Lab Alumni

John received his undergraduate education at the University of Missouri, graduating with a BA in Psychology and Sociology. At Mizzou he spent time studying addiction sciences and clinical psychology. He is interested in further understanding the role in which genetics play altering the development and behavior of individuals. Outside the lab he is a wonderful father to his cat, enjoys reading, video games, and will always take new suggestions for a new show/movie to binge.

Jiayang Chen was a graduate student in Molecular and Cell Biology program. And Wiki is his secret English name that only several people know about. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at Fudan University, China. Before coming to WashU, he worked as research assistant to investigate brainstem synaptic function and visual system development in neurological disorders. In the Dougherty Lab, he has continued pursuing his interest in studying neurodevelopmental disorders, especially autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Other dreams (hobbies?) outside the lab: becoming a marine mammal zoologist, winning badminton Olympic gold medal, being recognized as a professional photographer, and traveling around the world.

Victoria is a Junior majoring in the Neuroscience track of the Biology major at WashU. She is originally from China and came to the US for high school in the east coast. She joined the lab in fall 2019 and have been working with Rachel to study healthy development and Rett syndrome in a mouse model using optical neuroimaging and behavioral testings. Outside of the lab, she enjoys working out, cooking, watching Netflix and spending time with her two cats and friends!

Shirley is a junior at WashU, studying Biology and Global Health on the pre-medical track. Having joined the lab in Fall 2022, she is currently working with Colin and is interested in studying the gene MYT1L and how it regulates gene expression in autism spectrum disorders. In her free time, Shirley enjoys running, listening to music, drinking coffee, and spending time with friends and family.

Stuart received his Undergraduate Education at the University of Wisconsin Madison, where he studied Genetics, Computer Science and German. Stuart worked in both the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (Handelsman Lab), the Microbial Science Building (Ané Lab) and as part of the EntoGEM International team. He joined the lab in Spring 2020 with interests in Bioinformatics and AI. Hobbies include skiing, hiking, biking, traveling, frizbee, dancing, houseplants, brewing kombucha and turn-based strategy games. Stuart is primarily working remote so is best contacted via email or other electronic means.

Michael was a research technician in the lab. He completed his undergraduate degree from Case Western. After graduating, he spent two years in Wyoming teaching with a program similar to Teach for America. You could find Michael in lab eating large numbers of donuts and studying post transcriptional MPRAs. Outside of the lab, he likes to read books, rock climb, and canoe!

Tomas was a graduate student in the Molecular Genetics and Genomics program. He double majored as an undergraduate at UC Riverside, obtaining Bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and Chemistry. Before coming to Wash U, he worked in San Diego for a biotech company doing gene editing for trait development in plants. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, going to concerts, hiking, and hanging out with friends.

Francesca received her PhD from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and M.A. in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has an extensive background in behavioral pharmacology and electrophysiology and previously researched the effects of neuroactive steroids on cognition, sleep, and anesthesia. She was excited to switch gears and dive into the realm of astrocytes and was genetically characterizing astrocyte subtypes to study their roles in neuronal circuits. When not in the lab Francesca was in the kitchen cooking or scoping out the best places to eat in St. Louis. When not daydreaming of food, she’s on her yoga mat or taking walks in Forest Park.

Elena was a Neonatologist at Saint Louis Children’s Hospital. She has a neuroscience research background and an MS degree with a specialization in Developmental Neurobiology. She was interested in performing mouse autism studies with potential for translational applications. In her free time, she enjoys running, skating, and spending as much time as possible with her one-year-old

Shayna is a research technician in the lab. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at St. Louis University and her Master’s in Biochemistry at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She is interested in how the brain works and why it malfunctions, specifically in neurodegenerative disorders. Outside the lab, she enjoys traveling, puzzles and hanging out with her husband and new baby girl.