Mary K. Holder, a senior academic professional in the School of Psychology and associate director of Georgia Tech’s Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, is adding a new title to her CV: President of the Atlanta chapter of the Society for Neuroscience (ACSFN).

Holder will serve a three-year term for the organization, founded in 1976 to bring together neuroscientists working in the Atlanta area. The chapter promotes research and public understanding of the brain and nervous system by recognizing promising students and sponsoring lectures. The Society also organizes events such as Brain Awareness Month and the Atlanta Brain Bee, an annual competition for middle school and high school students who are tested on their knowledge of the brain and nervous system.

“I was surprised and honored to be asked to serve as the President for the ACSFN,” Holder says. “It’s an exciting opportunity to serve the greater Atlanta neuroscience community. I’m also a bit nervous as well, as I’ve never had this type of leadership position. I know that I’ll be relying a lot upon the council members of the ACSFN to help things run smoothly.”

One of Holder’s goals involves boosting the Society’s outreach to local and area K-12 schools, which were impacted by Covid-19 shutdowns — a time that the Georgia Tech neuroscience community also began talking more about the impact of historic exclusion, marginalization, and structural inequities in society and science, Holder says.

“One of the things I hope to accomplish as the new president of the Atlanta chapter is to foster meaningful engagements and partnerships so that outreach becomes something more authentic and collaborative,” she says. “I would love to be able to further support the winners of the Atlanta Brain Bee to go to the national competition without experiencing a financial burden.” Holder added that helping with competition fees would require increases in donations to the chapter. 

About Mary Holder and Georgia Tech Neuroscience

Holder, a Georgia Tech alumna (B.S. PSYC ‘04 with High Honors), received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2011 from the University of Maryland. Her research interests include neuroendocrinology, psychopharmacology, and behavioral neuroscience.

Since Georgia Tech began offering a neuroscience undergraduate degree in 2017, Holder notes that the Institute has experienced tremendous growth within the discipline. There are now approximately 500 neuroscience majors, and nearly 300 have graduated. 

“In the past few years, we have made remarkable progress in our curriculum and course offerings to give a true Georgia Tech flavor to the neuroscience education for students,” she says. “Beyond the major itself, which is housed within the College of Sciences, there are neuroscientists all over campus.”

GTNeuro, a grassroots effort over many years, led to the hiring of faculty researching the brain, as well as the creation of the undergraduate neuroscience program. It also led to the September announcement of the Neuro Next Initiative, a foundational, interdisciplinary program to lead in research related to neuroscience, neurotechnology, and society.

“The Neuro Next Initiative should foster some fascinating opportunities for supporting collaborative research, educational missions, and public engagement,” Holder says. “I’m excited to see how the neuroscience programs and research will continue to grow and expand here.  I think these new initiatives represent amazing opportunities for our students.”

Stephen (Nick) Housley, a postdoctoral scholar in the School of Biological Sciences, is the first recipient of an early career award through the Jack and Dana McCallum Neurorehabilitation Program.

Housley, who received his Ph.D. in Applied Physiology at Georgia Tech in 2020, has been awarded a Jack and Dana McCallum Early Career Award for postdoctoral researchers. The goal of the program is to strengthen research in neurorehabilitation and the relationship between Georgia Tech and Emory University. The program supports graduate students and will now also support some postdoctoral scholars through Early Career Awards.

Housley’s research intersects neuroscience and cancer biology. “I am genuinely honored to have my work recognized and acknowledged through [this] support,” Housley says. “The sort of high-reward studies that I pursue are often perceived as risky. Having this support will enable me to pursue ambitious projects and expand on the breadth of studies.”

The new award from alumnus and College of Sciences Advisory Board member Jack McCallum, M.D., Ph.D. (BIO ‘66) is part of a $1 million gift committed in 2022 for the creation of the Jack and Dana McCallum Neurorehabilitation Training Program facilitated by Georgia Tech and in partnership with Emory University and The Shepherd Center’s Crawford Research Institute. This funding will be used over the next two years to support graduate student, postdoctoral and faculty research, as well as train new scientists in neurorehabilitation.

