Research Group

This group of researchers is dedicated to studying sensory and motor systems at the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy of the Drexel University College of Medicine. Interacting scientifically and forming collaborations, this group conducts state of the art studies that provide basic science utilized to shape the design of future clinical trials. Faculty members in the group include Manuel Castro-Alamancos, Ph.D., Rodrigo España, Ph.D., Wen-Jun Gao, Ph.D., Simon Giszter, Ph.D., Michel Lemay, Ph.D., Karen Moxon, Ph.D., Robert F. Rogers, Ph.D., Ilya Rybak, Ph.D., Jed Shumsky, Ph.D. and Barry Waterhouse, Ph.D. They are aided by postdoctoral fellows and graduate students who come from all over the world to contribute to these experiments. These students and fellows are supported by Training Grants, Foundation funds, and NIH funds.

Manuel Castro-Alamancos , Ph.D. - Dynamics of thalamo-cortico-thalamic synaptic networks
Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Rodrigo España, Ph.D. - Hypocretin/orexin, dopamine, norepinephrine, neural basis of addiction, behavioral pharmacology, sleep/arousal, fast scan cyclic voltammetry, multi-unit electrophysiology
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Wen-Jun Gao, Ph.D. - Synaptic signaling and regulation of prefrontal neuronal circuitry and neurobiology of schizophrenia
Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Simon Giszter, Ph.D. - Motor Control, Neurophysiology, Biomechanics and Neuroengineering
Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Michel Lemay Ph D. - Neural Engineering
Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Karen Moxon, Ph.D. - Neurophysiology, Modeling and Engineering
Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Robert F. Rogers, Ph.D. - Cardiovascular & respiratory control, Systems neuroscience, Computational neuroscience, Neuroengineering.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy

Ilya A. Rybak, Ph.D. - Computational Neuroscience, motor control, modeling neural control of respiration and locomotion
Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Jed Shumsky, Ph.D. - Behavioral assessment of recovery of function from spinal cord injury
Research Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Barry Waterhouse, Ph.D. - Neurophysiology and Neuroanatomy
Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy

Postdoctoral and Senior Fellows

Castro-Alamancos Lab: Juan Aguilar, Ph.D.
Giszter Lab: Corey Hart, Ph.D.; Mitch Maltenfort, Ph.D.
Waterhouse Lab: Candice Drouin, Ph.D.; Chuma Okere, Ph.D.

Graduate Students

Castro-Alamancos Lab: Jeremy Cohen - Ph.D Program; Paul Rigas - Ph.D. Program
Giszter Lab: Jonathan Scabich - Ph.D. Program (Bioengineering); Ubong Ime Udoekwere - Ph.D. Program (Bioengineering)
Lemay Lab: Vanessa Boyce - Ph.D. Program
Moxon Lab: Steven Leiser - Ph.D. Program (Bioengineering)
Waterhouse Lab: Dorothy Wang - MMS Program