2023
Lab Camping 2018!
Nicki Swann (PI)
nswann@uoregon.edu
Nicki is interested in how different parts of the brain interact to produce and control movement and how this can be disrupted in disease. She got her undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley with a double major in Molecular Cell Biology and Psychology, her Ph.D. from UC San Diego in Neurosciences, and completed her postdoc at UC San Francisco. She joined the University of Oregon faculty in fall 2017.
When she is not working, Nicki enjoys swimming, camping, hiking, and spending time with her family and pets.
Kelsey Schultz (PhD Student)
Kelsey is a doctoral student in the Department of Biology and the Institute of Neuroscience. She received a B.S. in Psychology from the University of North Texas, before moving to Minneapolis to pursue her love of research and rap shows. During her time there, she had the great pleasure of working with Dr. Matt Chafee in the University of Minnesota Brain Sciences Center, where she studied neurophysiology of schizophrenia in rodent and non-human primate models of the disease. Her current research ambitions are to understand how movement informs cognitive and perceptual representations of time and space. Besides research, her other great passions are Brazilian jiu jitsu and science communication. You can catch her proselytizing science and critical thinking at GoodScienceAlliance.com.
Apoorva Karekal (PhD Student)
Apoorva is a doctoral student in the Department of Human Physiology at UO. Her research focusses on identifying electrophysiological biomarkers in Parkinson’s Disease. Originally from India, Apoorva has travelled to Europe and America to study from molecular to electrophysiology fields in neuroscience. Besides research, she enjoys traveling, hiking and playing badminton.
Danny Brown (PhD Student)
Danny is a doctoral student in the Department of Biology and Institute of Neuroscience. His current research aims to identify self-transcendent emotions within EEG data, using machine learning and other computational approaches. He previously received a master’s degree in cognitive neuroscience from the University of Oslo in Norway, as well as BAs in psychology and economics from Pomona College. Besides research, he also enjoys photography, being in nature, and basketball.
Brittany Lyon (PhD Student)
Brittany is a first year PhD student in the department of human physiology. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the California State University of Sacramento in kinesiology with a focus on exercise science. For Brittany’s master’s thesis, she explored the impact of exercise performance, metabolic function, and physical activity levels on symptom severity of Parkinson’s disease. She plans to continue her research in Parkinson’s disease to better understand the early stages of the degenerative process and to potentially aid in the prevention of debilitating motor symptoms. When Brittany is not at school or in the lab, she enjoys competitive powerlifting and morning runs by the river, especially when it’s raining. She also likes to bake, read fantasy fiction novels, and watch tv.
Shahrzad Ayoubipour (PhD Student)
Shahrzad is a first year PhD student in the department of Human Physiology. She did her bachelors degree in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on biomedical signal processing. Her undergraduate thesis was entitled: “Analysis of EOG Signals Related to ADHD and Healthy Children Using Wavelet Transform”. She is interested in using Computational Neuroscience to identify biomarkers in Parkinson’s disease, leading which could one day lead to early diagnosis. Besides research, she enjoys playing piano and traveling.
Kenzie Carnes (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Kenzie is a sophomore pursuing a BS in Biology with a minor in chemistry. After graduation she hopes to further her education with medical school. Outside of school, she works as a caregiver in memory care. When not studying or working, she likes to read, ski, kayak or learn to climb.
Bradley Dibble (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Bradley is currently a neuroscience major and music minor at UO with an interest in computer science. In his free time he enjoys backpacking, mountain biking, surfing and playing music. He hopes to go to medical school after college.
Allison Prince (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Allison is a junior undergraduate at the University of Oregon majoring in neuroscience and double minoring in dance and psychology. Through teaching dance, she developed an interest in learning about movement from a neurological perspective. Allison is also excited to gain new skills working as a part of the Swann Lab that will aid in her journey toward medical school. Outside the lab and school, she enjoys playing music, baking, and hiking.
Pippa Simmons (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Pippa is an undergraduate student at the University of Oregon. She’s majoring in Sociology and is interested in researching Parkinson’s disease. After graduating, she plans on getting her master’s degree and doctorate. In her free time, she likes to go on long hikes, pet adorable cats, and watch old movies.
Cinthia Muñiz (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
My name is Cinthia Muñiz. I was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, but I came to the U.S. a year ago to pursue my interests in the medical field. I’m currently a sophomore at the University of Oregon, majoring in Neuroscience, to eventually continue my higher education in med school. Outside of school, I like to watch movies and try new recipes. I’m also a big fan of musicals and hiking.
Sophia Piatti (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Sophia is a sophomore undergraduate student at the University of Oregon pursuing a BS in Neuroscience and Psychology and a minor in Native American and Indigenous studies. Sophia is a proud Yurok tribal member and hopes to continue to help make space for BIPOC students in STEM spaces. The experience learned at the Swann lab will prepare her to conduct her research as a Ph.D. candidate in the future. Outside of studying and working, she enjoys reading, listening to music, hiking, and kayaking.
Guthrie (Assistant Research Assistant)
in memoriam
Guthrie is a research assistant assistant in the Swann and Greenhouse labs. Her research interests span ethological studies of squirrel aggression in both residential and campus populations, botanical studies of the relative chewability of periderm in coniferous versus deciduous sticks, and the physical properties that underlie variations in tennis ball velocity. When she’s not in the lab she enjoys swimming, running, hiking, and manipulating people into feeding her.
Lab Alumni
Alex Rockhill – Now Postdoc at OHSU
David McNeely – Now in Medical School at Stanford.
Ryan Leriche – Now a researcher at UCSF.
Nick Jackson – Recent MA in Neuroscience at UT Austin.
Carey Parker – Now in graduate school at UO.