https://www.williamsonlaboratory.com/home daily 1.0 2023-12-13 https://www.williamsonlaboratory.com/team daily 0.75 2026-03-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1579470527285-CBQR576NO0NS3N4TI4MM/RSW_Picture_Cropped.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/c5298ae7-bf5f-44db-9f06-f4881ef5f1b6/Rachel-Cassidy-20220922-551A0255_cropped.jpg Team - Make it stand out RACHEL M CASSIDY Postdoctoral Research Fellow rmc185@pitt.edu Rachel received a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University, where she studied BCIs in behaving monkeys. After researching multisensory integration as a technician at Baylor College of Medicine, she completed a PhD in Computational Neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego. In the lab of Dr. Ed Callaway at the Salk Institute, Rachel's doctoral work focused on the organization and function of the mouse visual thalamocortical system. Returning to her hometown of Pittsburgh for postdoctoral research, she now studies the role of cortical-subcortical projections in naturalistic, auditory-guided behavior. Outside of the lab, Rachel enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her entourage of pets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/69183f06-4a75-41ae-8fbc-fd386a49f299/C558F3C8-A2A1-43F1-B200-B975EEB0136B.jpg Team - Make it stand out MADAN GHIMIRE Postdoctoral Research Fellow mag607@pitt.edu Madan completed his bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the Rajeev Gandhi University of Health Science followed by a master’s degree in Pharmacology from the Jamia Hamdard, in India. After receiving his master’s degree, in 2017 Madan joined SIU School of Medicine for PhD, where he worked with Prof. Donald Caspary in the department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience. His research interests include understanding the nature of information sharing by collateralizing projection neurons of the auditory cortex during passive and active listening. In his free time, Madan loves to cook, eat, hike, and sometimes play soccer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/cd209e4f-dd2b-4356-bd3c-758ef6ac3c1b/Sunreeta_beehive_cropped.jpg Team - Make it stand out SUNREETA (REETO) BHATTACHARYA PSN Graduate Student sunreetb@andrew.cmu.edu Sunreeta (Rito) is in his second year of CMU's PhD Program in Systems Neuroscience. He graduated with a dual BS-MS (Research) degree from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 2022, majoring in Biology. In his undergrad days he studied neural coding in monkey visual cortex, comparing the information content and patterns in spikes and field potentials. His interests range from animal behavior and psychology to building network models that explain emergent phenomena. Currently he is psyched about studying neuroethological motifs in mouse acoustic communication and other auditory-guided behaviors. He is also passionate about cricket, literature and music, and loves chatting about them over a cup of tea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1625598886648-VPYE2HB2M17ETXSUT27W/image+%286%29.png Team KEITH J KAUFMAN CNUP Graduate Student kjk117@pitt.edu Keith is a 4th year PhD student in the CNUP program at the University of Pittsburgh. After receiving his bachelor's degree in Music Business from SUNY Oneonta, he spent a decade in NYC working various jobs related to music before making a career change into neuroscience. This included receiving a master's degree in Experimental Psychology and working in a rat lab studying the role of the ventral striatum in reward behavior. His current project investigates arousal-dependent changes to neural activity within the auditory cortex. For fun, he watches too many movies and shreds on the guitar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/f273f9bf-62b9-449d-9da4-889a043d47ba/Headshot.jpg Team - Make it stand out MIKEY MALINA PSN Graduate Student mmalina@andrew.cmu.edu Mikey is in his second year of a PhD Program in Systems Neuroscience at CMU. He completed his bachelor's degree in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience at UC San Diego. After receiving his undergraduate degree he worked for three years as a neuroimaging analyst at the University of Chicago. His interests are in top-down modulation of encoding schemes in the auditory cortex and he plays drums, hikes and reads Haruki Murakami for fun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/dd955d8b-728a-4c5e-bb83-f5c75efb40a1/portrait+%281%29.jpg Team - Make it stand out CHRISTA MICHEL PSN Graduate Student cmichel@andrew.cmu.edu Christa is a second-year PhD student in the Program in Systems Neuroscience at CMU. While earning her BS in Neuroscience at Boston College, she studied threat computation and defensive behaviors in rats. After graduating, she spent two years studying human brain aging at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is currently researching how auditory corticostriatal and dopaminergic circuits support sound-guided learning. Outside of the lab, she enjoys live music, printmaking, and aerial arts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/5da69cec-9dbe-455d-bb17-d6ac9601d673/Schneider_Nathan_751--23961-cr-Retouched.jpg Team NATHAN A SCHNEIDER CNUP Graduate Student nas290@pitt.edu Nathan is in his fourth year of the PhD program in Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Brandeis University with majors in Neuroscience and Biology and a minor in Theater Arts. After receiving his undergraduate degree, he worked as a research technician in the Lisman Lab at Brandeis University. His research interests are in auditory learning, memory, and plasticity. Outside of lab, Nathan enjoys playing video games, building and designing Lego sets, and dancing to Beyoncé. