Lab News

2025

The Samuel Lab warmly welcomes Pooja Sharma back as a graduate student! We are so proud of you!
The Samuel Lab welcomes Sumaira Sardar as a BCM Cancer Cell Biology graduate student! We are happy to have you in the lab!

2024

Congrats to Dr. KC Huang as he moves on to another job opportunity in San Fransico! We are so proud of you! You will be dearly missed!
Dr. KC Huang publishes an outstanding review in Trends in Neuroscience! Awesome job KC!
Dr. Samuel scores a new R01 award to discover how microglia interpret negative cues from neurons to decrease their phagocytic nature and potentially reduce neuron loss in brain diseases. Hooray!
The Samuel lab welcomes Claire Young to lab as a graduate student! Claire brings an interest in glial regulation of feeding circuits. We are so excited to have you Claire!
Congratulations to Qudrat Abdulwahab and Pooja Sharma for their completion of a book chapter on retinal microglia to be included in the brand new Encyclopedia of the Eye, out soon!
The Samuel lab welcomes Viktoria (Tori) Cuevas to the lab as a graduate student! Tori brings an interest in human model systems and the role of human microglia in shaping neural circuits. We are so excited to have you Tori!
Postdoctoral Fellow KC Huang receives a competitive award from the RReSTORe consortium to support his studies of human eye-to-brain connectivity models. Congratulations KC!
The Samuel lab welcomes Molly Rhodes to the lab as a Research Technician and Colony Manager. Molly brings a passion for discovery and animal models, and rigor and reproducibility. We are thrilled to have you join us Molly!
The Samuel lab welcomes Aaliyah Robinson as a BCM BSHEq Research Mentee. We are excited to have you!
The Samuel lab congratulates Tori Cuevas on her receipt of a diversity supplement to support her work. Congrats Tori!
Postbac student Aaliyah Robinson was awarded a diversity supplement to support her research- what an achievement. Congrats Aaliyah!
Dr. Mohamed Tawfik was selected for funding for the CAND Scholars Program for his project on the role of pericytes in AD vasculature pathology. A huge congratulations Mohamed!
A big congrats to KC Huang and Mohamed Tawfik for their accepted review in Trends in Neuroscience on human and mouse retinal ganglion cells. What a fantastic resource for the community.
The Samuel lab welcomes Kira Nelson Amen Kassahun and Kira as summer students in the BCM SMART summer program. Welcome!
The Samuel lab congratulates Claire Young on her receipt of a T32 Training Grant award to support her work. Congrats Claire!
Technician Pooja Sharma gains admission in our very own BCM Neuroscience Graduate Program! Way to go Pooja- great things are in store!

2023

Our very own Dr. KC Huang secures a RReSTORe Collaborative grant for his work toward restoring connectivity of human ganglion cells with the brain. Congratulations KC- we are so excited for you!
Qudrat Abduwalab and Jeff Zhu receive honorable mentions for their presentations at the 35th Annual HCOA Distinguished Lecture series. Congratulations!
The Samuel lab welcomes Ritika Bhalla and Amen Kassahun as summer students in the BCM SMART summer program. Their project will focus dopaminergic neuron fate and identity. Welcome!
The Samuel lab Celebrates the fantastic thesis defense of Dr. Justine Liang who discovered a new role for dopamine in vasculature regulation! Justine will purse the next phase of her career at Putnam as Life Sciences Consultant. Congrats Justine!
Qudrat Abdulwahab secures a competitive supplement to further her scientific training and increase representation in the sciences. We are proud of you!
Second year student Jeffrey Zhu was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate fellowship award- one of only two awarded at BCM this year! Congrats Jeff!
Dr. Samuel scores a new R01 award to discover how neural fate decisions are maintained in order to manipulate them to cure diseases in a collaborative effort with the Arenkiel lab. Hooray!
Our very own Dr. Rob Mackin is elected as a Gordon Research Conference Chair for the upcoming vison development meeting in Italy. Way to go!
Congratulations to Dr. Danye Jiang on being selected as the 2023 GSBS outstanding graduating student! As the Lehman Award recipient, Dr. Jiang represente the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as our graduation speaker at the commencement ceremony!
The Samuel lab welcomes a new lab member- Pooja Sharma who will be working on microglia regulation in the brain. We are excited to have you!

2022

Dr. Danye Jiang publishes an outstanding study in Immunity in which she discovers with co-authors a new way in which neurons can program microglia via a protein called Sipra!
The Samuel lab welcomes KC Huang as a new postdoc in the lab. KC will be bringing fantastic work on iPSC derived organoids and related studies of neural disease to the lab. Welcome KC!
Congrats to Dr. Danye Jiang as she successfully defends her thesis after an amazing graduate career! On to an amazing postdoc opportunity. We are so proud of you!
Dr. Samuel secures a new R01 award to discover how a neuromodulator called dopamine modulates vessel growth! We are excited for this new adventure!
The Samuel lab welcomes a new lab member- Qudrat Abdulwahab who will be working on microglia regulation in Alzheimer’s disease. We are excited to have you!
Dr. Samuel is awarded the prestigious Mallinckrodt Scholar award to futher our studies of synapses and microglia. Way to go Dr. Samuel!
Dr. Rob Mackin secures a highly competitive F31 Postdoctoral Fellowship award for his outstanding studies of neural fate commitment. Awesome job Dr. Mackin!
Welcome to new postdoc Dr. Mohamed Tawfik. We are excited to have you join us and work on how microglia influence vessel development!
Dr. Samuel is awarded a Woman of Excellence award for her for her extraordinary contributions and accomplishments to towards promotion of women in science and diversity and inclusion
A warm welcome to new graduate student Jeffrey Zhu! We are excited to have you on the team and pursue your interest in circuit resiliency!

