Lab Members
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Thomas Kash, Ph.D
tkash@email.unc.edu
Tom received his BS in chemistry from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) at Syracuse, then following graduation, worked briefly in the Medical Department at Brookhaven National Lab. He then moved to Manhattan for graduate school (Weill Medical College at Cornell University) and earned his PhD in Neuroscience working on GABA-A receptor structure/function in Neil Harrison’s lab. At this point, Tom realized he needed to ESCAPE FROM NY, so moved down to the Winder Lab at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. While a post-doc, Tom’s work focused on examining the impact of alcohol and neuropeptide signaling on synaptic function in the amygdala. In 2009, Tom moved to UNC to start his own lab. Tom lives in the rural buffer between Chapel Hill and Durham with his wife, 2 children and many other animals.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
LISA TAXIER
Lisa started as a post-doc in the Kash lab in January 2022 after finishing her PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As a graduate student in Dr. Karyn Frick's laboratory, Lisa investigated cell-signaling mechanisms important for estrogenic memory enhancement, and asked whether apolipoprotein E genotype mediates the neuroprotective properties of estrogens in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Lisa joined the Kash lab to gain experience in circuit-based approaches and slice electrophysiology, and is currently working to understand how the aversive properties of ethanol modulate GABAergic plasticity in the insula. In her free time, Lisa likes exploring nature, solving crossword puzzles, watching reality tv, and eating french fries. Lisa lives in Chapel Hill with her husband, Arie, and their two mischievous cats, Markie and Pushka.
Meghan Flanigan, PH.D.
meghan_flanigan@med.unc.edu
Meghan started her postdoc in the Kash lab in January 2019. Originally from southern California, Meghan obtained a B.A. in Neuroscience from Pomona College in Claremont, California. Following graduation, Meghan spent two years as an Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) fellow in Dr. Markus Heilig’s lab at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) in Bethesda, Maryland. Meghan went on to earn her PhD in Neuroscience in Dr. Scott Russo’s lab at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. In her dissertation work, Meghan used fiber photometry, optogenetics, pharmacology, and viral tracing to study the role of orexin signaling in the lateral habenula in aggressive behavior. As part of the Kash lab, Meghan is studying the sex-specific role of serotonin 5HT2c-receptor containingneurons in binge alcohol drinking and socio-affective behaviors using a combination of fiber photometry, electrophysiology, chemogenetics, and machine learning-basedanalysis of mouse behavior. Meghan lives in Chapel Hill with her partner, Ryan and her dog, Finn. When not in lab, she enjoys cooking, running, and live music!
Harold “JR” Haun, Ph.D
Haun@unc.edu
JR joined the Kash lab as a postdoc in August of 2020 after completing his graduate studies at the Medical University of South Carolina while working under Dr. Howard Becker. There he studied the role of dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor activity within the extended amygdala as it relates to binge-like alcohol consumption. He also gained extensive experience with rodent models of alcohol dependence and stress-enhanced alcohol drinking. In the Kash lab, JR is presently exploring the contribution of nociceptin to excessive alcohol drinking. He is also working with various models of stress/alcohol interactions to further uncover the neurobiological mechanisms of negative affective behaviors and altered stress responsivity resulting from chronic alcohol use. JR lives in Chapel Hill with his wife (Amy) and son (Harrison). When not in the lab, he can be found hiking trails, chronically listening to Phish, and spending time outside with his family.
Alison Roland
avroland@email.unc.edu
As a graduate student at the University of Virginia, Alison studied prenatal androgenic programming of the female reproductive axis and metabolic regulation of GnRH neuronal function. As a postdoc in Tracy Bale’s lab at the University of Pennsylvania, she studied the interplay among stress, sex, and neuroinflammation in regulating serotonergic function and anxiety and depressive behavior in mouse models. Alison joined Kash Lab in 2019 and has been working on a large collaborative effort looking at whole brain activity in a mouse model to study alcohol dependence. In addition, she has been examining the dynamics of extended amygdala circuits during alcohol consumption.
sofia Neira
sofi@email.unc.edu
Sofia joined the Kash lab in April of 2018 and defended her PhD in January 2023. She joined as a postdoc in February 2023. A native of Bogota, Colombia, she received a BS in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and came to UNC in 2016 for a postbac program. She worked in the laboratory of Dr. Donita Robinson investigating the long term effects of adolescent exposure to ethanol. Currently, she is interested in circuit neuroscience, and wants to understand and identify the neural circuits underlying the interactions between stress and alcohol. When not in lab, she likes to go on hikes, do puzzles, and hang out with her three cats.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
HERNAN MENDEZ
Hernan
REsearch Staff
Sophia LEE
Sophia Lee
LAB ALUMNI
Dipa Pati - Dignify Therapeutics
Carol Gianessi - AAAS Fellow NIH HEAL INITIATIVE
Olivia Hon - Neurophotometrics
Kristen Boyt - Retired
Christina Stanhope - Graduate Student, Duke University
Waylin Yu - Inscopix
Andrew Hardaway - Assistant Professor, UAB
Dan Bloodgood - Dyno Therapeutics
Ashley Meadows - Research Specialist, Duke University
Catherine Marcinkiewcz - Assistant Professor, University of Iowa
Jeff Diberto (Research Technician/Lab Manager) - Ph.D Student, UNC School of Medicine and Roth Lab
Jennifer Jensen (Undergraduate research assistant) - Ph.D. Student, UCSD
Morgan Bowling (Undergraduate research assistant) - UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
Chris Mazzone (Graduate student) - Scientist Eli Lilly
Jess McKlveen (Postdoctoral fellow) - Program officer, NCCIH
Michelle Kim (Research Technician/Lab Manager) - Graduate Student, MSSM
Kristen Pleil (Postdoctoral fellow; Research associate) - Assistant professor, Weill Cornell Medical College
Nicole Crowley (Graduate student) - Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University
Jonathan Sugam (Postdoctoral fellow) - Senior scientist, Merck
Emily Lowery-Gionta (Postdoctoral fellow) - Lab Head, WRAIR
Cayce Dorrier (Undergraduate research assistant) - Graduate student, University of California San Diego
Alexis Kendra (Research technician/Lab manager) - Graduate student, Master of Biotechnology Program at Northwestern University
Chia Li (Graduate student) - Staff Scientist, National Institutes of Health
Alberto Lopez (Research technician/Lab manager) - Post-Doc, Vanderbilt University
Nora McCall (Research technician/Lab manager) - Post-Doc, U Penn
Ana Jijon (Research technician)