Lucas joined the lab as a graduate student from the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics in 2021, after previously working in the lab as a clinical research assistant. He is broadly interested in the genetic variation that makes us all so unique. As a result, his research projects focus on: language ability, risk for psychiatric conditions, and their shared biological underpinnings. He graduated from Cornell College with a BA in Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience. Much of his free time is spent watching sci-fi movies and exploring the Midwest.

Muhammad's journey in the lab began with a deep-seated interest in mental health conditions. As he immersed himself in the research environment, he realized the importance of understanding neurodiversity more deeply. This newfound awareness fueled his dedication to understanding the links between genetics, cognition, and mental health. Although Muhammad’s background was focused on computational biology and genomics, he’s interested in learning different methods and techniques. He’s currently working towards an expanded knowledge in linguistics, computer vision, neuroimaging, genetic analyses, and data science. In the lab, Muhammad's focus crystallized around the notion of using language as a metric for aspects of human experience that defy easy measurement. Whether it's cognition or mental health problems, he envisions language as a powerful tool for decoding the ineffable. Driven by a desire to bridge the gap between science and accessibility, Muhammad aims to develop tools and assessments that harness the power of language. His ultimate goal? To create a more inclusive and understanding world where everyone's voice is heard, regardless of their neurodiversity or background. P.S. Muhammad believes in the importance of our lab mission and its impact on individuals. After spending 3 years in lab, he realized how much he “fits in” with the populations we study and got diagnosed with autism at the age of 25!

Grace Kim is an INSPIRE postdoctoral fellow in Psychiatry. In the Michaelson lab, she applies computational genomics to investigate the genetic underpinnings of neurodevelopmental disorders, with a current emphasis on sleep issues in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). She earned her MS in bioengineering and PhD in neuroscience at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as her MD at the University of Illinois at Chicago prior to joining the Michaelson lab for her postdoctoral training.  Her academic journey, rooted in psychiatry, bioengineering, and neuroscience, has fueled a passion for computational psychiatry, especially in decoding the genomic and epigenomic landscapes of psychiatric conditions.  She is interested in learning to leverage advanced machine learning and data integration techniques to bridge functional genomics with clinical decision-making tools and to advance our understanding of psychiatric disorders. In her downtime, she enjoys traveling and has embraced the challenge of foil fencing after years practicing kumdo/kendo.

Ying Hsu is a postdoctoral fellow in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences specializing in Bardet-Biedl Syndrome, a model ciliopathy. She is working with the Michaelson laboratory to understand the intersection of psychiatric disorders and ciliopathy. Additionally, she is interested in studying genetic variants that impact neurodegeneration. She earned a B.S. and an M.S. degree in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Ph.D. degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Iowa. In her free time, Ying enjoys boardgaming, tennis, volleyball, and has a large collection of plants. Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=WFNhtpYAAAAJ&view_op=lis...

Ashton joined the lab as an undergraduate student volunteer in 2021. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 2022 with a BA in Psychology and a BA in English, then began working full time in the lab in 2023. He is interested in the intersection between sex/gender and neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD and Autism. In his free time, Ashton enjoys longboarding, watching TV, and cooking.

Nihad joined the lab as a volunteer research assistant in 2024. He graduated from the University of Dhaka in 2022 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and completed his master's degree in the same subject in 2023. He is interested in computational biology and its applications in understanding neurodevelopmental disorders. In his free time, he loves playing soccer, watching movies, and binge-watching series.

Camilla joined the Michaelson lab in 2023. After earning a B.S. in Psychology from BYU-Hawaii, Camilla explored professional experience in the realms of social work and wilderness therapy where she worked closely with individuals navigating mental health challenges. This work inspired her pursuit of psychiatric research to gain broader insight into mental health, with a particular emphasis on working towards understanding the needs, challenges, and strengths of at-risk individuals from a biopsychosocial perspective. Here in the lab, Camilla coordinates brain and behavior research, which involves participant recruitment, conducting interviews and assessments, assisting with MRI scans, and managing data. In her free time, Camilla enjoys cycling down hills, carving wood into spoons, and spending time with friends and family.

Tayler is one of our Clinical Research Assistants assisting with the Genetics of Giftedness and Twice-Exceptionality research here in the Michaelson Lab. A University of Iowa alumna, she graduated in spring 2022 with a BS in psychology, a BA in biology, and a minor in environmental sciences. Since graduating, Tayler has worked as a project manager for an environmental testing company, but is now excited to delve into the world of research as she pursues graduate school. In her free time, Tayler enjoys caring for her houseplants, spending time with her friends and family, and walking her beloved chi-poo named Ivy.

