinical research coordinator and a programmer for the MGH Center for Addiction Medicine, where she is using fMRI to study neuroscience underlying nicotine addiction and cognitive abilities of marijuana users with or without a severe mental illness.