Macklis Lab | HSCRB

Principal Investigator

Jeffrey Macklis, M.D., D.Sc.Tech.

Jeffrey Macklis investigates molecular controls and mechanisms over neuron subtype specification, development, diversity, axon guidance-circuit formation, and pathology in the cerebral cortex. His lab seeks to apply developmental controls toward brain and spinal cord regeneration and directed differentiation for in vitro mechanistic modeling using human assembloids.

Graduate Students

Priya Veeraraghavan

I am investigating mechanisms of RNA regulation in neurons, focusing on axonal transport in cortical projection neurons.

Ji-Yoon Kim

I am interested in investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of cerebral cortex associative neurons and their circuitry.

Tien Tran

I am interested in the contribution of local translational control to the development and diversity of neurons and their circuitry.

Dustin Tillman

I investigate how subcellular regulation of growth cone proteins leads to the construction of highly precise neural circuitry during cortical development.

Mariale Vicent Allende

I am investigating the development of corticospinal projection neurons as well as their regeneration after spinal cord injury at the molecular level.

Postdoctoral Scientists

Yasuhiro Itoh, Ph.D.

I am interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying how neuronal axons find their appropriate path during projection, and subsequently their postsynaptic targets to form intricate circuits.

Omer Durak, Ph.D.

I am interested in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the establishment of callosal projection neuron (CPN) circuitry, and the role of CPN in disease-relevant social and cognitive behavior.

Anne Engmann, Ph.D.

I am interested in molecular pathways regulating axonal outgrowth and guidance of corticospinal motor neurons during development, and following injury to the central nervous system.

John Froberg, Ph.D.

I use novel sequencing strategies to understand multiple aspects of RNA biology in cortical neurons and growth cones.

Sadi Quinones Al Muhtaseb, Postdoctoral Fellow

I joined the Macklis lab as a postdoctoral fellow in August 2024. My primary research interest is in studying the underlying mechanistic bases of subtype-specific vulnerability in neurological disease. Following that interest, my work in the Macklis lab leverages multi-OMIC approaches to investigate selective cortical neuronal subtype vulnerability in ALS and FTD, at a subcellular resolution. Prior to joining the Macklis lab, I received my Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Tufts University, under the supervision of Dr. Chris Dulla. There, my work focused on the transcriptional bases of GABAergic interneuron vulnerability in the cerebral cortex following traumatic injury. I received my B.S. in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University. Outside of the lab, I enjoy exploring New England, trying new coffee shops, and staying active with my puppy, Sundae.

Undergraduate Students

Esther Chai

I am working to identify subcellular components that function in subtype-specific neuronal growth cones to enable proper neural circuitry formation.

Jay Iyer

I am working to characterize the potentially selective protein composition of ribosomes across distinct neuronal subtypes and across their respective subcellular compartments (e.g. soma, axon, growth cone) using wet-lab and computational tools.

Kathryn Nairn

I joined the lab in Winter 2023. I am fascinated by the nervous system, especially in dynamic processes of development and regeneration. In the lab, I work under the mentorship of Mariale Vicent. I am investigating molecular mechanisms underlying regeneration of corticospinal projection neurons following spinal cord injury.

Support Scientists

Melody Ross

I am applying my background in yeast genetics and molecular biology to multiple molecular and genetics related projects.

Jaewon Heo

My scientific interests lie in exploring powerful molecular tools/techniques, and furthering their practical applications.

Garrett Wheeler

I am interested in studying neural regeneration and the intersection of developmental neuroscience and medicine.

Alumni

GRADUATE STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

Manuel Peter
2017-2023: Postdoctoral Fellow. Now: Senior Scientist, Hoffman La Roche, Basel

Priya Veeraraghavan
2018-2023: Ph.D. student; Now: Computrational Biologist, Dyno Therapeutics

Manuel Peter
2017-2023: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Hoffmann - La Roche Basel

Abdulkadir Ozkan
2010-2021: Ph.D. Student and Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Senior Scientist, Flagship Biotechnologies

John Hatch
2015-2019: Ph.D. student

Vibhu Sahni
2011-2018: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Assistant Professor, Burke Institute Weill Cornell

Seth Shipman
2012-2018: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Assistant Professor, Gladstone Institutes & UCSF