Gabriella first joined the lab in summer 2024 as a Summer Intern in Bioinformatics through the Iowa Institute of Human Genetics. She then returned to the lab in December 2024 as a part-time research assistant. Gabriella graduated from the University of Iowa in May 2024 with degrees in anthropology (medical anthropology) and biology (genetics and biotechnology). She is passionate about science outreach and communication, which is why you can also find her working for the university's Center for Social Science Innovation, where she writes about social science research happening across campus. In her free time, Gabriella enjoys journaling, painting, and writing.

Juliann Pawlowski is from Plainfield, Illinois and is currently a sophomore studying biomedical engineering. She joined the Michelson lab in January 2023 because of her profound interest in understanding what makes a person unique. In the lab, she puts the skills she learns in her classes to use with real life data, with hopes of contributing work to unraveling and improving the world of science!  In her free time she loves to travel and go on hikes, especially with her dogs Hazel and Stella. She also loves to binge-watch a good tv show!

Ava is a first-year undergraduate student studying chemistry on the pre-med track. She joined the Michaelson lab because she has a passion for genetics, specifically the heritability of intelligence. Outside of the lab, she can be found crocheting, looking at the stars, and annoying her dogs.

Trevor is a 4th year undergraduate student pursuing a BA in viola performance on the pre-medicine track. He joined the lab to gain experience in computational research methods and to study language in neurodiverse populations. Outside the lab, Trevor can be seen working out, going on runs, reading a book, or playing chess. 

Shannon is currently getting a B.A. in Psychology with two certificates: Public Health and Resilience and Trauma-Informed perspectives. In the lab Shannon is learning about data management and computer programming. In her free time, she likes to watch women’s basketball, exercise, and spend time with friends.

Sayedeh is a third-year undergrad pursuing a BA in Psychology. She joined the Michaelson Lab to gain skills, knowledge, and experience thinking scientifically. She has a passion for understanding neuropsychological disorders. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading nonfiction books and trying new Kombucha flavors.

Annie joined the lab in May 2023 as a graduate student from the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics.

Courtney joined the lab in September 2021 and assisted with DNA extraction in the wet lab.

Ethan recently received his PhD in Computational Genetics from the University of Iowa and is doing postdoctoral work at WashU.

Maddy is currently working on her PhD in School Psychology at UIowa.

Taylor is currently pursuing post-doctoral work in Boston, MA.

Sydney is currently in graduate school studying psychiatric and behavioral genetics. 

Leo was one of our MD/PhD student in Iowa's MSTP program and a graduate research assistant in the Michaelson lab.

Tanner was the first graduate student to join the Michaelson Lab as part of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics.

Noah is currently enrolled in the Biomedical Informatics graduate program at Harvard University.

Chris is currently working as a Case Manager.

Brady is currently working as a Data Scientist with a concentration in predictive modeling in healthcare.

Elisabeth is currently working as a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist.

Carolyn spent four semesters working in the Michaelson wet lab.

Florencia is currently working as a Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist.

Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics

Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics

Behavioral-Biomedical Interface Program

Behavioral-Biomedical Interface Program

Matthias was a German exchange student in the Michaelson Lab through the RISE Program.

Rachel rotated through the Michaelson Lab as part of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience at UIowa.

RISE Program - German Exchange Student https://www.daad.org/en/find-funding/undergraduate-opportunities/research-internships-in-science-and-engineering-rise/

Josie was part of the Behavioral-Biomedical Interface Program.

Summer Undergraduate Researcher

Behavioral-Biomedical Interface Program

Iman is currently employed at Morgan State University.

Dabney is a recent graduate of the Counseling Psychology graduate program at the University of Iowa.

Jin-Young Koh is currently enrolled in the Biomedical Engineering graduate program at the University of Iowa.

Brooke was the Michaelson Lab's first Clinical Research Assistant. Since moving on from the lab, Brooke has gone on to receive her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Emory University.

Kaleb is currently working as a software engineer.

Natalie is currently enrolled in the Clinical Psychology graduate program at Penn State University.

Mahesh is currently employed by Microsoft.

Shabana is currently employed by the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.

Savantha is currently enrolled in the Biomedical Sciences graduate program at Iowa State University.

Kévin is currently employed at the Sanger Institute, UK.