PEOPLE

ROBERT MESSING, MD
Professor and Chair of Neuroscience
Professor of Neurosurgery
Curriculum Vitae (2024-10-14)

Dr. Messing received his M.D. from Stanford University and completed his residency and postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF.

He is the current Chair of Neuroscience, as well as the Director of the Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research. He is also the Consortium Director for the Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism-Neuroimmune.

 

CALEB FLEISCHER 
Lab Manager
caleb.fleischer@austin.utexas.edu

 

 

 

 

 

LAURA FERGUSON, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
lauraferguson@utexas.edu

 

 

 

 

 

GEOFF DILLY, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
geoffdilly@utexas.edu

 

 

 

 

JESSE PLOTKIN, PhD
Research Associate
jesse.plotkin@austin.utexas.edu

 

 

 

 

 

ELISE SEIDENSTEIN
Research Associate
evs398@austin.utexas.edu

 

 

 

 

 

ETHAN LIU
Undergraduate Research Assistant

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAURA JUNG
Undergraduate Lab Assistant

 

PAST UT TRAINEES 

LUBOV EZERSKIY, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2021-2024)
Last known: Postdoctoral Fellow | UTHSC San Antonio

ADRIANA GREGORY FLORES, MS
Predoctoral Student (2020-2022)
Last known: Laboratory Technician | NIDA/NIH

MICHAEL DUGAN, PhD
Predoctoral Student (2019-2024)
Last known: Integrated Product Development Associate | Rho, Inc.

LAUREN SMITH, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2019-2020)
Last known: Manager, Educational Development | NACCME an HMP Company

JINGYI WANG, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2015-2018)
Last known: Senior Team Lead | Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.

MATT POMRENZE, PhD
Predoctoral Student (2014-2019)
Last known: Instructor and Postdoctoral Fellow | Stanford University

ANGELO BLASIO, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2014-2016)
Last known: Mentor Research Scientist II | Vertex Pharmaceuticals

RAJANI MAIYA, PhD
Assistant Research Scientist (2013-2020)
Last known: Asst. Prof. Physiology | LSU School of Medicine

DAIFEI WU, PhD
Assistant Research Scientist (2013-2014)
Last known: Sr Scientist & Vice General Manager | Jiangsu SR-Biopharma Co, China

PAST UCSF TRAINEES 

RAJANI MAIYA, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2012-2013)
Last known: Asst. Prof. Physiology | LSU School of Medicine

RICHARD VAN RIJN, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2011-2013)
Last known: Assoc. Professor of Pharmacology | Purdue University; Principal Scientist, Disease Biology, Septerna, South San Francisco, CA

TABAN SEIF, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2010-2013)
Last known: Faculty | California State University, East Bay

DAIFEI WU, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2009-2014)
Last known: Sr Scientist & Vice General Manager | Jiangsu SR-Biopharma Co, China

ANNA LEE, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2007–2014)
Last known: Associate Professor of Pharmacology | University of Minnesota

HEIDI LESSCHER, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2004–2006)
Last known: Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine | University of Utrecht, Netherlands

MIHO OYASU, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2003–2006)
Last known: Scientist | Bristol Myers Squibb, Redwood City, CA

MELISSA WALLACE, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2003–2009)
Last known: Professor of Pharmacology and Medical Sciences Education | Swansea University, UK

MAENGSEOK SONG, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2001–2004)
Last known: Senior Scientist | Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA

PHILLIP NEWTON, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (2001–2009)
Last known: Professor of Medicine | Swansea University Medical School, UK

DOO-SUP CHOI, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (1999–2005)
Last known: Professor of Pharmacology & Psychiatry | Mayo Clinic

CHARLES HOWE, PhD
Predoctoral Student (1998–2000)
Last known: Director of Research | Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

ANNICK MARTIN, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (1997–2001)
Last known: Chief, Department of Community Health | Nice, France

KAREN ZHU, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (1997–2000)
Last known: Senior Scientist | Bio-Rad

BHUPINDER HUNDLE, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (1992–1997)
Last known: Director, Distribution Sales | Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Oxford, UK

REINA ROIVAINEN, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (1991–1993)
Last known: Neurologist | Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland