Kwapis Lab Members

Janine L. Kwapis, Ph.D. (she/her)

principal investigator; The Paul Berg Early Career Professor in the Biological Sciences

Janine received her Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2013 where she studied the circuit-level mechanisms underlying trace and delay fear conditioning under Dr. Fred Helmstetter. She then trained as a postdoc under Dr. Marcelo Wood at the University of California, Irvine where she investigated the role of epigenetic mechanisms in long-term memory formation.

She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Penn State where her lab studies the role of epigenetic and molecular mechanisms in long-term memory formation, storage, and updating with emphasis on understanding how these mechanisms change in the aging brain.

Contact: jlk855@psu.edu
Twitter: @j9kwapis

Shoko Murakami, Ph.D. (she/her)

research scientist

Shoko earned her Ph.D. at Penn State in 2008 and studied the function of two palmitoyl acyl-transferases GODZ and SERZbeta in postsynaptic trafficking of GABAA receptors under the guidance of Professor Bernhard Lüscher. She then worked in the structural biology lab of Professor Katsuhiko Murakami where she established a new protein mapping technique using XL-MS. She is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie memory formation and has been optimizing the use of CRISPR systems for in vivo use. She is the mom of three boys and enjoys spending time with them at home.

Lauren Bellfy, B.S. (she/her)

Graduate Student, NIA Pathways T32 Fellow

Lauren received her B.S. from the University of Vermont in 2016 where she studied Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. After graduation, she worked at the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine on cancer genetics before beginning her graduate studies in the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences (MCIBS) program at Penn State. As a Fellow in the Pathways T32 Training Program, Lauren is working on investigating the role of epigenetic regulation of Per1 in long-term memory formation in the young and aging brain. In her free time, Lauren enjoys skiing, snowboarding, and baking.

Contact: lyb5150@psu.edu

Hannah Boyd, B.S. (she/her)

Graduate Student, NIH EGR T32 Fellow

Hannah received her B.S. from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst in 2019, where she studied Psychology with a focus in Neuroscience. After graduation, she worked as a research technician and lab manager for Dr. Luke Remage-Healey at UMass studying neuroendocrine control of learning in songbirds. Hannah also worked as a graduate student for Dr. Jaeda Coutinho-Budd at the University of Vermont studying developmental glial cell biology in fruit flies. Now, as a graduate student in Neuroscience at Penn State in the Kwapis lab, she is investigating sex differences and neuroendocrine control of memory updating. In her free time, Hannah loves board games, cooking, and bird watching.

Contact: hmb5681@psu.edu

Derek Baldwin (he/him)

Undergraduate Researcher

Derek is a third-year undergraduate majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State with the intention of pursuing graduate school. He joined the Kwapis Lab because he is passionate about exploring the structure of the mechanisms involved in memory formation and updating. He previously worked in the lab of Dr. Moriah Beck at Wichita State University, studying proteins involved in metastasis. In his free time, he enjoys kayaking, hiking and skateboarding.

Cyrus Marwaha (he/him)

Undergraduate Researcher

Cyrus is a second-year undergraduate in the Schreyer Honors College majoring in Biology and minoring in Business. He hopes to go to medical school after college and obtain an M.D. He enjoys playing soccer and tennis, going out to eat with friends, and watching a good movie. Cyrus joined the Kwapis Lab because he is very interested in memory formation and updating within the brain. 

Liam Keppler (he/him)

Undergraduate Researcher

Liam is currently a third-year student in the Schreyer Honors College majoring in biology and minoring in psychology. After graduation he plans to attend medical school and pursue his M.D. with the hopes of becoming a neurologist. He joined the Kwapis lab because he believes neuroscience is at the forefront of new research and there is still much we do not know about this field. In his free time he like to listen to music, go for a run, and read a good book.

Chad Smies, B.S. (he/him)

Graduate student, Verne m. willaman and Robb Family Graduate fellow

Chad S. received his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2016, where he studied Psychology. Following graduation, he worked as a research technician in the lab of Dr. Jim Moyer at UWM before starting graduate school in the Biology program at Penn State. Chad S., a recipient of both the Homer F. Braddock Scholarship and the Verne M. Willaman Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, is working on understanding the molecular mechanisms that support memory updating in the young and old brain. Chad S. loves animals and spending time outdoors hiking and camping.

Contact: cws5896@psu.edu

Gretchen Pifer, B.A. (she/her)

Graduate student, Verne M Willaman Fellow AND Stephen B. Brumbach Fellow

Gretchen received her B.A. from West Virginia University in 2021 where she studied Psychology and Anthropology. After graduation, she worked as a lab technician under Dr. Kathleen Morrison at WVU before starting graduate school in the Biology program at Penn State. Now, Gretchen is interested in examining the relationship between sex differences in memory and Per1 expression. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, reading, and hiking.

Contact: gcp4@psu.edu

Sofia Bennetts (she/her)

Undergraduate Researcher

Sofia is a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in biology and minoring in Spanish. She joined the Kwapis lab because she is interested in researching how regulation of genes can improve memory. She hopes to go on to get her Ph.D. and possibly M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience. In her free time she enjoys exercising, hiking up Mount Nittany with friends, singing, and taking photos.

Mark Emery (he/him)

Undergraduate Researcher

Mark is a second-year undergraduate majoring in biology with a minor in Chinese. He joined the Kwapis Lab because he found interest in exploring brain function, particularly the formation and modulation of memories. He hopes to achieve an M.D or possibly a M.D/Ph.D. in neuroscience. In his free time, Mark likes to go to the gym, golf, ski, learn new cultures, and spend time with his friends.

Achintya Perumal (he/him)

Undergraduate Researcher

Achintya is a first-year undergraduate majoring in Premedicine. He joined the lab because of his interest in the activity of the brain and the molecular mechanisms behind its function. He plans to attend medical school in the future. In his free time, Achintya loves to listen to music, go to the gym, and hang out with friends.

Chad Brunswick, B.S. (he/him)

Graduate student, Robb Family Graduate Fellow

Chad B. received his B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology from the University of Cincinnati in 2020. While an undergraduate, Chad B. worked with Cincinnati Children’s physician Dr. Nicole Weaver in investigating molecular mechanisms of craniofacial malformation disorders. He is a student in the Neuroscience program at Penn State and is interested in understanding the cell ensemble-specific changes that accompany memory formation and memory updating. Chad B. enjoys reading fiction and is an avid fan of experimental music and progressive rock.

Contact: cab923@psu.edu

Alexandria McKenna (she/her)

Undergraduate Researcher

Alex is a fourth-year undergraduate majoring in biology and minoring in psychology. After graduation, Alex plans to pursue medical school and become a physician or surgeon. Alex joined the Kwapis Lab because she loves research and desires to understand the biological and psychological factors that influence memory. In her spare time, Alex enjoys running, playing tennis, listening to music, working at Dunkin', and spending time with friends and family.

Megan von Abo (she/her)

Undergraduate Researcher

Megan is a second-year undergraduate majoring in biotechnology with minors in neuroscience and entrepreneurship. She joined the Kwapis Lab because she has always been fascinated by the function of the brain and specifically by how memories are formed and influenced. In the future, she hopes to possibly get a Ph.D. in neuroscience and continue her research career. In her free time, Megan likes to play sports, read mystery books, travel around the world, and hang out with her friends.

Madison Jackson (she/her)

Undergraduate Researcher

Madison is a second-year undergraduate pursuing a degree in Microbiology. She joined the Kwapis lab because of her curiosity to learn more about the brain, specifically in memory. In the future she wants to earn an M.D. and become a neurologist. In her free time, Madison likes reading, running, and learning about skincare.