I obtained my B.S. from Osmania University and an advanced diploma in Computer Science. I then did research at the National Center for Biological Sciences in Bangalore before coming to the US in 1997. I obtained my PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and did post-docs at University of California San Francisco and The Rockefeller University. I started my lab in 2010 where I am lucky to have an amazing group of scientists working with me. I love cereal, honey and soccer!!

Wen Mai received her B.S. in biology from St. Mary’s University and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center under Dr. Julian P. Meeks. She is currently working on developing sonogenetics, a tool which uses ultrasound for non-invasive manipulation of cells and neurons. In particular, she is working on understanding the mechanism of ultrasound stimulation and discovering novel ultrasound-sensitive channels. During her free time, Wen Mai can be found doing a variety of activities including rock climbing, drawing and playing video games.

For my undergraduate degree I undertook an integrated Masters in Pharmacology at the University of Bristol, during which I spent a year in Neuroscience Drug Discovery at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, investigating electrophysiological biomarkers of tau pathology in a novel mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease. I did my PhD in Neuroscience in the lab of Jon Brown at the University of Exeter, where we discovered a number of novel functional correlates of contextual memory in the mouse retrosplenial cortex. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Chalasani Lab, I will be working on developing sonogentics as a tool for non-invasive neuromodulation using ultrasound (US). Specifically I will be using electrophysiology to characterise neuronal responses to US stimulation and develop novel US-sensitive channels and US stimulation protocols both in vitro and in vivo, in awake behaving mice. In my free time I enjoy cooking and playing video games, as well as tinkering on different projects such as 3D printing and coding. I love to travel and I am looking forward to exploring the United States during my time at the Salk Institute.

Megan is a PhD student in the UC San Diego Neuroscience Graduate Program. She earned bachelor’s degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology from Virginia Tech, then completed two years as an IRTA postbaccalaureate fellow at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the laboratory of Yeka Aponte. Her current research investigates the in vivo effects of ultrasound and sonogenetics, with a thesis project focused on uncovering the mechanisms of ultrasound neuromodulation in mice. Outside the lab, Megan is usually gardening, crafting, or at a beach bonfire.

I graduated from UCSD in 2023, majoring in Neurobiology and Clinical Psychology. I am broadly interested in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders, focusing on the stressors that induce disease onset, neural circuitry, and signaling pathways at the cellular and molecular level. In my free time, I enjoy getting boba and gaming with friends.

Lauren is a third-year undergraduate student at UCSD, perusing a double major in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and Public Health with a Concentration in Epidemiology, and a minor in General Biology. She is working with Wen Mai in the sonogenetics team to create a noninvasive neural modulation, and more specifically to screen better candidates for ultrasound responsive channels. In her free time, you can find Lauren hiking, traveling, reading, and trying new foods!

Keena is currently a junior studying cognitive neuroscience at UC San Diego. In the lab, she works with Wen Mai to study how ultrasound could be used in cells and neurons. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, hiking, and spending time at the beach.

Sebastian is a fourth year undergraduate student at UCSD, majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Bioethics. Within the lab, he works alongside Megan to investigate neural circuit responses to ultrasound in vivo. In his free time, Sebastian enjoys surginf, camping and cooking.

I’m currently a senior at UCSD, majoring in Microbiology and minoring in Biochemistry. I work with Callum investigating how ultrasound stimulation affects electrical network activity in primary cortical and hippocampal neuron cultures, as well as any molecular changes. I am interested in cellular pathways affected by ultrasonic and optogenetic neuromodulation, and main players that drive the response. In my free time I enjoy visiting new art exhibitions, spending time in nature, and baking with my friends.

Thivinya is a fourth year undergraduate student at UCSD, majoring in Human Biology. During her time in the lab, she assists Yanlin in identifying how peripheral inflammation activates specific neuronal and glial responses in the brain. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with family, and going to coffee shops.