CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
Roy Sillitoe, PhD
Principal Investigator
Director, Cerebellum Science Center
Professor & Chao Family Endowed Chair
Department of Pediatrics
Department of Pathology & Immunology
Department of Neuroscience
Director, Duncan NRI Education and Career Development
Tao Lin, PhD
Research Associate
Jason Gill, PhD
Assistant Professor
Amanda Brown, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
About: I study movement disorders and “everything cerebellum” in the Sillitoe Lab using electrophysiology, EMG, behavioral techniques, genetics, anatomy, and closed-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS). Before my doctoral training, I was mentored by Dr. Anne Churchland at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, where I was trained in human and rodent multisensory integration and decision making as well as rodent multiunit electrophysiology. My undergraduate research was under the mentorship of Dr. Anthony Ahrens at American University, where I was trained in studies of human emotions and behavioral resiliency skills. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, biking along Houston’s bayous, and baking for my labmates.
Linda Kim, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
About: During my M.Sc. with Dr. Zelma Kiss, I gained invaluable experience conducting clinical studies and intraoperative neurosurgical recordings in human patients with movement disorders. Motivated by the limits of current therapies, my Ph.D. with Dr. Patrick Whelan and Dr. Zelma Kiss established the A13 nucleus as a novel target for treating gait dysfunctions in Parkinson’s Disease. As a DMRF Mahlon DeLong Young Investigator in the Sillitoe Lab, I designed a spike-triggered, dynamic closed-loop cerebellar deep brain stimulation for dystonia. Now, as a Duncan NRI Zoghbi Scholar, I am decoding cerebellar neural substrates for Parkinson's Disease symptoms and treatment. When I’m not in the lab, I’m out on a bike trail, unwinding with yoga, or relaxing with my two cats.
Lita Duraine
Electron Microscopist
About: I am a Certified Electron Microscopist in the Baylor Pathology Department, managing the NRI TEM Core under Dr. Roy Sillitoe. I collaborate with physicians, researchers, students, and postdoctoral fellows across the Texas Medical Center, providing high-resolution ultrastructural analysis of biological specimens. My experience spans a diverse range of sample types—including plant, insect, avian, fish, animal, and human tissues, as well as geological specimens such as lunar material. I specialize in both Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy, with expertise in Energy Dispersive Spectrometry, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, ultramicrotomy, and advanced preparation techniques including cryo- and microwave-assisted processing. By integrating knowledge of both biological and materials microscopy, I work closely with investigators to develop customized electron microscopy workflows that yield precise, application-specific data, particularly in the study of neurological disorders and disease in both mouse and human models.
Lauren Peacoe
Graduate Student
About: I am a PhD student in the Neuroscience Program at BCM, and I am passionate about understanding the mechanisms of genetic neurodevelopmental disorders. I grew up in Houston and earned my BS in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Texas at Austin, where I studied hippocampal microglial reactivity after adolescent alcohol exposure under the mentorship of Dr. Kimberly Nixon. Now, my research focuses on how cerebellar circuit dysfunction drives motor challenges in TANGO2 Deficiency Disorder. Outside the lab, I enjoy being a teaching assistant for Neuroanatomy, speaking at schools through the Neuroscience Outreach program, hiking, and painting.
Michael Dew
Graduate Student
About: My undergraduate research was in the lab of Dr. Jeff Edwards at Brigham Young University, studying synaptic depotentiation and the effects of ketogenic diet on long term potentiation. As a PhD student in the Sillitoe lab, I am investigating the effects deep brain stimulation on the activity of cerebellar neurons and their downstream targets. Although we know that cerebellar DBS can effectively treat dystonia, it is unclear how neurons throughout the brain respond to this treatment. Clarifying how cerebellar DBS affects neural activity could guide changes to improve patient outcomes. In my free time I enjoy telling stories to my daughter, writing poems, and designing card games.
Devippriya Esakkimuthu
Graduate Student
Karen Maldonado
Senior Coordinator, Business Operations
About: My career has taken a few unexpected turns—from earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a minor in Architecture from the University of Houston, to managing Hilton hotel renovations, advising students, and ultimately supporting scientific research. These days, I keep things running behind the scenes as the Business Operations Coordinator for the Cerebellum Science Center and Dr. Roy Sillitoe's lab. I enjoy helping researchers focus on science while I tackle the logistics that keep the lab moving forward. Outside of work, you'll usually find me tending to my garden, exploring new restaurants with my family, or being happily outnumbered by my fur babies.