Maria Galazo
2010-2018: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Assistant Professor, Cell & Molecular Biology, Tulane University

Hari Padmanabhan
2011-2018: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: CRISPR Therapeutics

Luciano Custo Greig
2011-2017: M.D.-Ph.D. student; Now: Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, UCSF

Alexandros Poulopoulos
2010-2016: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Zhaoying Xu
2012-2016: Ph.D. student; Now: Health Advances Consulting, Boston

Jessica MacDonald
2008-2015: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Associate Professor, Syracuse University

Alexander Murphy
2011-2015: Ph.D. Student; Now: Novartis, Cambridge

Cameron Sadegh
2008-2013: M.D.-Ph.D. student; Now: Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery, UC Davis

Ryann Fame
2007-2013: Ph.D. student: Now: Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery, Stanford

Mollie Woodworth
2006-2013: Ph.D. student; Now: Assistant Professor, Bates College

Thomas Wuttke
2008-2011: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Neurosurgery, University of Tubingen

Suzanne Tharin
2007-2011: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Associate Professor Neurosurgery, Stanford University

Corinna Zygourakis
2006-2011: HST M.D. student; Now: Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery, Stanford University

Sara Shnider
2006-2010: Ph.D. student; Now: Teva Therapeutics

U. Shivraj Sohur
2005-2011: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Massachusetts General Hospital, and Pfizer

Eimain Azim
2005-2010: Ph.D. student; Now: Associate Professor, Salk Institute

Artur Czupryn
2004-2009: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Nencki Institute, Warsaw

Denis Jabaudon
2004-2008: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Professor, Université de Genève

Tina Lai
2004-2008: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Wake Forest School of Medicine

Noriyuki Kishi
2003-2010: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Keio University and RIKEN, Tokyo

Hande Ozdinler
2003-2008: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Associate Professor, Neurology, Northwestern University

Jason Emsley
2003-2008: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Associate Professor, Dalhousie University

Joao Menezes
2003-2005: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Bradley Molyneaux
2001-2007: M.D.-Ph.D. student; Now: Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School

Bartley Mitchell
2001-2004: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: UT Southwestern

Liyun Li
2001-2004: HST M.D. student; Now: University of California, San Francisco

Paola Arlotta
2000-2006: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Golub Family Professor, Harvard University

Jinhui Chen
2000-2003: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Professor, University of Iowa

Rose Fricker
1998-2000: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: University of Cambridge

Sanajay Magavi
1997-2004: Ph.D. student, Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Frequency Therapeutics

Monte Gates
1997-2000: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Keele University

Lisa Catapano
1997-2001: M.D.-Ph.D. student; Now: George Washington University

Cliff Yoon
1995-1996: M.D. student; Now: Harvard Medical School

Blair Leavitt
1994-1997: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Professor, University of British Columbia

Youzhen Wang
1994-1997: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Millenium Pharmaceuticals

Cynthia Hernit-Grant
1992-1995: Postdoctoral Fellow; Now: Massachusetts General Hospital

Volney Sheen
1992-1997: M.D.-Ph.D. student; Now: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Harvard Medical School

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Isabella Trasolini
2019-2023

Huong Le
2017-2021; to Fulrbight, Vietnam

Jisoo Kim
2016-2020; to Harvard Medical School

Michael Liu
2015-2019; to Rhodes Scholar, Oxford en route to Harvard Medical School

Priyanka Kumar
2015-2018; to Johns Hopkins Medical School

Frances Ding
2014-2017; to Cambridge University; Stanford

Stephanie Lim
2011-2014; to Duke Medical School

Chris Devine
2009-2013; to Cambridge University, to Harvard Medical School

Senan Ebrahim
2009-2013; to Harvard - M.I.T. M.D.-Ph.D. Program

Janet Song
2008-2012; to Standford Genetics

Eva Gillis-Buck
2007-2011; to Cambridge University en route to UCSF

Julia Ye
2006-2010; to Stanford M.D.-Ph.D. program

Gustav Cederquist
2005-2009; to Tri-I Cornell-Rockefeller-MSKCC M.D.-Ph.D. program

David Tischfield
2006-2009; to U Penn M.D.-Ph.D. program