People

Principal Investigator

Elissa Hallem, Ph.D.

Elissa is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UCLA. Elissa received a BA from Williams College, where she majored in biology and chemistry. She received her PhD in neuroscience from Yale University, where she studied odor coding in the fruit fly Drosophila with Dr. John Carlson. She then did her postdoctoral work at Caltech with Dr. Paul Sternberg, where she studied the chemosensory behaviors of free-living and parasitic nematodes. Her lab at UCLA studies how sensory neural circuits drive host-seeking and host-infection behaviors in human-parasitic nematodes, and how sensory neural circuits are modulated to drive different behaviors. When not doing science, Elissa enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family.

Lab Members

Navonil Banerjee, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Originally from India, Navonil received his BS in Biochemistry and MS in Biotechnology from University of Calcutta, India. He received his PhD in Neurobiology from U Mass Medical School, where his thesis work focused on neuropeptide signaling mechanisms underlying innate and adaptive behaviors in C. elegans. In the Hallem lab, Navonil seeks to understand the neural basis of CO2 response in skin-penetrating nematodes and C. elegans. Navonil spends his free time reading, watching movies, cooking and exploring national parks.

Astra Bryant, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Originally from the SF Bay Area, Astra is a postdoctoral fellow studying the neural mechanisms underlying thermosensation in soil-transmitted helminths. She earned a BA in Biology from Bryn Mawr College, and a PhD in Neuroscience from Stanford University. Before joining the Hallem lab, Astra worked on a wide array of topics in systems and circuits neuroscience. Astra is a founding member of the science communication group NeuWrite West. Outside of the lab, Astra enjoys cycling, playing softball, and painting the Pacific Ocean.

Michelle Castelletto, Ph.D.
Project Scientist

Michelle earned a PhD in Parasitology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied the genetics of Strongyloides. In the Hallem Lab, she focuses on developing genetic tools to investigate the neurobiology of Strongyloides. Michelle’s non-science interests include sewing, cycling and spending time at the beach.

Ivan Chavez
Undergraduate Researcher

Originally from the Inland Empire in Southern California, Ivan is a fourth-year undergraduate at UCLA majoring in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. His current research interests include elucidating microbial interactions, particularly between parasitic nematodes and bacteria. He enjoys audiobooks, coffee shop ambience, serving as an undergraduate learning assistant, and finding new movies to watch.

Stephanie DeMarco, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

A Southern California native, Stephanie is a postdoctoral fellow studying skin penetration in soil-transmitted helminths. She earned a BA in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley and a PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA, where she studied the social behavior of the parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Before joining the Hallem Lab, Stephanie was an AAAS Mass Media Fellow at the Los Angeles Times. Outside of the lab, Stephanie enjoys writing about science, traveling, and tap dancing.

Tiffany Mao
Lab Manager

Born and raised in LA County, Tiffany earned a BA in Fine Arts from UCLA. Preceding undergraduate courses, Tiffany began her career at UCLA working in a Drosophila lab and has since been employed at UCLA for more than 12 years. As manager for the Hallem Lab, she makes sure everyone is able to get the tools they need to conduct their research. Leisurely interests include creating art, assembling crafts, collecting toys, and watching television series or movies.

Elisa Rojas Palato
Undergraduate Researcher

Elisa grew up in the small town of Yuba City, CA. She is a Neuroscience major and Chicanx/o/a Studies minor. Elisa enjoys exploring Los Angeles with her friends and doing community service work. When she is not studying for her classes, she enjoys working out, listening to music, and meeting new people.

Hallem Lab Alumni

Name	Former Position in Hallem Lab
Arezoo Barnia	undergraduate lab helper, technician
Leopoldo Bello-Luna	undergraduate researcher
Taylor Brown	graduate student
Mayra Carrillo	graduate student
James Cevallos	undergraduate researcher
Keely Chaisson	graduate student
Wendy Fung	undergraduate researcher
Spencer Gang	graduate student
Manon Guillermin	graduate student
Daniel Lee	technician
Joon Ha Lee	undergraduate researcher, technician
Jackie Lopez	undergraduate researcher
Ryo Okubo	technician
Jennifer Peña	undergraduate researcher
Sophie Rengarajan	graduate student
Feli Ruiz	undergraduate researcher, technician
Anastassia Tselikova	undergraduate researcher
Mia Vang	undergraduate lab helper, researcher
Emily Yang	undergraduate researcher
Kristen Yankura	postdoctoral fellow