Emily Jorgensen, PhD
       
     
Gabriella Silva, PhD
       
     
Katelyn Varden
       
     
Cathy Newman, PhD
       
     
Emily Jorgensen, PhD
       
     
Emily Jorgensen, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow
ejorgens@uab.edu

Emily received her double BS from Kansas State University and her PhD from the University of Wyoming, where she used behavioral and physiological tools to investigate the role of extracellular matrix structures in cortical plasticity and cocaine-associated memories. In the Day Lab, she plans to continue studying substance abuse and build on her previous work using molecular techniques to examine how changes in gene expression and corresponding changes in intrinsic excitability and synaptic plasticity, contribute to drug-seeking behaviors. Outside of the lab, EmJ enjoys skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and beach bumming. Dr. Jorgensen’s projects in the lab are supported by an NRSA F32 award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Gabriella Silva, PhD
       
     
Gabriella Silva, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow
silva@uab.edu

Gabriella received her BS from University of Maryland College Park and her PhD from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine where she utilized synthetic biology to investigate how a transcription factor of interest differentially regulated downstream gene targets to drive or blunt cocaine-driven adaptations.  In the Day Lab she will continue investigating the epigenetic and transcriptional consequences of substance abuse and plans to build on her previous training by utilizing synthetic biology to uncover the molecular mechanisms underpinning substance-driven adaptations.

Katelyn Varden
       
     
Katelyn Varden

Lab manager
kvarden9@uab.edu

B.S., University of Alabama at Birmingham

Cathy Newman, PhD
       
     
Cathy Newman, PhD

Data Scientist
cenewman@uab.edu

Cathy is a bioinformatics specialist interested in application of computational tools to understand sequencing-based datasets. Cathy received bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Alabama prior to completing her PhD in Biology at LSU, where she studied the evolutionary genetics of salamanders in the southeast United States.
Cathy's website