Current Lab Group

Dr. Graham Diering
Principal Investigator

Dr. Diering is the PI of the Diering Lab. He studies the molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity, with a particular interest in sleep. Using mouse models of human disease as well as primary cultured neurons, Dr. Diering applies his work to understanding and treating neurodevelopment disorders including Autism and intellectual disability. He broadly studies biochemistry, pharmacology, animal behavior and genetics.

Kylie Joyce
Lab Manager

 

 

 

 

Kylie graduated from UNC in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with Honors. She is investigating how sleep disruption influences pathology in neurodegeneration, specifically Alzheimer’s disease. She is interested in the mechanisms underlying amyloid-beta and tau interactions and how these two proteins affect sleep. Outside the lab she enjoys learning languages, playing with animals, and walking around the community!

Julia Sparks Lord
Research Specialist

Julia is in charge of our mouse colonies and behavioral assays. She is currently concentrating on profiling mouse sleep/wake behaviors through parameters such as sleep time and bout length. Has 3 really fun dogs.

Dr. Jayanth Anantha
Post-Doctoral Fellow

Jayanth graduated with a PhD in Medicine From UCC, Ireland. At the Diering lab he is interested in deciphering translational regulation at the synapse during sleep and wake states. When not in the lab, he enjoys playing the veena, composing music and cooking!

Dr. Shenée Martin
Post-Doctoral Fellow

photo of Shenee

Shenée graduated with a PhD from the UNC Neuroscience Department in 2023. Her research focuses on sleep disruptions in neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s Disease.

Liza Chartampila
Graduate Student

Liza is a fourth-year PhD student in the Neuroscience program. Before beginning her doctoral studies at UNC, Liza completed her B.S. in neuroscience at Washington and Lee University. Outside of research, she enjoys painting, hiking, listening to podcasts, and playing volleyball.

Sarah Jo Sleiman
Graduate Student

Sarah Jo is a third-year PhD student in the Neuroscience program. She earned her B.S. in Neuroscience with a Computer Science minor at American University and completed a postbaccalaureate fellowship at the NIEHS prior to her doctoral studies at UNC. SJ will be exploring how disrupting sleep drives neurodegenerative phenotypes in aging mouse models. Outside of the lab, she attempts to make traditional Lebanese dishes, and fosters puppies through a local rescue — all while chasing after her own sleep need. 

Michael Ye
Graduate Student

Michael is a third-year graduate student in the Neuroscience program. He studies the regulation of sleep homeostasis by cortical intracellular signaling in excitatory neurons.

Lab Alumni

Sawyer Grizzard
Lab Manager

Now a graduate student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sean Gay
Graduate Student

Now a post-doctoral fellow at Duke University.

Tekla Maisashvili
Undergraduate Researcher

Now studying abroad in Kazakhstan, completing a Russian immersion language program.

Bradley Allf
Technician

Bradley Allf Headshot

Now a graduate student in the NC Museum of Natural Sciences Biodiversity Research Lab/NC State University.

Daniel Araya
Undergraduate Summer Intern

Daniel interned in the Diering lab as a part of the CSS/CSME program during the summer of 2023. During his time in the lab, he worked alongside several lab members as well as observed crucial experiments, while gaining exposure to new research techniques. Outside of research Daniel enjoys biking, listening to music, traveling, and making Eritrean dishes.

Maria F. Gonzalez-Aponte
PREP Student

Now a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis.

Sarah Monroe
Technician

Sarah Monroe Headshot

Now a graduate student at Duke University.

Lisa Sharek
Lab Manager

Lisa Sharek Headshot

Now a researcher at the University of Hawaii.

Kirsten Smith
Undergraduate Researcher

Now a graduate student at Duke University.

Diane Youngstrom
Undergraduate Researcher

 Now a post-bacc at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.