The McCallum Family Foundation has previously provided scholarships to reward outstanding undergraduate students for their academic excellence and performance in Georgia Tech research labs. The McCallum scholarships enable undergraduates to engage in research earlier in their academic careers than many colleges and universities. And scientific research is a defining characteristic of the undergraduate experience in the School of Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech, where young undergraduate researchers are provided access to experienced faculty mentors and research labs with cutting-edge equipment, which are critical to their training as scientists.  

About Stephen Housley

Stephen (Nick) Housley is a clinician-scientist focused on cancer neurobiology with specialty training in treating neurological disorders. Housley is also a fellow in both the Sensorimotor Integration Lab and the Integrated Cancer Research Center at Georgia Tech. 

Housley’s research centers on how the nervous system, cancer, and its treatment interact in mammalian systems. “My research interests rest on my recent discoveries that securely establish the existence of reciprocal interactions between cancer, cancer treatment and the nervous system,” he explains. “In addition, my other area of study centers on how the nervous and musculoskeletal systems interact to encode sensorimotor information, and how integration in the mammalian spinal cord results in physiologically relevant movement.”

As part of his research into cancer neurobiology, Housley is also developing therapeutic  nanohydrogels: microscopic polymer-based particles that may serve as next-generation drug delivery vehicles. “I have been exploring the use of my nanohydrogel platform to deliver therapeutic payloads to solid tumor cancers,” he says.

Housley wishes to thank M.G. Finn, who serves as professor and chair of the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech and James A. Carlos Family Chair for Pediatric Technology, for Finn’s mentorship and support of nanohydrogel research. Housley also thanks Timothy Cope and John McDonald, both professors in the School of Biological Sciences, “who provided the intellectual and practical environments focused on neuroscience and cancer biology. Their support enabled me to pursue a new research field at the intersection of both — namely, cancer neurobiology,” Housley adds.

Mary K. Holder, a senior academic professional in the School of Psychology and associate director of Georgia Tech’s Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, is adding a new title to her CV: President of the Atlanta chapter of the Society for Neuroscience (ACSFN).

Holder will serve a three-year term for the organization, founded in 1976 to bring together neuroscientists working in the Atlanta area. The chapter promotes research and public understanding of the brain and nervous system by recognizing promising students and sponsoring lectures. The Society also organizes events such as Brain Awareness Month and the Atlanta Brain Bee, an annual competition for middle school and high school students who are tested on their knowledge of the brain and nervous system.

“I was surprised and honored to be asked to serve as the President for the ACSFN,” Holder says. “It’s an exciting opportunity to serve the greater Atlanta neuroscience community. I’m also a bit nervous as well, as I’ve never had this type of leadership position. I know that I’ll be relying a lot upon the council members of the ACSFN to help things run smoothly.”

One of Holder’s goals involves boosting the Society’s outreach to local and area K-12 schools, which were impacted by Covid-19 shutdowns — a time that the Georgia Tech neuroscience community also began talking more about the impact of historic exclusion, marginalization, and structural inequities in society and science, Holder says.

“One of the things I hope to accomplish as the new president of the Atlanta chapter is to foster meaningful engagements and partnerships so that outreach becomes something more authentic and collaborative,” she says. “I would love to be able to further support the winners of the Atlanta Brain Bee to go to the national competition without experiencing a financial burden.” Holder added that helping with competition fees would require increases in donations to the chapter. 

About Mary Holder and Georgia Tech Neuroscience

Holder, a Georgia Tech alumna (B.S. PSYC ‘04 with High Honors), received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2011 from the University of Maryland. Her research interests include neuroendocrinology, psychopharmacology, and behavioral neuroscience.

Since Georgia Tech began offering a neuroscience undergraduate degree in 2017, Holder notes that the Institute has experienced tremendous growth within the discipline. There are now approximately 500 neuroscience majors, and nearly 300 have graduated. 

