Dr. Songsong “David” Cao

The man, the myth, the legend...former Shack Ph.D. recipient and former Shack Assistant Research Scientist/drug discovery expert — and future Shack patron (after he strikes it rich following receipt of an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill) — you just don't screw with Dr. Cao. Suffice to say, ever since David arrived from China's prestigious Nanjing University, not only did the Shack get much better, but so did the food at our lab parties! Following receipt of his doctorate at UA, during which time his published work appeared in Human Molecular Genetics, J. Neuroscience, and Science, David went on for a stint as a postdoc in the lab of Michael Ehlers at Duke University. Among other accolades, David was the recipient of the university-wide award for Outstanding Research by a Doctoral Student while at UA. Although his college basketball loyalities are mixed, no such issues exist at the pro level, as this crazed L.A. Lakers fan is the “Kobe” of the Shack, ever creating and scoring data, occassionally passing the ball (worm pick?) to his talented undergrad helpers, all in representing our collaborative efforts with QRxPharma to find new treatments for dystonia, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease. Wherever Dr. Cao may land in the end, the Shack will always be Sweet Home Alabama...Roll Tide!!

This former Ph.D. student in the Shack and “sensei” to all, our beloved “Shubear” is a native of Japan but spent many of his formative years in Virginia, where he was a double major in Biology and Russian at James Madison University. After joining the Shack, Shu led our efforts to investigate genetic factors influencing Parkinson's disease, most notably through his “little screen” published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This work, supported by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, is only a small part of Shu's extraordinary efforts, which have also resulted in a series of papers published in PNAS, Nature Genetics, and Nature Chemical Biology — all in collaboration with the lab of Susan Lindquist at M.I.T. and The Whitehead Institute, to which Shu moved to for his postdoc in 2010. For this and much more, Shu was recognized with the top research award from the UA Graduate School, the 2009 Excellence in Research by a Doctoral Student.

Cody Locke

Cody, who started in The Shack as a freshman and ended as a post-grad technician, was a 2005 Goldwater Scholarship recipient and was named THREE TIMES to the USA Today All-USA College Academic Team. In 2003, Cody was chosen as 1 of only 4 nationwide recipients of the Benjamin Cummings Biology Prize. He was the recipient of The Merit Award from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. As President of the UA chapter of Beta Beta Beta national biology honor society, he was Editor-in-Chief of JOSHUA for 2 years and founder/webmaster of the online edition. Among his many accomplishments, Cody developed a novel public database on the genetics of epilepsy, aptly named CarpeDB, which was featured in Biotechniques, Epilepsy USA, and Science magazine.

As the leader of “Team Seize,” Cody was co-author of research articles published in Human Molecular Genetics, Brain Research, Neuroscience Letters, and Innovations in Epilepsy Research (with more to come still). His research was the subject of an international press release from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and was highlighted by the American Society for Cell Biology as one of only 11 abstracts selected for their 2003 Press Book at their 2003 international meeting. Through his illustrious collegiate career, Cody was indeed “UA” (see Cody's TV commerical with NFL Pro-Bowler DeMeco Ryans), but has now moved on to pursue his doctorate in neuroscience at UCSF. Carpe 'frisco Cody!

Amber Clark

A former stellar undergrad researcher turned technician in The Shack, Amber personified “working hard and playing hard” (and sleeping well, sometimes in lab meeting!). She was our lead researcher in the STOP-PD intitiatve and co-authored a paper with colleagues at The Mayo Clinic in The Journal of Neuroscience. Amber was also a big part of the Shack's drug discovery research that led to a sponsored research agreement with QRxPharma, Ltd. Hearing the call of the big city, Amber, a part-time guitar player but full time scientist, lived in freakin' Brooklyn and was a research technician at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in the field of human genetics for our collaborator Dr. Laurie Ozelius following her time in the Shack.

Cindi Makowsky

A former member of STOP-PD team in the Shack, Cindi, an animal lover extraordinaire, now works at Trinity River Authority of Texas.

Michelle Norris

Michelle Tucci

(see Ph.D. students now!)

Chris Porter

Chris completed his M.S. degree in 2008 and is a research technician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville

Summer Slater

Summer finished her M.S. degree in 2005 and is a teacher at a private academy in Lafayette, LA.

Chris Gelwix

Dr. Gelwix completed an outstanding M.S. degree in 2003 and then his M.D. at UAB. “Nerms” is currently a medical resident at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. His “excellent” legend lives on in The Shack, where he knows “Who's doing the science?” is always the question being asked. Chris was responsible for initiating the Shack's research into dopamine neurodegeneration and co-authored papers in Human Molecular Genetics and The Journal of Neuroscience in his all too brief time as a Shacker.

Elaina Sexton

Dr. Sexton completed her M.S. in 2002 and co-authored papers in Human Molecular Genetics. Elaina earned her M.D. from the University of South Alabama, where she is currently a medical resident.

Mike Shiffler

Mike was the very first graduate student in The Worm Shack. A former BYU running back, Mike received his M.S. in our lab and now also holds an MBA from UA. He runs his own successful photography business.

A football fanatic turned gene jock, the “2” is a former super-star undergrad Shack researcher turned M.S. candidate from Brookwood (via Lebanon and California) and is doing his part as a “walk-on” to our Crimson Tide of research teams! Deuce, who enjoys expanding his boundaries through art in addition to science, has co-authored three publications as an undergrad and was named to the 2009 USA Today All-USA Academic Team. Deuce's research, which included a major report in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has been generously supported by proactive patients themselves as one of our 2007–2008 Parkinson Association of Alabama Scholars. As his photo shows, the mild-mannered Mr. Knight frequently transforms into “SuperDeuce”, where he puts his powers of perspiration toward saving the world to rid it of the injustice that is Parkinson's disease! Up, up, and away!

