Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine
Stark Neuroscience Research Institute
@labratDBKG
@sanghalab
B.S. (Behavioural Neuroscience), University of British Columbia, Canada
Ph.D. (Neuroscience), University of Calgary, Canada
Susan Sangha, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
David Lyvers, PhD dlyvers@iu.edu
Lab Manager
My research experience began at Purdue University with a Master of Science in computational chemistry (thesis advisor: Sabre Kais) then transitioned to two research projects: 1) a theoretical and experimental examination of light interacting with a gold nanorod array and 2) the label free detection of biological pathogens (Ph.D advisor: Alex Wei) with a portable device. My next stop was post-doctoral study at University of North Texas (PI: Vladimir Drachev) designing and fabricating nanostructures to enhance fluorescence. I am currently working on studies combining neural imaging with behavior to identify neuronal correlates of fear and safety learning in rodents.
Sangha Lab
Izabela Caliman, PhD
icaliman@iu.edu
Postdoctoral Researcher
I got my BS in Pharmacy and my master’s and PhD degrees in Physiological Sciences at the Federal University of Espirito Santo, Brazil. I started my research career investigating cardiovascular parameters, but the brain as an organ never ceased to fascinate me. It was during my PhD as a visiting scholar at Dr. Anantha Shekhar’s and later as a postdoc at Dr. Philip Johnson’s lab at IU that I started exploring how the brain controls autonomic and behavioral responses to stress and anxiety. I am particularly interested in applying circuitry-based manipulations to key brain networks to dissect how neural ensembles orchestrate responses to stress and motivation.
Michelle Privratsky mprivrat@iu.edu
Graduate Student
While completing my undergraduate honors thesis at University of Colorado – Colorado Springs (UCCS), I used EEG to analyze attentional biases in correlation with Optimistic and Pessimistic personalities. Through this experience I developed a passion for neuropsychological research and expanded my neuroscience experience by working in the epilepsy and neurology department as an EEG Technologist at Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Assisting with epilepsy surgeries, I acquired in-depth knowledge of neuroanatomy and behavioral correlates. This sparked my desire to apply this knowledge to neuropsychological research and fuse it with my passion for studying neurological constructs of PTSD. My research interests include investigating the neural circuitries involved in fear expression and fear suppression to explore new avenues of PTSD treatment interventions.
Daniel Gabriel, PhD dagabri@iu.edu
Postdoctoral Researcher
I started research working in a cognitive neuroscience lab at Christian Brothers University. After receiving my BS in Natural Science, I joined Dr. Nicholas Simon’s lab at University of Memphis where I earned my Masters and PhD in Experimental Psychology/Behavioral Neuroscience. My research focuses on the neurobiological processes that integrate rewarding and punishing information to guide behavior, and the relationship between disruptions to these processes and the development of mental illness.
Department of Psychiatry,
Indiana University School of Medicine,
IU Health Neuroscience Center
Stark Neuroscience Research Institute
320 W. 15th St, Indianapolis, IN 46202
susangha@iu.edu
Lab Alumni
Majd Al Yahya. Undergraduate Researcher (2019-2021).
Brent Bachman. Laboratory Technician (2019-2020). Currently at Purdue University Neuroscience & Behavior graduate program.
Jade Bennesh. Psychological Sciences Senior Research Thesis (2018-2020).
Vanessa Cardona. Undergraduate Researcher (2020-2021).
Abraham Escobedo. Research in Neuroscience & Behavior (2017-2020).
Eliza Greiner. Psychological Sciences Research Focused Honors Program Thesis (2014-2017). Currently Postdoctoral Fellow at Northeastern University.
Abigail Hackleman. Psychological Sciences Research Focused Honors Program Thesis (2020-2022).
Muhja Ibrahim. Undergraduate Researcher (2020-2021).
Ayelet Kleinerman. Summer Undergraduate Researcher (2022).
Jamie Krueger, PhD. Postdoctoral Fellow (2019-2021). Currently a medical writer at AbbVie.
Houston Meminger. Psychological Sciences Research Focused Honors Program Thesis (2017-2019).
Iris Müller, PhD. Postdoctoral Fellow (2017-2019). Continued to Research Fellow at Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg.
Ka Ng. PhD, Neuroscience & Behavior, 2020, Purdue University. Currently Postdoctoral Fellow at Dartmouth College.
Makenzie Norris. Biological Sciences Honors Research Program Thesis (2016-2018). Continued to Washington University-St. Louis Neuroscience graduate program.
Lilian Ortiz. Undergraduate Researcher (2020-2021).
Nupur Patel. Undergraduate Researcher (2020-2021).
Nisha Sen-Gupta. Psychological Sciences Research Focused Honors Program Thesis (2020-2022).
Elizabeth Sowinski. Psychological Sciences Research Focused Honors Program Thesis (2018-2021). Continued to medical school at IU School of Medicine.
Phillip Urbanczyk. Psychological Sciences Senior Research Thesis (2015-2016).
Mikayla Voglewede. Biological Sciences Honors Research Program Thesis (2016-2017). Continued to Rutgers University Neuroscience graduate program.
Ellen Woon. Psychological Sciences Research Focused Honors Program Thesis (2015-2017). Continued to Emory University Neuroscience graduate program.