Bettina received her M.Sc. in Biochemistry from the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena in Germany and went on joining the lab of Philipp Koch in Bonn and Mannheim for her PhD. Here she stepped into the emerging field of iPSC-research focussing on neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration. After a first postdoc at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität in Erlangen, Bettina joined the lab in October 2022 as a visiting researcher. Her research will focus on modelling depression in a dish using human iPSC-derived cells and linking the pathology to neuroinflammatory processes. In her free time she likes to go to the gym or play football, to have an excuse to enjoy a really good meal (home-cooked or else) and a glass of wine afterwards. 

Tomas graduated from King’s College London in 2021, having completed an MSci degree in Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence. He then pursued an MSc degree in Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London, where he worked on the application of artificial neural networks in classifying serotonin data obtained through fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. Alongside his studies, he also gained 3 years of industry experience as a software engineer. Currently, Tomas is pursuing a PhD project that involves examining the relationship between monoamine levels in skin or hair cells and those in the central nervous system with the aim of promoting mental health. The project is being funded by an iCASE award from the EPSRC, with the support of Proctor & Gamble.

Anna received her MEng in Molecular Bioengineering from Imperial College London in 2022. She is currently a PhD student in Bioengineering in the Hashemi and Higgins Labs, where she will explore the nature of hair follicle innervation and pursue interdisciplinary solutions to control follicular neurotransmitter release to promote mental wellbeing via the skin-brain axis.

Naima holds a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Master's degree in Bioengineering from Imperial College London, and is currently pursuing a PhD in the Hashemi lab. Her research focuses on the intricate relationship between the gut, brain, and skin. Additionally, she possesses a keen interest in neurotechnology, which drives her to expand her knowledge and contribute to the cutting-edge developments in this field.

Pablo received his BEng in Biomedical Engineering from King’s College London, , and went on to complete an MSc in Neurotechnology at Imperial College London. During his MSc, he joined the Hashemi Lab, where he began working on morphological analysis of histamine-induced serotonergic neurons. Pablo is now pursuing a PhD project that involves experimental measurement and computational modeling of serotonin neurotransmission in iPSC-derived serotonergic neurons using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV). Outside his research, Pablo loves playing tennis, padel and filmmaking.

Tom received his MBiolSci in Biochemistry from the University of Liverpool. He then joined the Hashemi Lab as a PhD student, where his research focuses on multiplexing neurotransmitter detection in integrated stem cell models of depression. Outside of his research, Tom enjoys playing football and is a huge advocate for the north of England. You can find him in a beer garden on a sunny afternoon.

Matthew recieved his BSc in Medical Biosciences from Imperial and then went onto UCL to get a MSc in Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Whilst at UCL, he formed a collaboration with the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Centre in Boston, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. He then earned an MRes in biomedical research which is where he first joined the lab. Matthew is now a bioengineering PhD student in the Hashemi Lab and his research focus is developing a novel model of the gut brain axis, in collaboration with Korcsmaros Lab. Outside his research, Matthew loves pretty much all forms of physical activity and to eat and travel.

Charlie previously studied both a bachelors and master’s degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He worked extensively within the Cambridge Centre of Medical Materials, developing implants for vascular and orthopaedic applications. His current project, within the Chemical Biology and Bioentrepreneurship CDT, aims to further utilise this tissue engineerining experience within the world of neurotransmitter detection and characterisation. Outside the lab, he can often be seen playing basketball or going caving.