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Kravitz Lab

Welcome to the Kravitz Lab

Welcome to the Kravitz LabWelcome to the Kravitz Lab

Alexxai (Lex) Kravitz

Alexxai (Lex) Kravitz

Alexxai (Lex) Kravitz

 Associate Professor

 Lex is interested in how the brain controls feeding and body weight and how unhealthy diets can impact the brain to change behavior. He is also a proponent of open-source hardware for neuroscience research, developing FED3 and other open-source devices.

alexxai@wustl.edu

Meaghan Creed

Alexxai (Lex) Kravitz

Alexxai (Lex) Kravitz

 Scientific Collaborator 

 Dr. Meaghan Creed is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, and her lab investigates synaptic plasticity in the basal ganglia.  She is interested in understanding mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity, and leveraging these mechanisms to treat psychiatric disease.

  meaghan.creed@wustl.edu 

Gargi Chatterjee Basu

Gargi Chatterjee Basu

Gargi Chatterjee Basu

Staff Scientist 

Gargi did her Ph.D in Biochemistry from India and joined Washington University in St Louis to pursue her postdoctoral research. During postdoc, her research focused on studying the role of obesity in behavior and neurogenesis. After finishing her postdoc in February 2024 she joined Kravitz lab as a Staff Scientist. She wil

Staff Scientist 

Gargi did her Ph.D in Biochemistry from India and joined Washington University in St Louis to pursue her postdoctoral research. During postdoc, her research focused on studying the role of obesity in behavior and neurogenesis. After finishing her postdoc in February 2024 she joined Kravitz lab as a Staff Scientist. She will carry on her research on obesity and neuroinflammation and spend time managing the lab. During her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and puppy Stella. 

basugargic@wustl.edu 

Florian Schoukroun

Gargi Chatterjee Basu

Gargi Chatterjee Basu

Postdoctoral Research Associate

 Florian is from the south of France, near Montpellier. He completed his PhD at the University of Strasbourg under the supervision of Katia Befort and Romain Bourdy. His research focused on investigating the role of the rostromedial tegmental nucleus in food intake. Florian joined the Kravitz lab in April 20

Postdoctoral Research Associate

 Florian is from the south of France, near Montpellier. He completed his PhD at the University of Strasbourg under the supervision of Katia Befort and Romain Bourdy. His research focused on investigating the role of the rostromedial tegmental nucleus in food intake. Florian joined the Kravitz lab in April 2024 to continue his research on the neuronal networks involved in the overconsumption of food in obesity. In his spare time, Florian enjoys playing video games or going for a run in the park.

florians@wustl.edu

Chantelle Murrell

Gargi Chatterjee Basu

Chantelle Murrell

Postdoctoral Research Associate

 Chantelle Murrell is from Wellington, New Zealand. She completed her PhD at the University of Otago with a focus on ghrelin action in pregnancy and lactation. She joined the Kravitz lab in July 2024 as a postdoctoral research fellow bringing her expertise in AgRP neuron fibre photometry. Chantelle has an in

Postdoctoral Research Associate

 Chantelle Murrell is from Wellington, New Zealand. She completed her PhD at the University of Otago with a focus on ghrelin action in pregnancy and lactation. She joined the Kravitz lab in July 2024 as a postdoctoral research fellow bringing her expertise in AgRP neuron fibre photometry. Chantelle has an interest in the control of food reinforcement and obesity.  In her spare time Chantelle loves being active playing and coaching field hockey and running with her dog Harry. 

murrell@wustl.edu

Alex Legaria

Alex Legaria

Alex Legaria

Neuroscience Graduate Student 

He did his BS in Cell Biology and Biochemistry from Lindenwood University, St Louis. He decided to pursue his career in research and joined the Kravitz lab in 2020. His research focuses on understanding how dopamine interacts with calcium in the striatum to control decision-making and learning in mice.

alegariamacal@wustl.edu

Justin Wang

Alex Legaria

Alex Legaria

 Neuroscience Graduate Student

After earning a BA in Neuroscience from New York University and gaining research experience as a lab technician at the Salk Institute, Justin joined the Kravitz lab in 2020. His research focuses on understanding the neural circuits that drive motivated behaviors. Using a combination of behavioral assays, opto

 Neuroscience Graduate Student

After earning a BA in Neuroscience from New York University and gaining research experience as a lab technician at the Salk Institute, Justin joined the Kravitz lab in 2020. His research focuses on understanding the neural circuits that drive motivated behaviors. Using a combination of behavioral assays, optogenetics, and calcium imaging, he investigates how striatopallidal circuits regulate feeding behavior and how their activation can stimulate feeding even in the absence of physiological hunger. Ultimately, his work aims to contribute to the development of novel therapies for treating diet-induced obesity. 

wangjg@wustl.edu

Yiru Chen

Jordyn Czarny

Jordyn Czarny

 Neuroscience Graduate Student
Yiru is interested in social motivation and how diet impacts social behaviors. She likes building social doors for mice to play with.

c.yiru@wustl.edu

Jordyn Czarny

Jordyn Czarny

Jordyn Czarny

 Neuroscience Graduate Student 

 After earning a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Chicago and gaining research experience at the University of Michigan, Jordyn joined the Kravitz lab in 2023. Her research interests lie in the modulatory effects of GLP-1 on the mesolimbic dopamine system. 

c.jordyn@wustl.edu

Mason Barrett

Michelle Lynch

Michelle Lynch

Research Specialist 

 He graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience in 2023  and joined the Kravitz lab to gain research experience. He is interested in decision-making and feeding behaviors in mice. 

barrett.m@wustl.edu

Michelle Lynch

Michelle Lynch

Michelle Lynch

Research Specialist

lynchmichelle@wustl.edu

alumni

Postdocs

Bridget Matikainen-Ankney, PhD

Wambura Fobbs, PhD

Eric Casey, PhD

Sebastiano Bariselli, PhD 

Kim LeBlanc, PhD

Danielle Friend, PhD

Students and Postbacs

 Kavya Devarakonda, PhD

Katrina Nguyen, PhD

Tim O'Neal, PhD

Julia Licholai

Mohamed Ali

Nanami Mikazaki

Tanisha London

Tom Earnest

Elizabeth GodynyukIlona Szczot  

Undergrad students

Yiyan Pan

Quinlan McGrath

Gunwoo Lee

Tyara Thompson

Maya Bluitt

Sidney Fry

Marda Mengesha

Corbin J Schuster

Olurotimi Bolonduro

Staff

Chris Stander

Lab Photos


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