Lab News

2025

2024

Congrats to Dr. KC Huang as he moves on to another job opportunity in San Fransico! We are so proud of you! You will be dearly missed!

Dr. KC Huang publishes an outstanding review in Trends in Neuroscience! Awesome job KC!

Dr. Samuel scores a new R01 award to discover how microglia interpret negative cues from neurons to decrease their phagocytic nature and potentially reduce neuron loss in brain diseases. Hooray!

The Samuel lab welcomes Claire Young to lab as a graduate student! Claire brings an interest in glial regulation of feeding circuits. We are so excited to have you Claire!

Congratulations to Qudrat Abdulwahab and Pooja Sharma for their completion of a book chapter on retinal microglia to be included in the brand new Encyclopedia of the Eye, out soon!

The Samuel lab welcomes Viktoria (Tori) Cuevas to the lab as a graduate student! Tori brings an interest in human model systems and the role of human microglia in shaping neural circuits. We are so excited to have you Tori!

Postdoctoral Fellow KC Huang receives a competitive award from the RReSTORe consortium to support his studies of human eye-to-brain connectivity models. Congratulations KC!

The Samuel lab welcomes Molly Rhodes to the lab as a Research Technician and Colony Manager. Molly brings a passion for discovery and animal models, and rigor and reproducibility. We are thrilled to have you join us Molly!

The Samuel lab welcomes Aaliyah Robinson as a BCM BSHEq Research Mentee. We are excited to have you!

The Samuel lab congratulates Tori Cuevas on her receipt of a diversity supplement to support her work. Congrats Tori!

Postbac student Aaliyah Robinson was awarded a diversity supplement to support her research- what an achievement. Congrats Aaliyah!

Dr. Mohamed Tawfik was selected for funding for the CAND Scholars Program for his project on the role of pericytes in AD vasculature pathology. A huge congratulations Mohamed!

A big congrats to KC Huang and Mohamed Tawfik for their accepted review in Trends in Neuroscience on human and mouse retinal ganglion cells. What a fantastic resource for the community.

The Samuel lab welcomes Kira Nelson Amen Kassahun and Kira as summer students in the BCM SMART summer program. Welcome!

The Samuel lab congratulates Claire Young on her receipt of a T32 Training Grant award to support her work. Congrats Claire!

Technician Pooja Sharma gains admission in our very own BCM Neuroscience Graduate Program! Way to go Pooja- great things are in store!

2023

Our very own Dr. KC Huang secures a RReSTORe Collaborative grant for his work toward restoring connectivity of human ganglion cells with the brain. Congratulations KC- we are so excited for you!

Qudrat Abduwalab and Jeff Zhu receive honorable mentions for their presentations at the 35th Annual HCOA Distinguished Lecture series. Congratulations!

The Samuel lab welcomes Ritika Bhalla and Amen Kassahun as summer students in the BCM SMART summer program. Their project will focus dopaminergic neuron fate and identity. Welcome!

The Samuel lab Celebrates the fantastic thesis defense of Dr. Justine Liang who discovered a new role for dopamine in vasculature regulation! Justine will purse the next phase of her career at Putnam as Life Sciences Consultant. Congrats Justine!

Qudrat Abdulwahab secures a competitive supplement to further her scientific training and increase representation in the sciences. We are proud of you!

Second year student Jeffrey Zhu was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate fellowship award- one of only two awarded at BCM this year! Congrats Jeff!

Dr. Samuel scores a new R01 award to discover how neural fate decisions are maintained in order to manipulate them to cure diseases in a collaborative effort with the Arenkiel lab. Hooray!

Our very own Dr. Rob Mackin is elected as a Gordon Research Conference Chair for the upcoming vison development meeting in Italy. Way to go!

Congratulations to Dr. Danye Jiang on being selected as the 2023 GSBS outstanding graduating student! As the Lehman Award recipient, Dr. Jiang represente the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as our graduation speaker at the commencement ceremony!

The Samuel lab welcomes a new lab member- Pooja Sharma who will be working on microglia regulation in the brain. We are excited to have you!

2022

Dr. Danye Jiang publishes an outstanding study in Immunity in which she discovers with co-authors a new way in which neurons can program microglia via a protein called Sipra!

The Samuel lab welcomes KC Huang as a new postdoc in the lab. KC will be bringing fantastic work on iPSC derived organoids and related studies of neural disease to the lab. Welcome KC!

Congrats to Dr. Danye Jiang as she successfully defends her thesis after an amazing graduate career! On to an amazing postdoc opportunity. We are so proud of you!

Dr. Samuel secures a new R01 award to discover how a neuromodulator called dopamine modulates vessel growth! We are excited for this new adventure!

The Samuel lab welcomes a new lab member- Qudrat Abdulwahab who will be working on microglia regulation in Alzheimer’s disease. We are excited to have you!

Dr. Samuel is awarded the prestigious Mallinckrodt Scholar award to futher our studies of synapses and microglia. Way to go Dr. Samuel!

Dr. Rob Mackin secures a highly competitive F31 Postdoctoral Fellowship award for his outstanding studies of neural fate commitment. Awesome job Dr. Mackin!

Welcome to new postdoc Dr. Mohamed Tawfik. We are excited to have you join us and work on how microglia influence vessel development!

Dr. Samuel is awarded a Woman of Excellence award for her for her extraordinary contributions and accomplishments to towards promotion of women in science and diversity and inclusion

A warm welcome to new graduate student Jeffrey Zhu! We are excited to have you on the team and pursue your interest in circuit resiliency!