Principal Investigator
Luis Natividad
Dr. Luis Natividad is an Assistant Professor at the University of Austin, College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Dr. Natividad received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at El Paso under the guidance of Dr. Laura O’Dell. He went on to his post-doctoral training at the Scripps Research Institute with Dr. Larry Parsons where he began to implement mass spectrometry analysis with in vivo methods to assay a wide-range of small molecule transmitters. He then worked with Drs. Marisa Roberto and John Yates at Scripps to apply these models of dependence in a large-scale analysis of the brain proteome to explore the potential role of dysregulated kinase signaling in addiction.
Staff Scientist
Meera Asokan
Meera is the mass spectrometrist of the team. She earned her Master of Technology in Industrial Biotechnology from Annamalai University in India and her Bachelor in Technology from Anna University. She worked at the Chemical and Proteomics Mass Spectrometry Core facility at Virginia Commonwealth University before moving to Austin. She employs multiple quantitative proteomics approaches to optimize analysis of proteomes and post-translational modifications, ensuring the production of high-quality proteomics data using the Thermo Scientific™ – Orbitrap Exploris™ 480 MS. Away from work, she enjoys spending time with her family.
Graduate Students
Maya Eldani
Maya graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. Afterward, she joined the University of Nebraska Medical Center as a Research Technologist in the Department of OB/GYN, where she also served as a lab manager. Her primary research focused on understanding the effects of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin on the ovary. Later she returned to Wichita State University to pursue a Master’s degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry. During her time there she focused on understanding the activation of tyrosine hydroxylase under extracellular H+ signaling and its relationship to Parkinson’s disease. In Natividad Lab, Maya will focus on the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain. In her free time, Maya enjoys discovering new coffee shops and going on hikes.
Joyradyn James Rollins
Christopher Babcock
David Melendez-Perdomo
Research Assistants
Joaquin Mounteer
Undergraduates
Nanditha Ramesh
Victoria Ng
Arnav Vanga
Jaewoo Kang
Samer Salman
Katherine Gurwitz
Zahra Haider
Emma David
Kylie Yardas
Mehwish Shaikh
Emma Garza
Pharmobility Program
Antariksha Bahad
LEADERS Summer Program
Hope Pointer
Alumni
Nathan Le
Abby Askins
Nathan Lee
Justice Corbett
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Janet Le
Delaney Gaither
Caleigh Hausenfluck
Rachel Luevit
Avni Vora
Natalie Lanners
Ivana Tieu
Hannah Waters
Zoey Croft
Ellen Haggard
Chantal Alvarado
Som Radia
Ganga Prasanth