Zeynep Akgungor

Ayse Kanneci

Ayse, a molecular biology student at the Istanbul Technical University in Turkey, was a visiting Shacker for the summer of 2007, and assisted with our Parkinson's research.

Fernando Munoz-Lobato

Former Undergraduate Researchers

Kyle Lee

John Ricketts

Kalen Berry

Stacey Fox

Sigh, it is hard to imagine life in the Shack without this young woman. A co-author of two scientific manuscripts, former Parkinson Assocation of Alabama Scholar, and recipient of numerous other honors, including twice winning awards at the UA Undergraduate Research Competition, Stacey was a Shacker from her first week through her last day in college. The future Dr. Fox, forever a Floridian, but equally a loyal Crimson Tide fan, is now on her way to becoming a veterinarian at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.

Cassie Martin

Our sassy lassy Cassie was sadly a Shacker only for her last few semesters at UA, but certainly made her (~5 ft?) presence felt! A former national junior Olympic champion gymnast, turned Alabama Gymnastics Team member, turned Worm Shack research scientist, this multi-talented three-time Scholastic All-American honors student is taking some time off following her hectic undergraduate career prior to entering vet school.

Stephanie Parker

The effusively talented Ms. Stephanie, who both taught and earned her B.S. in Physics, was a Shacker for 2 years and helped launch our research into Alzheimer's disease. She is gainfully employed in Huntsville as a human genetics researcher at the new HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in the lab of famous UA alumus, Dr. Rick Myers.

Max Thompson

Max was a Shacker during his freshman-junior years at UA, during which time he was named a Parkinson Association of Alabama Scholar.

Ashley Phares

World-traveler extraordinaire, Ashley, a UHP and Blount Scholar, was a fixture in the Shack from her freshman-senior year. She is attending dental school at the University of Connecticut.

Lauren Bryant

Lauren, a UHP and Blount Scholar, was a Shacker during her freshman and sophomore years at UA.

Emily Kay Woods

Emily worked in the Shack during her freshman year at UA, during which time she was awarded a Walker Scholarship and was named one of the original Alabama Dystonia Scholars.

Renee Rivas

The lovely soon-to-be Dr. Rivas, a 2006 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship recipient, was also one of only 4 national recipients of the Benjamin Cummings Biology Prize in 2006 and served as an author and Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Science and Health at the University of Alabama (JOSHUA). Renee was named to the 2008 USA Today All-USA Academic Team, 1st Team for her research into Parkinson's disease that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Check out her full-page ad in Nature too! Renee is currently an M.D./Ph.D. student in the UCSF Medical Scientist Training Program.

Robyn Thomas

While a Shacker, Rockin' Robyn was a contributor to multiple research projects and served as an author and Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Science and Health at the University of Alabama (JOSHUA). Robyn was selected from nearly 20,000 applicants as a recipient of a prestigious Amgen Fellowship from Teach for America, for whom she currently teaches high school science in, yes, Hawaii. Poor Robin. :(
Aloha from da Shack, Miss Thomas!

David Agee

David is a former Howard Hughes Medical Intern in the Shack. He is currently an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Jennifer Edmonds at UA and aspires to become a dentist.

Shermeen Memon

Shermeen is the recipient of national scholarships from Golden Key and Alpha Lambda Delta as a medical student at The University of Alabama School of Medicine at UA. Shermeen was co-author on a paper published in Chemical Communications and has a second paper in preparation with us.

John Phillips

John, a former Truman Scholar while in the Shack, is medical student on full scholarship at Vanderbilt University.

Meaghan Till

A Biology major and 2006 Isabella Hummel Graham Scholarship recipient of The University Women's Club, Meaghan is a Psychology major and is also a former Howard Hughes Rural Science Scholar.

Amy Gargis

A former 2004 Isabella Hummel Graham Scholarship recipient of The University Women's Club and a 2004 Randall Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award recipient while in the Shack, Amy is now a UA graduate student pursuing a career in food microbiology with Dr. Gary Sloan.

Kim Peters

Lil’ Kim is now a Ph.D. student at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Stephanie Brennan

Stephanie is a medical student at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, where she works in the lab of our collaborator, Dr. David Standaert.

Perry Guevara

Perry is a graduate student in English at Georgetown University.

Sarah Fulghum

Dr. Fulghum was the Shack's first (of seven now) USA Today All-American Academic Team member and the co-founder of JOSHUA. Sarah received her medical degree at The University of Alabama School of Medicine and is now a medical resident in Tuscaloosa.

Andrea Braden

Our ever-caffinated “Dr. Tweek” received her medical degree at the University of South Alabama and is now a resident at the University of Connecticut.

Matt Cybulsky

Master Matt received a first M.S. degree in Bioethics from Case Western Reserve University and second M.S. degree in Hospital Administration at UAB. He is now a hospital administrator in Dallas.

Jenny Whitworth

Our very first HUg, Dr. Jenny received her M.D. at The University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham.

Dan Wyatt

Dan was the former the coordinator of biology laboratories at Birmingham Southern College and currently works at the Alabama Eye Bank. He is attending pharmacy school at that other college across the state.

Jay Garrett

Jay attended medical school in Grenada.

Sarah Howard

Sarah is an information technology specialist in Atlanta.

Meiklejohn McKenzie

Dr. McKenzie is a medical resident in pathology at UAB.

Clay Blanton

Clay is working in the mangament information systems field in Atlanta.

John Paul Bevel

John Paul was the VERY first student to set foot in The Shack. He is a Biology graduate of UA and co-author of a paper in Human Molecular Genetics. He played on The Crimson Tide football team and now works in the pharmaceutical industry in Birmingham.