Meet the Mazei-Robison Lab Members
Lab Personnel
Ken Moon
Laboratory Manager
Ken studied aquatic & fisheries biology and photography at Grand Valley State University. After graduation, he began working as a chemistry quality assurance analyst at Mead-Johnson Nutritionals in Zeeland, MI; followed by some research and development work in a cell culture lab at Alticor in Ada, MI. Ken’s academic career began at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic medicine where he was fortunate enough to study nicotine and alcohol addiction pathways with Dr. Chris Butt. He enjoyed his first three years at MSU working in the lab of Dr. Barbara Atshaves studying biochemical mechanisms of obesity before joining Dr. Robison and Dr. Mazei-Robison’s labs. Ken enjoyed a very successful career rowing competitively at the intercollegiate and international levels as well as coaching at Forest Hills Northern high school and GVSU, and still find the opportunity to study photography in his free time.
Graduate Students
Samantha Caico
Samantha received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. Samantha joined the Mazei-Robison lab in 2019 and is a dual DO/PhD program student. Outside of lab, Samantha enjoys coaching softball and fostering dogs in the area.
Cristina Rivera Quiles
Cristina obtained her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey in 2020. Cristina joined the Neuroscience PhD program at Michigan State University that same year and has been conducting her thesis research in the Mazei-Robison laboratory. Cristina’s research is focused on studying the role of ventral tegmental area neuromedin-s and glucagon-like peptide 1 in morphine behaviors using mice as animal models. In her spare time, Cristina enjoys going to the movies, spending time with her dog, and playing tennis.
Undergraduate Students
Katie McGrath
Katie joined the Mazei-Robison Lab in 2023.
She is a Neuroscience & Genomics and Molecular
Genetics major in her senior year at Michigan State University.
Avani Prasad
Avani joined the Mazei-Robison Lab in 2023.
She is a Neuroscience major in her junior year
at Michigan State University.
Post-Doctoral Alumni
Vedrana Bali, MD, PhD
Vedrana worked for the Mazei-Robison Lab from 2016 to 2022.
She is now a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the New York Institute of Technology.
Graduate Student Alumni
Marie Doyle, PhD
Marie graduated from the Mazei-Robison Lab with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2020. She is now a Postdoctoral Fellow at UMass Chan Medical School.
Sarah Simmons, PhD
Sarah graduated from the Mazei-Robison Lab with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2018. She is now a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Robison Lab at Michigan State University.
Sophia Kaska, PhD
Sophia graduated from the Mazei-Robison Lab with an Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology in 2017.
She is now a Manager of Science Policy & Research Affairs at the Endocrine Society.
Barbara Fallon, MS
Barbara graduated from the
Mazei-Robison Lab with an M.S. in Pharmacology and Toxicology in 2014.
She is now a Physical Scientist
Forensic Examiner with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Undergraduate Student Alumni
Finn Thorben Pötters
Finn joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab as an exchange student from
University of Düsseldorf in 2024.
He will graduate from University
of Düsseldorf with a B.S. in Biology in 2025.
Olivia Dodson
Olivia joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab in 2021. She graduated from
Michigan State University
with a B.S. in Neuroscience in 2023.
Tushya Mehta
Tushya joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab in 2021. He graduated from
Michigan State University with a
B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology
in 2023.
Valeria Clemente Quinones
Valeria joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab as a BPNP Program summer
student in 2023. She graduated
from the Universidad de of Puerto
Rico with a B.S. in Biology in 2024.
Darynaisha Crawford
Darynaisha joined the Mazei-Robison Lab as an SROP Program summer student in 2023. She graduated from Dillard University with a B.A. in
Chemistry and Biology in 2024.
Edajla Lalaj
Edajla joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab as an exchange student from
University of Düsseldorf in 2023.
She will graduate from University of Düsseldorf with a B.S. in Biology in 2025.
Milagros Alday
Milagros joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab as a BPNP Program summer
student in 2021 and 2022. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Neuroscience in 2024.
Nicole Camacho Fontánez
Nicole joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab as an PREP Program summer student in 2019. She graduated from
the Universidad del Turabo with a
B.S. in Biology in 2021.
Minerva Rodriguez
Minerva joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab as an BPNP Program summer student in 2021 and 2022. She graduated from The University of Texas at El Paso with a B.S. in Biology in 2024.
Anapaula Themann
Anapaula joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab as an ENDURE Program summer student in 2018. She graduated from
the University of Texas at El Paso
with a B.S. in Cellular & Molecular Biology in 2018.
Ali Stark
Ali joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab in 2017. She graduated
from Michigan State University
with a B.S. in Genomics &
Molecular Genetics in 2020.
Cole Showers
Cole joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab in 2017. He graduated from Michigan State University with a
B.S. in Human Biology in 2020.
Shantée Ayala Rosario
Shantée joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab as an ENDURE Program summer student in 2018. She graduated from
the Inter American University of Puerto Rico with a B.S. in Biotechnology in 2020.
Briana Huisken
Briana joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab as an ASPET summer student in 2017. She graduated from Kalamazoo College with a B.S. in Biology in 2018.
Emily Steffke
Emily joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab in 2016. She graduated from
Michigan State University with
a B.S. in Neuroscience in 2020.
Katie Wheeler
Katie joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab in 2016. She graduated from Michigan State University with
a B.S. in Neuroscience in 2019.
Michael Kain
Michael joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab in 2016. He graduated from Michigan State University with a
B.S. in Neuroscience in 2018.
Darlyn Caraballo Pérez
Darlyn joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab as an ENDURE Program summer student in 2015 and 2016. She
graduated from the University
of Puerto Rico-Arecibo with a B.S.
in Medical Microbiology in 2017.
Rebecca Brunk
Rebecca joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab in 2014. She graduated from Michigan State University with a
B.S. in Neuroscience in 2016.
Megan Kechner
Megan joined the Mazei-Robison
Lab in 2013. She graduated from Michigan State University with a
B.S. in Neuroscience and
Psychology in 2015.