People
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Edward Glasscock is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at SMU where he holds the endowed C. Vincent Prothro Distinguished Chair in Biological Sciences. He graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1999. He earned a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California at Berkeley in 2005, followed by postdoctoral research on mouse models of epilepsy at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. When not in the lab, Dr. Glasscock enjoys road trips with his family, reading sci-fi novels, and watching baseball. eglasscock@smu.edu
Research Assistants:
Fallon Wenck joined the lab in 2020. She obtained a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with an emphasis in Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX in 2020. She specializes in mouse colony maintenance and surgical approaches, but dabbles in a bit of everything. fwenck@smu.edu
Sayumi Mahawanniarachchi began working in the the lab in 2021 as an undergraduate student. She earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences and B.A. in Psychology from SMU in 2023. Currently, she assists with mouse colony maintenance and is exploring glial mechanisms in epilepsy. In her free time, Sayumi enjoys baking, shopping, and watching Disney movies. smahawanniarachchi@smu.edu
Postdoctoral Fellows:
Dr. Man Si rejoined the lab in 2018 after previously working in the lab from 2014-2016. She earned an M.S. in Pharmacology from Hebei Medical University in Shijiazhuang, China in 2010. She obtained a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Hebei Medical University in 2014. Her Ph.D. dissertation examined the involvement of PKC and PKA in norepinephrine- and angiotensin II-induced modulation of cardiac IKs potassium currents. Her current projects explore the role of epilepsy-related ion channels in cardiomyocytes using patch clamp electrophysiology. msi@smu.edu
Graduate Students:
Kelsey Paulhus joined the lab in 2019 as a Ph.D. student. She obtained her B.S. and M.S. in Biology from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Her current projects utilize conditional knockout mouse models to explore the brain regions contributing to cardiac dysfunction and SUDEP susceptibility. kpaulhus@smu.edu
Michele Wright joined the lab in 2023 as a Ph.D. student. She obtained her B.S. in Biology from the University of Texas at Tyler, graduating magna cum laude. Prior to starting graduate school, she worked as a laboratory technician in the the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Texas at Tyler. michelew@smu.edu
Undergraduate Students:
Ellen Aughenbaugh joined the lab in 2023. She is majoring in Biological Sciences and Art with a minor in Neuroscience. In the lab, she is working on PCR genotyping and analysis of electrocardiogram waveforms of conditional knockout mouse models of epilepsy to explore cardiac dysfunction and SUDEP susceptibilty. In her free time, she enjoys painting and drawing, working out, and spending time with her friends and family. eaughenbaugh@smu.edu
Jakub Kaczynski is a quadrilingul undergraduate student from Poland, majoring in Biological Sciences and French with a minor in Chemistry. He joined the lab in 2022. He currently performs PCR, gel electrophoresis, and tissue dissections for Western blot analysis. In his free time, he enjoys volunteering, playing chess, tutoring French, and working out. jkaczynski@smu.edu
Regina Moreno Vera joined the lab in 2022. She is majoring in Psychology and Applied Physiology and Health Management with minors in Art, Neuroscience, and History. In the lab, she is currently working with PCR and electrocardiogram processing. Additionally, she is studying the behavioral aspects of the mouse models in the lab to better understand the intersection between epilepsy and neuro-developmental dysfunction. rmorenovera@smu.edu
Maxine Parkinson joined the lab in 2023. She is majoring in Biology on the Pre-Med track with minors in Neuroscience and Computer Science. Maxine is part of the SMU Women's Swim Team, competing in the butterfly and breaststroke. In the lab, she performs PCR genotyping of mice and is working on a project to analyze cardiorespiratory waveform recordings in conditional knockout mouse models. She is also optimizing methods to record cardiac activity in mice non-invasively. mparkinson@smu.edu
Amy Wentworth joined the lab in 2023. She is on the Pre-Med track, majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Dance Performance. In the lab, she is working on PCR genotyping and electrocardiogram waveform analysis of conditional knockout mouse models. In her free time, Amy enjoys baking, playing with her cat, and exploring new restaurants. awentworth@smu.edu