“In the past few years, we have made remarkable progress in our curriculum and course offerings to give a true Georgia Tech flavor to the neuroscience education for students,” she says. “Beyond the major itself, which is housed within the College of Sciences, there are neuroscientists all over campus.”

GTNeuro, a grassroots effort over many years, led to the hiring of faculty researching the brain, as well as the creation of the undergraduate neuroscience program. It also led to the September announcement of the Neuro Next Initiative, a foundational, interdisciplinary program to lead in research related to neuroscience, neurotechnology, and society.

“The Neuro Next Initiative should foster some fascinating opportunities for supporting collaborative research, educational missions, and public engagement,” Holder says. “I’m excited to see how the neuroscience programs and research will continue to grow and expand here.  I think these new initiatives represent amazing opportunities for our students.”

Stephen (Nick) Housley, a postdoctoral scholar in the School of Biological Sciences, is the first recipient of an early career award through the Jack and Dana McCallum Neurorehabilitation Program.

Housley, who received his Ph.D. in Applied Physiology at Georgia Tech in 2020, has been awarded a Jack and Dana McCallum Early Career Award for postdoctoral researchers. The goal of the program is to strengthen research in neurorehabilitation and the relationship between Georgia Tech and Emory University. The program supports graduate students and will now also support some postdoctoral scholars through Early Career Awards.

Housley’s research intersects neuroscience and cancer biology. “I am genuinely honored to have my work recognized and acknowledged through [this] support,” Housley says. “The sort of high-reward studies that I pursue are often perceived as risky. Having this support will enable me to pursue ambitious projects and expand on the breadth of studies.”

The new award from alumnus and College of Sciences Advisory Board member Jack McCallum, M.D., Ph.D. (BIO ‘66) is part of a $1 million gift committed in 2022 for the creation of the Jack and Dana McCallum Neurorehabilitation Training Program facilitated by Georgia Tech and in partnership with Emory University and The Shepherd Center’s Crawford Research Institute. This funding will be used over the next two years to support graduate student, postdoctoral and faculty research, as well as train new scientists in neurorehabilitation.

The McCallum Family Foundation has previously provided scholarships to reward outstanding undergraduate students for their academic excellence and performance in Georgia Tech research labs. The McCallum scholarships enable undergraduates to engage in research earlier in their academic careers than many colleges and universities. And scientific research is a defining characteristic of the undergraduate experience in the School of Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech, where young undergraduate researchers are provided access to experienced faculty mentors and research labs with cutting-edge equipment, which are critical to their training as scientists.  

About Stephen Housley

Stephen (Nick) Housley is a clinician-scientist focused on cancer neurobiology with specialty training in treating neurological disorders. Housley is also a fellow in both the Sensorimotor Integration Lab and the Integrated Cancer Research Center at Georgia Tech. 

Housley’s research centers on how the nervous system, cancer, and its treatment interact in mammalian systems. “My research interests rest on my recent discoveries that securely establish the existence of reciprocal interactions between cancer, cancer treatment and the nervous system,” he explains. “In addition, my other area of study centers on how the nervous and musculoskeletal systems interact to encode sensorimotor information, and how integration in the mammalian spinal cord results in physiologically relevant movement.”

As part of his research into cancer neurobiology, Housley is also developing therapeutic  nanohydrogels: microscopic polymer-based particles that may serve as next-generation drug delivery vehicles. “I have been exploring the use of my nanohydrogel platform to deliver therapeutic payloads to solid tumor cancers,” he says.

Housley wishes to thank M.G. Finn, who serves as professor and chair of the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech and James A. Carlos Family Chair for Pediatric Technology, for Finn’s mentorship and support of nanohydrogel research. Housley also thanks Timothy Cope and John McDonald, both professors in the School of Biological Sciences, “who provided the intellectual and practical environments focused on neuroscience and cancer biology. Their support enabled me to pursue a new research field at the intersection of both — namely, cancer neurobiology,” Housley adds.

A visit to any new country would be incomplete without exploring the local culture and history. This summer, eight Georgia Tech students did some of their exploring of Lyon, France in an unlikely place: a biology lab.

