Current Members: 

Dr. Susan Patterson: Principal Investigator

BS in Genetics, University of California, Davis
MS in Physiology, University of California, Davis
PhD in Neurobiology & Behavior (Advisor Mark Bothwell), University of Washington, Seattle
Post-doc in Cellular and Molecular Basis of Learning and Memory (Advisor Eric Kandel), Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University

Alex Arnold: Undergraduate Research Assistant 

I have been in the Patterson lab since my sophomore year. Since then I have presented our research during poster sessions at the Society for Neuroscience international conferences in 2017 and 2018, as well as a Philadelphia Chapter of Society for Neuroscience’s conference in the spring of 2018. This spring (2019) I will graduate with a Neuroscience B.S. and a chemistry minor. After graduating, I will pursue a medical degree.

Cali FitzGerald: Undergraduate Research Assistant 

Nikkita Salla: Undergraduate Research Assistant 

Nikki is a third year Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience major. She is a Presidential Scholar and a member of Temple’s Honors program. She joined the lab in the summer of 2017 and has attended and presented at the annual Society for Neuroscience meetings in 2017 in Washington D.C. and 2018 in San Diego and also at the local Philadelphia chapter of SFN in 2018. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career as a physician scientist.

Kevin Esslinger

Leah DeFlitch: Undergraduate Research Assistant

I am a sophomore Neuroscience major at Temple University, where I am part of the Honors and Science Scholars program. I joined the Patterson lab in January of my freshman year. Since then, I have traveled to San Deigo to present my research with my fellow undergraduates at the 2018 Society for Neuroscience Conference. While my work originally centered on microglia dysregulation in delirium, I am transitioning more now to a genetic focus on the mechanisms of delirium. I also am the co-founder/director of Scientista at Temple, a chapter of a national organization promoting women in STEM. In my free time, I dance and choreograph with Reflections Dance Company at Temple University. After graduation, I plan on pursuing a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, with a focus on plasticity.

 Gabby Rodrigues: Undergraduate Research Assistant

Gabby is a sophomore neuroscience major and psychology minor at Temple University. She has
been part of the Patterson lab since January of her freshmen year. Gabby is part of the Temple
University Honors Program as well as the Science Scholars program. She is also a part of the
MARC program for the 2018-2019 school year. Gabby’s first presentation was at the 2018
Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego and she looks forward to presenting again at
the future SFN conferences.

Joe: Graduate Student

Patterson Lab Alumni: 

Dr. Naoto Tanaka: Post-Doctoral Researcher; Lab Manager; Super Temple Alumnus

I am originally from Japan. I received a B.A. and Ph.D. in biology from Temple University, and I am currently a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Patterson’s lab. During my Ph.D., I investigated the structure and function of cyclic nucleotide gated (CNG) channels using these techniques as well as the molecular pathophysiology of canine daylight-blind mutations in the channel. In Dr. Patterson’s lab, I use a combination of electrophysiology, subcellular fractionation, and reverse transcriptase PCR to investigate hippocampus-dependent long term memory-related deficits.

Lulu Peach: Undergraduate Research Assistant  

My name is Lulu Peach; I am a junior environmental science major with minors in French and biology. I am a member of Temple’s Science Scholars program and have been working in the Patterson Lab since January of my freshman year. I have presented at Temple’s Undergraduate Research Symposium and traveled to San Diego to present my research at the 2016 Society for Neuroscience conference. Outside of Patterson Lab, I also work with Dr. Allison Tumarkin-Deratzian on microfossil identification research in Temple’s EES department. This summer, I will be leaving Philadelphia to study environmental science at New Zealand’s University of Otago

Cornelius Moody 

Cornelius worked with the Patterson Lab as an undergraduate at Temple. He is now working in community outreach in the Philadelphia area.

 Giuseppe Cortese 

Giuseppe is a former graduate student of the Patterson Lab. He is currently doing a post-doc at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

 Tim Chapman 

TIm is a former graduate student of the Patterson Lab. He is now a post-doc at the University of California, San Diego.

Matthew Bruce 

Matt worked with Patterson Lab as an undergraduate at Temple. He is now a graduate student at the University of California, Davis.

Jared Ahrendsen

Jared worked as a lab technician for the Patterson Lab. He is now completing an MD PhD at the University of Colorado, Denver.

Lab Members in Action: