TEAM
Simon Chamberland, PhD
Principal Investigator
Simon is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to his appointment, he completed his Ph.D. at Université Laval in Québec City (Canada) and postdoctoral work at New York University School of Medicine. Simon received multiple prizes, awards and fellowships for his work on neuronal circuits including a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence from NIMH.
Email: chamberland@pitt.edu
Lee O. Vaasjo, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar
Lee is originally from Puerto Rico and trained at the UPR - Institute of Neurobiology, studying sea slug neural circuit evolution. After this, he was trained at the University of Chicago under Xiaoxi Zhuang and William (Bill) Green, studying the basal ganglia in mice. Lee obtained his PhD from Tulane University, where he studied the molecular mechanisms in the specification and maintenance of cortical cell identity in the lab of Dr. Maria Galazo. During his Ph.D., he went to the Neural Systems & Behavior course at the MBL, was an SfN-Neuroscience Scholar, and was the recipient of an NIH-NINDS F99/K00. Lee has a “No scientist left behind” attitude accompanied by spontaneous laughter. In the Chamberland Lab, he focuses on dendritic mechanisms of information processing across hippocampal cell types.
Shawn Kotermanski, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
Shawn received his BS and Ph.D. degrees in Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. His previous research spans a broad range of topics in neuroscience, pharmacology and molecular biology. Among others, he investigated the functional properties of NMDA receptors at the single channel level and the behavioral impacts of NMDA receptors pharmacological modulation. As such, Shawn is an expert in multiple techniques including electrophysiology, imaging, and behavioral analysis. Shawn enjoys being in the lab training and mentoring others, carrying out experiments, and saying hi to all the animals in the animal facility. Outside of science, Shawn has a tremendous love for animals and nature.
Email: sek334@pitt.edu
Tiya Patel
Undergraduate Intern
Tiya is an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Chemistry, on the pre-medical track. She is interested in understanding the role of neural processes in memory development and retention as well as how abnormal developments in neuroanatomical structures can lead to memory disorders within the brain. Outside of the STEM world, she is the captain of a dance team on campus and loves hanging out with friends.
Joyce Shi
Undergraduate Intern
Joyce is an undergraduate student majoring in neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University. She has a keen interest in memory and learning, especially how excitatory and inhibitory neurons work together in balancing information storage. In her own time, Joyce loves hanging out with friends and exploring delicious food places.
We currently have the following open positions:
Postdoctoral Fellow
Laboratory Technician