The biology, neuroscience, and biochemistry undergraduates were enrolled in a special offering of the Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory (BIOS 3451) as part of the Georgia Tech Biomolecular Engineering, Science, and Technology study abroad program in Lyon (BEST-Lyon). As it was the first time the lab was offered as part of the program, the instructors took the budding course as an opportunity to try something new, aiming to mesh the lab with the local culture surrounding them while abroad. And for Lyon, that meant incorporating silk. 

Read more about the unique experience on the College of Sciences website.

The College of Sciences congratulates six of its graduate scholars who have won Herbert P. Haley Fellowships for the 2023-24 school year.

The new Haley Fellows are:

• Jessica Deutsch, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Quynh Nguyen, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Eliza Gazda, School of Physics
• Sydney Popsuj, School of Biological Sciences
• Jose Luis Ramirez-Colón, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
• Sidney Scott-Sharoni, School of Psychology

Haley scholars receive a one-time merit award of up to $4,000 thanks to the generosity of the late Marion Peacock Haley. Haley’s estate established the creation of merit-based graduate fellowships at Georgia Tech in honor of her late husband, Herbert P. Haley (ME 1933). It is an award which may be held in conjunction with other funding, assistantships, or fellowships, if applicable. 

Meet the Haley Fellows

Jessica Deutsch

Jessica Deutsch is a fifth-year Ph.D. student studying analytical chemistry. “One of the most intriguing aspects of analytical chemistry is that the field focuses on studying invisible things in order to make sense of the visible,” Deuthsch says. “I am researching a deadly coral disease that affects Florida and Caribbean reefs. I aim to provide insight into how this disease impacts the production of small molecules using a mass spectrometry-based approach, which can provide insight into how relationships between the coral animal, algae, and bacteria may be impacted by this disease.”

She wishes to thank Assistant Professor Neha Garg “for her mentorship and the opportunities she has provided that have enabled me to develop my research skills.”
 

Quynh Nguyen

Quynh Nguyen is a third-year Ph.D. student looking into phase- and shape-controlled synthesis of nanocrystals for catalysis and energy-related applications. “What fascinates me is the ability to manipulate matter at the nanoscale to drive sustainable advances,” Nguyen says. “This field places me at the exciting intersection of chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology, aiming to address current challenges in sustainability and renewable energy.”

Nguyen’s Ph.D. advisor is Younan Xia, professor, Brock Family Chair and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Nanomedicine. “Xia's guidance and expertise have been instrumental in shaping my research focus and methodology. Beyond the lab, he has consistently encouraged me to pursue opportunities that contribute to both my academic and professional development, for which I am immensely grateful.”

Eliza Gazda

Eliza Gazda, a fifth-year graduate scholar, is working in the field of multi-messenger particle astrophysics.

Gazda designed, tested, and integrated a telescope camera which was the payload on a scientific balloon launched in May. “The telescope launched is the first optical balloon of this type that operated at high altitudes over 30 kilometers,” Gazda says. “Our telescope observed radiative air showers from high energy cosmic rays and particles which travel across the Earth from extreme astrophysical objects like neutron stars and black holes. Once analyzed, this work will give us insight into high energy events that occur in space, and allow us to design and launch future similar telescopes.”

 Gazda’s mentor is Associate Professor Nepomuk Otte, “who guided me in the past through a summer internship at Georgia Tech and inspired me to come back to work on my Ph.D. here. Not only has he taught me lab skills, but he helps me with my career goals, and guides me in exploring our research field, networking, and learning about various disciplines within the field.”

Sydney Popsuj 

A fifth-year Ph.D. student, Sydney Popsuj is researching the gene Dkk3 and how it might regulate neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration in tunicates, close siblings to vertebrates. “This gene is implicated in Alzheimer's disease and dementia, but because it is hard to study in disease models, we don't have a strong grasp on the general functionality of the gene. I am using tunicates as a model system to study because they are biphasic, meaning they have both a larval and adult stage. This work is very exciting to me because it incorporates large scale evolutionary questions, while also having an impact on better understanding a gene that seems quite important to diseases and disorders.”

Popsuj thanks Georgia Tech faculty members Shuyi Nie, Joe LaChance, Patrick McGrath, Tim Cope, and Billie Swalla at the University of Washington “for pushing me to find new and exciting avenues into how to relate and generalize my work. These mentors have also encouraged me to expand outside my comfort zone in academics and to embrace new technologies and approaches that will hopefully further expand methods and protocols available to tunicate researchers.”

Jose Luis Ramirez-Colón

A third-year graduate scholar, Jose Luis Ramirez-Colón “has always been fascinated by the question of where we come from, and my time at Georgia Tech has been dedicated to using science as a tool to further explore this question.” His research focuses on exploring the organic inventory present in carbonaceous chondrites, meteorites that are like time capsules from the early days of the Solar System. 

“Many organic classes present in all life as we know it, such as amino acids, sugars, and nucleobases, have been detected in these meteorites; therefore, there’s this idea that these meteorites might've delivered these essential building blocks to early Earth to kick-start life as we know it,” Ramirez-Colón says. His mission at Georgia Tech is to develop methods to detect, extract, and characterize those building blocks. 

Ramirez-Colón wants to acknowledge “the remarkable contributions of my advisor and mentor, Christopher Carr, who has played a pivotal role in propelling my journey as an advancing Puerto Rican scientist. Carr not only granted me the freedom to pursue the questions that have always ignited my passion for science, but also equipped me with the essential tools and resources needed to conduct meaningful research.”

Sidney Scott-Sharoni

Sidney Scott-Sharoni is entering her fourth year of Ph.D. studies. An engineering psychology major, Scott-Sharoni focuses on “understanding how humans interact and conceptualize artificial intelligence devices,” she explains. 

“Specifically, I investigate creative methods to convey information to calibrate users’ trust, and understand their psychological well-being, most often in automated vehicles,” Scott-Sharoni says. “I love my area of research because it combines the study of people with the study of innovative technology. I feel like I am researching the people of the future!”

 Scott-Sharoni’s advisor, Professor Bruce Walker, “has significantly helped my personal and professional development as a researcher. I am very grateful for his continued mentorship throughout my graduate education.”

The College of Sciences congratulates six of its graduate scholars who have won Herbert P. Haley Fellowships for the 2023-24 school year.

The new Haley Fellows are:

• Jessica Deutsch, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Quynh Nguyen, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Eliza Gazda, School of Physics
• Sydney Popsuj, School of Biological Sciences
• Jose Luis Ramirez-Colón, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
• Sidney Scott-Sharoni, School of Psychology

Haley scholars receive a one-time merit award of up to $4,000 thanks to the generosity of the late Marion Peacock Haley. Haley’s estate established the creation of merit-based graduate fellowships at Georgia Tech in honor of her late husband, Herbert P. Haley (ME 1933). It is an award which may be held in conjunction with other funding, assistantships, or fellowships, if applicable. 

Meet the Haley Fellows

Jessica Deutsch

Jessica Deutsch is a fifth-year Ph.D. student studying analytical chemistry. “One of the most intriguing aspects of analytical chemistry is that the field focuses on studying invisible things in order to make sense of the visible,” Deuthsch says. “I am researching a deadly coral disease that affects Florida and Caribbean reefs. I aim to provide insight into how this disease impacts the production of small molecules using a mass spectrometry-based approach, which can provide insight into how relationships between the coral animal, algae, and bacteria may be impacted by this disease.”

She wishes to thank Assistant Professor Neha Garg “for her mentorship and the opportunities she has provided that have enabled me to develop my research skills.”
 

Quynh Nguyen

Quynh Nguyen is a third-year Ph.D. student looking into phase- and shape-controlled synthesis of nanocrystals for catalysis and energy-related applications. “What fascinates me is the ability to manipulate matter at the nanoscale to drive sustainable advances,” Nguyen says. “This field places me at the exciting intersection of chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology, aiming to address current challenges in sustainability and renewable energy.”

Nguyen’s Ph.D. advisor is Younan Xia, professor, Brock Family Chair and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Nanomedicine. “Xia's guidance and expertise have been instrumental in shaping my research focus and methodology. Beyond the lab, he has consistently encouraged me to pursue opportunities that contribute to both my academic and professional development, for which I am immensely grateful.”

Eliza Gazda

Eliza Gazda, a fifth-year graduate scholar, is working in the field of multi-messenger particle astrophysics.

Gazda designed, tested, and integrated a telescope camera which was the payload on a scientific balloon launched in May. “The telescope launched is the first optical balloon of this type that operated at high altitudes over 30 kilometers,” Gazda says. “Our telescope observed radiative air showers from high energy cosmic rays and particles which travel across the Earth from extreme astrophysical objects like neutron stars and black holes. Once analyzed, this work will give us insight into high energy events that occur in space, and allow us to design and launch future similar telescopes.”

 Gazda’s mentor is Associate Professor Nepomuk Otte, “who guided me in the past through a summer internship at Georgia Tech and inspired me to come back to work on my Ph.D. here. Not only has he taught me lab skills, but he helps me with my career goals, and guides me in exploring our research field, networking, and learning about various disciplines within the field.”

Sydney Popsuj 

A fifth-year Ph.D. student, Sydney Popsuj is researching the gene Dkk3 and how it might regulate neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration in tunicates, close siblings to vertebrates. “This gene is implicated in Alzheimer's disease and dementia, but because it is hard to study in disease models, we don't have a strong grasp on the general functionality of the gene. I am using tunicates as a model system to study because they are biphasic, meaning they have both a larval and adult stage. This work is very exciting to me because it incorporates large scale evolutionary questions, while also having an impact on better understanding a gene that seems quite important to diseases and disorders.”

Popsuj thanks Georgia Tech faculty members Shuyi Nie, Joe LaChance, Patrick McGrath, Tim Cope, and Billie Swalla at the University of Washington “for pushing me to find new and exciting avenues into how to relate and generalize my work. These mentors have also encouraged me to expand outside my comfort zone in academics and to embrace new technologies and approaches that will hopefully further expand methods and protocols available to tunicate researchers.”

Jose Luis Ramirez-Colón

A third-year graduate scholar, Jose Luis Ramirez-Colón “has always been fascinated by the question of where we come from, and my time at Georgia Tech has been dedicated to using science as a tool to further explore this question.” His research focuses on exploring the organic inventory present in carbonaceous chondrites, meteorites that are like time capsules from the early days of the Solar System. 

“Many organic classes present in all life as we know it, such as amino acids, sugars, and nucleobases, have been detected in these meteorites; therefore, there’s this idea that these meteorites might've delivered these essential building blocks to early Earth to kick-start life as we know it,” Ramirez-Colón says. His mission at Georgia Tech is to develop methods to detect, extract, and characterize those building blocks. 

Ramirez-Colón wants to acknowledge “the remarkable contributions of my advisor and mentor, Christopher Carr, who has played a pivotal role in propelling my journey as an advancing Puerto Rican scientist. Carr not only granted me the freedom to pursue the questions that have always ignited my passion for science, but also equipped me with the essential tools and resources needed to conduct meaningful research.”

Sidney Scott-Sharoni

Sidney Scott-Sharoni is entering her fourth year of Ph.D. studies. An engineering psychology major, Scott-Sharoni focuses on “understanding how humans interact and conceptualize artificial intelligence devices,” she explains. 

“Specifically, I investigate creative methods to convey information to calibrate users’ trust, and understand their psychological well-being, most often in automated vehicles,” Scott-Sharoni says. “I love my area of research because it combines the study of people with the study of innovative technology. I feel like I am researching the people of the future!”

 Scott-Sharoni’s advisor, Professor Bruce Walker, “has significantly helped my personal and professional development as a researcher. I am very grateful for his continued mentorship throughout my graduate education.”