Janelle Allen
Technician
Juwan Copeland
Graduate Student (Mentor: Andy Groves)
FORMER LAB MEMBERS
2026
Cheryl Brandenburg, PhD - former Postdoc
Next: Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University
Alejandro Rey Hipolito, PhD - former Neuroscience Graduate Student
Next: Patent Agent, Fletcher Yoder
Sarah Donofrio, PhD - former Neuroscience Graduate Student
Next: Medical Writer, HMP Global
2025
Bryan Melgar - former Technician
Next: Applications to medical school
2024
Megan Nguyen - former Technician
Next: Neuroscience PhD Student, Cornell University
Luis E. Salazar, PhD - former Neuroscience Graduate Student
Next: Co-Founder, Sobek AI
Dominic Kizek, MD - former Medical Student
Next: Neurosurgery Resident, Houston Methodist
2023
Meike van der Heijden, PhD - former Postdoc
Current: Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech
Yi (Joy) Zhou, PhD - former Neuroscience Graduate Student
Next: Assistant Professor, University of St. Thomas
Ken Nguyen - former BCM Postbac
Next: PhD Student, Washington University in St. Louis
2022
Jaclyn Beckinghausen, PhD - former Neuroscience Graduate Student
Next: Medical Science Liaison, OPEN Health Scientific Communications
2021
Elizabeth Lackey, PhD - former Neuroscience Graduate Student
Next: Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Wade Regehr, Harvard Medical School
Ross Perez - former Undergraduate Student Observer
Next: PhD Student, Baylor College of Medicine
2020
Lauren Miterko, PhD - former DDMT Graduate Student
Current: Assistant Professor, Austin College
2019
Trace Stay, PhD - former Neuroscience Graduate Student
Current: Assistant Professor, Brigham Young University
2017
Taylor Jefferson - former BCM SMART Prep Postbac
Current: Senior Regulatory Affairs Program Lead, Johnson & Johnson
Grace Kim - former Undergraduate Student
Next: BSc Student, Vanderbilt University
Abdul Basit Khan, MD - former Medical Student
Next: Neurosurgery Resident, Baylor College of Medicine
2016
Joshua White, PhD - former Neuroscience Graduate Student
Current: Senior Scientist, Neurocrine Biosciences
Lindsey Schwartz - former Undergraduate Intern
Current: Neurosurgeon, Houston Methodist
2015
Marife Arancillo, PhD - former Postdoc
Current: Medical Writer, Caudex Medical
Annesha King - former BCM SMART Prep Postbac
Current: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alabama
2013
Nicholas George-Jones - former Undergraduate Intern
Current: Resident Physician, University of Iowa
Sabrina Levy - former BCM SMART Student
Next: MSTP Student, Stanford University
Samrawit Gebre - former Technician
Next: Animal Facilities Manager, NIH
2012
Stacey Reeber, PhD - former Postdoc
Current: VP, Medical Director, Caudex Medical
Amanda Franklin - former Summer Undergraduate Student
Current: Practicing Physician, New York, NY
Maxine Owusu - former Summer Undergraduate Student
Current: Practicing Physician, Manhasset, NY
Lionel Vasquez - former BCM SMART Undergraduate Student
Current: Practicing Physician, SIU Medicine
Parvin Azizi, MD - former Pediatric Neurology Fellow
Current: Practicing Physician, Albuquerque, New Mexico
2011
Nika Filatova - former Research Volunteer
Current: Faculty, Cooper Medical School
Mentored at Sloan-Kettering Institute
Ralitsa Petrova, PhD - former Graduate Student
Next: Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University
Mentored at New York University
Adrien Demilly – former Master’s Graduate Student
Current: Educational Engineer, Sorbonne University
Nithya Gopal - former Summer Student
Current: Faculty, OB Hospitalists Group, New York City
Patrick Pilie - former Summer Student
Current: Faculty, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Mentored at University of Calgary
Monica Hoy - former Summer Student
Current: Faculty, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Calgary