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/f60a9cf8-0c9c-4195-b874-d26b796454a7/IMG_8139.jpg Team - Make it stand out TOMAS SUAREZ OMEDAS PSN Graduate Student tsuarezo@andrew.cmu.edu Tomas is in his third year of a PhD Program in Systems Neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University. He completed his bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering at Florida International University. He is interested in the neural basis of auditory representation and how the auditory cortex can disentangle auditory signals from background noise. For fun Tomas plays music, plays sports, and loves tea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/d3c419c7-115b-4da8-a60b-e63dfdd17547/IMG_8074.jpg Team - Make it stand out SAMANTHA GROVE Undergraduate Research Assistant sag231@pitt.edu Samantha Grove is a senior and a Psychology major at the University of Pittsburgh. She recently declared a minor in Neuroscience as well. Samantha began working as an undergraduate research assistant in the lab during her junior year. After graduating in April 2025, Samantha plans on pursuing a Master’s degree in neuropsychology. In her free time, Samantha enjoys watching movies, baking, and going to the ceramics studio. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/4a921004-3478-4fad-af2a-eea8a1a6ee75/blank-person-icon-15.jpg Team - Make it stand out ABRAR MOSTOFA Undergraduate Research Assistant anm557@pitt.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1628169935746-ESZQVVP3WHBDAZ4EEIWS/Sadie.jpg Team - Make it stand out SADIE WILLIAMSON https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1628254659509-G51BO4DTCK3QQJT78HLN/Image%2Bfrom%2BiOS%2B%25288%2529.jpg Team - Make it stand out ODY & COOPER ARNOLD https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1628170002841-FERAT7TYAEIA4SP6JYJ9/Max.jpg Team - Make it stand out MAX KRALL https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/055ecf3f-4066-4c8a-a2d0-62f5e724b92e/IMG_8401.jpg Team - Make it stand out MAX & RUDY KRALL https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1628182610317-SIJAAWRU7GB7QNZ6XO82/maggie+and+harley.jpg Team - Make it stand out MAGGIE & HARLEY SCHNEIDER https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/6a11f0de-4ea8-4a00-ad13-babed4f6aa9b/PXL_20211011_045357561.MP%7E2.jpg Team - Make it stand out NANDOR CASSIDY https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1628170132434-MFE6HVNVSZ4BQ26L0ESD/Callista.jpg Team - Make it stand out NOVA & RUGER CHAMBERS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/f6fcc339-2a14-45ec-9abb-c6150b17661a/IMG_7553.jpg Team - Make it stand out FENDER & NOIA SUAREZ OMEDAS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/47fc081a-b6c1-4bc4-bb8a-f7a2dc458472/9C8C7121-68B8-48F9-B18D-41A8A68E4425_1_105_c.jpg Team - Make it stand out JACKSON MALINA https://www.williamsonlaboratory.com/publications daily 0.75 2026-03-27 https://www.williamsonlaboratory.com/opportunities daily 0.75 2021-06-16 https://www.williamsonlaboratory.com/research daily 0.75 2024-10-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1607006452369-3GXIH9UBIZ30KDIW1CTC/Website_Figure.png Research & Approach https://www.williamsonlaboratory.com/new-page daily 0.75 2023-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1599762985827-VZMM74DOHWIDNST46FTQ/nidcd.png Support The lab is supported by both an R01 and an Early Career Research award (R21) from the National Institute for Deafness and other Communication Disorders. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1623790640870-QOO6RSWLOJU1U63OI495/cropped-KP_logo_RGB.png Support - Make it stand out Ross was awarded a 2021 Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship Award in Neuroscience! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1599763428930-GU18GYIDR5KPNGC9L2FF/pitt.png Support We are generously supported by the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1599763173040-SFFAPGD8MNQYPF5NOKSY/bbf.jpeg Support We were awarded a 2019 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/1599763347127-NCPH2BH8QUFYWR4OYDD9/hhf.png Support We were awarded Emerging Research Grants in 2020 and 2021 from the Hearing Health Foundation. https://www.williamsonlaboratory.com/fun daily 0.75 2025-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/9751e05f-6879-465e-8ad0-078d7b0d17a6/IMG_2900.jpg Fun - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/2ca602b9-e156-433a-8f63-4434c6ab914c/IMG_2242.JPG Fun - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/6309e31b-5a13-4976-9dce-39badcba3696/IMG_0972.JPG Fun - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/07cbb1b9-34bb-4d4b-9594-f79e896abf2e/IMG_9271.jpg Fun - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/662b0d70-a987-4247-8814-b2df2592cfc3/IMG_8548.jpg Fun - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/bb1aab64-c728-4873-bb01-6bbe35bc7c19/IMG_4639.JPG Fun - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/5f34bc7c-117f-4c6f-b92d-7228f6f09df2/Boston.jpg Fun - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5abbf9ab697a98bbb7985eb3/f983305b-6711-4409-bc02-1053bb01154b/tacos.jpg Fun - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.