The Team
The lab, February 2024
Justus Kebschull
Assistant Professor
Justus grew up in Germany and received his BA and MSci from the University of Cambridge, UK in 2011. He pursued his PhD in Tony Zador’s lab at CSHL where he developed DNA sequencing-based tools for brain mapping. In 2017 he joined Liqun Luo’s lab at Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow, working on the evolution of the cerebellar nuclei, before coming to JHU in 2021. Outside the lab, Justus rows with the Baltimore Rowing club, and loves hiking, orchids, and carnivorous plants.
Christopher Workman
Ph.D. Student BME; CHB T32 fellow
Christopher BME Graduate Student co-advised by Dr. Patrick Kanold. He is working on in situ gene sequencing in neural tissue. Christopher attended Arizona State University, earning a BS in biochemistry and a BSE in biomedical engineering with honors from the Barrett, The Honors College. Afterward, he earned an MS in biomedical engineering while researching cerebrovascular hemodynamics in David Frakes’s lab. After graduating, Christopher joined Google Advanced Technologies and Projects to design and build novel physiological sensors before joining the Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering PhD program. Outside the lab, he enjoys exploring nature through SCUBA diving and hiking.
Cheng Xu
Ph.D. Student BME
Cheng started as a BME MSE student in the lab and is now a PhD student in the lab. Cheng is working on new viral barcoding strategies. In his free time, he loves cooking and camping.
Rishi Koneru
BME Undergrad
Rishi is working with Manju and Hyopil to automate BRICseq brain dissections.
Caleb Shi
Ph.D.
Student Neuroscience; NSF Fellow
Caleb grew up in New Jersey and received his AB from Harvard University. During his undergraduate studies, he worked on advancing strategies for central nervous system regeneration with Larry Benowitz at Boston Children’s Hospital. After moving to Hopkins, he joined the Kebschull Lab interested in multiomic approaches to studying neural disorders, with a current focus on drug addiction. Outside of the lab, Caleb is a classically trained violinist and enjoys watching baseball, especially the Boston Red Sox.
Salvatore Lacava
Postdoc
Salvatore did his PhD in the Uusisaari lab at OIST (Okinawa, Japan), estabilishing the neuronal pathway that helps mice maintain balance with their tails. In the Kebschull lab he is switching gears to evolution and barcoding. In his free time, he enjoys exploring pastry shops and observing unusual animals in the wild.
Manjari Anant
Ph.D. Student Neuroscience; Kavli NDI Fellow
Manjari is a Neuroscience Ph.D. student, co-advised by Dr. Jean Fan. She is interested in understanding how the genetic and connectivity patterns of cells in the brain change during development and across species, with a focus on the cerebellar nuclei. In her spare time, she likes hiking and exploring Baltimore!
Dylan Faltine-Gonzalez
Postdoc
Dylan grew up in Southern California and received his BS in Marine Biology at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He then went on to receive his PhD in Michael Layden’s lab at Lehigh University. In the Layden lab he characterized the role of oral-aboral axial genes during neuronal subtype differentiation within sea anemone larvae. In the Kebschull lab, Dylan is interested in characterizing cerebellar nuclei within fish and the evolution of cerebellar nuclei within early vertebrates. Outside the lab, Dylan enjoys hiking, cycling, cooking, and gardening.
Maggie Lowman
Lab Manager
Maggie has worked at Johns Hopkins since 2013, both with the animal care and veterinary staff, and as a laboratory manager. She supports our research with her quick reflexes, top-notch organizing skills, and positive attitude. Outside of the lab she enjoys gardening, backpacking, and home improvement projects.
Hyopil Kim
Postdoc; ASF Fellow
Hyopil grew up in South Korea and got his BS from the Pohang University of Science and Technology in 2013. In 2019, he got his Ph.D. in Dr. Bong-Kiun Kaang's lab at the Seoul National University studying neuronal mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders and learning & memory. In 2020, Hyopil moved to the US and worked in Dr. Byoung-Il Bae's lab at the University of Connecticut studying species-specific cerebral cortical development. In 2022, he was fascinated by the tools that Dr. Kebschull developed and joined his lab. Here, Hyopil is primarily interested in interrogating neuronal connectivity patterns of autistic mouse models. Outside the lab, Hyopil enjoys swimming, watching sports, and cooking. He also loves tortoises.
Iris Kwon
BME Undergrad
Iris is an undergraduate student studying Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science. She is currently working with Manju on improving a pipeline to analyze in situ sequencing data. Outside the lab, she likes traveling and creating digital art.
Eli Zuercher
Research Technologist
Eli graduated in 2024 with an undergraduate degree in biochemistry. In the Kebschull Lab, Eli uses STARmap to study neural circuits. In his free time, Eli enjoys running and being outdoors.
Yunru Chen
Ph.D. Student BME
Yunru is a BME PhD student co-advised by Dr. Patrick Kanold. She has a strong interest in studying structural and functional connectivity in developing brain, with a focus on the auditory system of the mouse. Outside the lab, she enjoys hiking, cycling, and watching criminal shows with her cat.
Chien-Ju Chen
Postdoc; Kavli NDI Fellow
Chien-Ju received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Bioengineering and Bioinformatics & Systems Biology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He developed the spatial transcriptomics tool DART-FISH and applied it to study human cortex. He is jointly mentored by Drs. Justus Kebschull and Reza Kalhor, and is developing the next generation of barcoded circuit tracing tools. In his spare time, he enjoys baking and exploring national parks.
Huihui Qi
Postdoc
Huihui grew up in China and received his BS from Henan Agriculture University in 2013. In 2016, he got his MSc from Sichuan University, studying how Arabidopsis thaliana resists heat stress. Then, he switched his research direction to neuroscience and obtained his PhD in Dr. Yichang Jia’s lab at Tsinghua University in 2022 mainly focused on the genetic basis of vocalization. In the Kebschull lab, Huihui is interested in developing tools to map neuronal connectivity. Outside the lab, he enjoys reading, listening to music, and traveling.
Yujia Feng
BME MSE student
Yujia is a Master’s student in the BME program. She grew up in China and received her BS from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. In the lab, she is working on cell type evolution in the cerebellum. Outside the lab, she likes baking and watching movies.
Craig Washington
Research Specialist
Craig grew up in Washington D.C. and received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Morehouse College. He continued his education earning a Master of Science in Biology & Neuroscience from Georgia State University. His background includes research in oncology and neuroscience. Craig’s future goals are to earn his Ph.D. & open his own research lab with a focus on neuro & giloblastomas. In the Kebschull Lab, Craig is working on all things barcoding. Outside of the lab, Craig enjoys photography, videography, traveling, hiking & water sports.
Chaoran Zhang
Visting Undergraduate
Chaoran is an undergraduate student from Tsinghua University in China. She is interested in developing new tools to map the connectivity of neurons. Outside the lab she enjoys Kendo, swimming, video games and loves birds.
Interested in seeing your face here?
Alumni
Isiaha Price
Post-bac
now Harvard Ph.D. student
Betty Wan
Visting PhD student
PhD student at McGill University in Canada.
Ruitao Hu
BME MSE Student
Ujvala Pradeep (JHU Undergrad)
Shubhan Mathur (JHU Undergrad)
Ishbel Del Rosario (Research Specialist)
Kelechi Onwuzurike (Research Assistant)
Old lab pictures
The lab, June 2023
The lab, fall 2021
The lab, July 2022