Siddhi Gavkar - undergraduate researcher - cellular neuroscience
Siddhi Gavkar is an undergraduate researcher in the Blakely Lab majoring in cellular neuroscience at the Wilkes Honors College. Dopamine is a crucial neurotransmitter influencing motivation, movement, and memory. Her research in the lab focuses on understanding the impact that genetic mutation in the dopamine system, specifically the dopamine transporter (DAT), has on the development and manifestation of neuropsychiatric disorders such as ASD, ADHD, and BPD. To pursue this, she is utilizing techniques such as light-sheet and confocal microscopy to elucidate how clinically relevant genetic mutations in DAT can influence these disorders and change neuronal activation and serotonergic innervation. Outside of research and academia, Siddhi enjoys going to the gym, meditating, and reading.
Tristan Wells - post-bac researcher - neuroscience
Tristan Wells is a post-bac earning a second degree in Neuroscience and Behavior from the FAU College of Science. His research in the Blakely lab focuses on the physiological and behavioral consequences of genetic variation in the dopamine transporter (DAT) gene (SLC6A3). Dopamine plays an important role in motor control, motivation, attention, response to novelty, reward, and cognition, and mutations in the SLC6A3 gene have been linked to several neuropsychiatric disorders. Amongst the mutations identified, the Ala559Val substitution has been shown to trigger anomalous dopamine efflux, perturbing dopamine homeostasis and behavior in DAT Val559 mice. Tristan's project seeks to test if early intervention with clinically efficacious therapies modifies the trajectory of phenotypes, including aberrant dopamine release, cognitive function and sociability, in mice harboring this mutation. To do this, he will record changes in dopamine in the brain utilizing genetically encoded dopamine sensors and in vivo fiber photometry in awake, behaving mice.
