Michelle Bridi, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Michelle Bridi is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience in the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute at West Virginia University.  Her interest in neuroscience was sparked while studying biology as an undergraduate at McGill University, which spurred her to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.  She loves to share her enthusiasm for neuroscience through teaching, mentoring, and organizing events that bring neuroscientists together.  When not in the lab, she enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and camping.

Morgan Bridi, Ph.D.

Co-conspirator

Morgan Bridi is a native West Virginian.  He attended West Virginia University as an undergraduate and has returned to Morgantown as an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience in the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (visit his lab's webpage for more info).  During his years away, he obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at the Hussman Institute for Autism and the University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore, MD. 

Victoria Shifflett

Graduate Student

Tori received a bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology from WVU, during which she worked in Alzheimer's research looking at the nanoscale organization of dendritic spines. Currently, her research involves exploring cortical inhibition and endocannabinoid signaling across the sleep/wake cycle and consequences related to visual processing and in schizophrenia-related models. In her free time she enjoys reading and spending time with friends/family.

Rachel Lee

Graduate Student

Rachel received her bachelor's degree in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University and worked as a laboratory technician in the labs of Drs. Hey-Kyoung Lee and Alfredo Kirkwood before moving to WVU as a Neuroscience graduate student.  Her project focuses on the mechanisms by which sleep regulates synapses in the brain.

Bryan Rodriguez

Graduate Student

Bryan Rodriguez is a PhD student in the Behavioral Neuroscience program in the WVU Psychology Department. His current research interests center around how sleep deprivation in adolescence may impact cognitive function and physiology once an individual matures into adulthood. He is also working on a project that centers around how the sleep/wake cycle is impact in an Autism-related mouse model via EEG/EMG recordings. Bryan is currently exploring career opportunities following graduate school, but would like to be able to teach and mentor young Latine/first-generation students. In his free time, he enjoy training martial arts, downhill skateboarding, and playing video games with friends.

Ben Menarchek

Graduate Student

Ben Menarchek is a PhD student somewhere between his 4th and 6th year in the Cellular and Integrative Physiology Program at the WVU School of Medicine. His dissertation work focuses on sleep’s function for developmental windows of experience-dependent plasticity.

Ramiro Comas Mutis, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Rami was born in Córdoba, Argentina, many years ago. Since he was very young he dreamed of becoming a scientist.  He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in both Bridi labs.

Heath Bahm

Heath is a laboratory technician.

Grace Jones, MS

Laboratory Technician

Grace is from South Carolina. She got her bachelor’s degree in biology from Winthrop University, during which she worked in prostate cancer research and protein crystallography labs. In graduate school, she focused on the mechanisms of fear learning and extinction in rats. She received her master’s in biomedical sciences from University of South Carolina School of Medicine. At WVU, she has researched the nanoscale organization of dendritic spines using STED microscopy. Grace enjoys performing animal surgeries and tissue processing. Outside of lab, she enjoys caring for her plants, fish, frogs, and cats and doing art and home renovations!

Jacob Smertneck

Undergraduate Student

Jacob Smertneck is a freshman Biology major with a minor in Psychology. In the Bridi lab, they are working on a project that centers around how the sleep/wake cycle is impacted in an autism-related mouse model via EEG/EMG recordings. Jacob has an interest in studying developmental disorders and psychiatric illness, and in their free time enjoys cooking, reading horror and non fiction, camping and spending time with friends.

LAB ALUMNI

coming soon

We are currently seeking curious and driven postdocs and students at all levels!  Interested?  Get in touch!