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Our Team

Graduate Students

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Ketan Dhede 

  • LinkedIn
Spring 2024 - present

Ketan is a fourth-year graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience PhD Program. With a B.S. and M.S. in Biotechnology from Savitribai Phule Pune University, India, and industry experience in next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics, Ketan aims to enhance astronaut safety through his research using rodent models for cognitive and sensorimotor assessments.

Awards: 1st Place Poster GPSA 2025; Patricia Sastaunik Scholarship 2025, 2026; Summer Doctoral Research Fellowship 2025, 2026;  Rebel Doctoral Student of the Year Award

Research Interests: how spaceflight stressors, like radiation and microgravity, impact Alzheimer's disease

Hobbies: exploring international cuisines, traveling, and playing soccer

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Susan Gleed

  • LinkedIn
Fall 2024 - present

Susan is a second-year graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience PhD Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She recently graduated with her B.A. in Psychology. She aims to become an expert researcher in the fields of psychology and neuroscience.

Research Interests: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and other similar disorders, drawing connections to spaceflight

Hobbies: parenting four children, singing, spending time outdoors

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Kaela Omengan

  • LinkedIn
Fall 2025 - present

Kaela graduated from UNLV in Fall 2023 with a B.A. in psychology. Upon graduation, she joined the BRaIN lab, where her passion for research flourished. Now as a first-year graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience PhD Program, she is eager to use her findings to positively influence policy and foster innovation in the neuroscience field.

Awards: 1st Place Talk GPSA 2026

Research Interests: sensorimotor decline and how age, disease, and spaceflight exacerbate it

Hobbies: frequenting cafes, going to concerts, and completing random art projects

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Teresa Garcia

  • LinkedIn
Fall 2025 - present

Teresa is a recent graduate of UNLV with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in neuroscience. Her plans are to receive further research experience at UNLV, while striving to achieve her Ph.D. in neuroscience. She is currently a first-year graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience PhD Program.

Research Interests: neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, attention and memory, behaviors following traumatic brain injuries, psychiatric disorders, and the behavioral and biological factors of developmental disorders

Hobbies: reading, finding new places in Vegas to experience, listening to music, and spending time with family

Research Assistants

Student Interns

Former Research Assistants & Student Interns

  • Derek Nguyen, Summer '25 - Fall '25

  • Diana Landazuri Nova, Spring '25 - Fall '25

  • Aavash Adhikari, Summer '24, Summer '25

  • Diana Lloyd, Summer '24 - Summer '25

  • Nuhamine Moges, Summer '24, Summer '25

  • Nicole Attallah, Summer '24, Summer '25

  • Andre Hernandez-Lopez, Spring '25

  • Sierra Ordonez, Summer '24 - Spring '25

  • Doc-Haden Rodgers, Summer '24 - Fall '25

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