Melanie Samuel, Ph.D | Principal Investigator
Dr. Melanie Samuel aims to decode the structural and molecular regulators of synaptic rewiring. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and CPRIT Scholar in the Huffington Center on Aging at Baylor College of Medicine. As a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar she earned three bachelor’s degrees from the University of Idaho (summa cum laude) and then completed her Ph.D. at Washington University studying neurotropic viral pathogenesis with Michael Diamond. As a postdoctoral fellow with Joshua Sanes at Harvard University she developed the retina as a model for synaptic aging. Her past awards include those from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, the Brain Research Foundation and a Pathway to Independence Award from the NIH, and the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award. Dr. Samuel’s interdisciplinary research group leverages nanoscopic imaging technologies and high throughput in vivo molecular studies of single cells and their circuits in order to identify ways to repair neural networks.
Eyad Shihabeddin, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Associate
Eyad Shihabeddin is a postdoctoral associate in the Samuel Lab. He joined the Samuel Lab in March of 2025 where he will be focused on researching synaptic connectivity through stem cell organoids. Eyad has a bachelor’s degree in biology as well as microbiology from the University of Texas at Arlington. He then went on to get his PhD in Neuroscience from UTHealth MD Anderson Graduate School of Biomedical Research. Eyad has several first author and co-author papers investigating the mechanism by which zebrafish regenerate rod photoreceptors in the retina. Outside of the lab, Eyad enjoys playing chess, playing video games, going for walks, trying out local coffee shops, and spending time with friends and family.
Jeffrey Zhu | Graduate Student
Jeffrey Zhu is a graduate student in Neuroscience Graduate Program at Baylor College of Medicine. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Neural Science & Psychology from New York University. During his undergraduate training, he conducted research investigating the contribution of aberrant protein synthesis in driving repetitive and perseverative behaviors in Fragile X Syndrome with Dr. Eric Klann. His postbaccalaureate research with Dr. Joseph Castellano at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai helped determine the role of age-related systemic factors in regulating hippocampal synaptic plasticity. As an NSF-funded Graduate Research Fellow in the lab, Jeffrey is currently working on identifying cell-type specific molecular drivers of synaptic integrity within novel retinal ganglion cell populations
Claire Young | Graduate Student
Claire Young is a graduate student in the Neuroscience program at Baylor College of Medicine. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and French Studies from Rice University. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant at UTHealth Houston where she studied mouse feeding circuits and the effects of diet on health outcomes. In the Samuel lab, Claire studies the interplay between diet, microglia signaling, and feeding regulation. Outside of lab, Claire enjoys cooking, running, and playing with her two cats.
Victoria Cuevas | Graduate Student
Victoria Cuevas is a graduate student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at Baylor College of Medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Neurobiology from the University of Connecticut. As an undergraduate, she was a McNair and MARC Scholar, conducting research under Dr. Joseph LoTurco on the effects of neurogenic transcription factors on late-stage radial glial cell differentiation. Victoria also participated in an NSF/REU program at NYU, where she employed optogenetic techniques to explore “Hebbian Plasticity” in cortical neuron cultures. Currently, her research focuses on unraveling the cellular mechanisms behind microglia “memory” and how extracellular signals influence their future responses to diverse stimuli.
Pooja Sharma | Graduate Student
Pooja Sharma is a Research Technician II in the Samuel lab. She joined the Samuel lab in mid 2023 where she is determining the mechanism to control the microglia phagocytic state via SIRPa-CD47 in the brain. Pooja has graduated with Biochemistry degree in 2019 from Saurashtra University, Rajkot, Gujarat, India. She completed post graduation in Biotechnology in 2021 from Christ University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. She has published bio informatic papers from her master's dissertation work. Later, She worked as a Project Associate in Muralidharan lab at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (DBT-InStem), Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
Tianyin Wang | Graduate Student
Tianyin Wang is a graduate student in the Immunology and Microbiology Graduate Program at Baylor College of Medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior from the University of California, Davis, followed by a Master of Science in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. After completing her master’s degree, she continued her research at Johns Hopkins as a research technician for two years, where she investigated the therapeutic effects of immunotherapy against tuberculosis and the underlying cellular mechanisms. In the Samuel Lab, Tianyin is interested in understanding how microglial states are regulated and how changes in these states contribute to neurodegeneration. Outside of the lab, Tianyin enjoys snowboarding, watching anime, and playing guitar.
Youle Fan | Graduate Student
Youle Fan is a graduate student in the Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program at Baylor College of Medicine. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from ShanghaiTech University. During his undergraduate training in Professor Wei Shen’s lab, he investigated how hypothalamic Vglut2+ neurons regulate metabolism using AsCas12f1, a compact gene-editing system. He also participated in the Berkeley Biosciences Study Abroad Program at UC Berkeley, where he studied the neural circuit mechanisms underlying novelty-seeking behavior with Professor Stephan Lammel. Co-mentored by Professors Melanie Samuel and François St-Pierre, Youle is currently developing genetically encoded immune sensors to investigate communication between neurons and glial cells. Outside the lab, Youle is a video content creator with over 100 million total views across platforms. He also enjoys playing volleyball, attending concerts, and cooking a wide range of homemade dishes.
Viktor Akhanov | Laboratory Technician
Viktor Akhanov is a lab technician and he manages the mouse colony and assists team members with ongoing experiments. He joined the Samuel Lab in May 2020 and he is working on keeping the mouse colony and the lab organized and assisting the team when needed. Viktor earned his B.S. in Biotechnology from University of Houston-Downtown and worked as a lab manager at Baylor for 4 years prior to joining Samuel Lab. Outside of the laboratory Viktor enjoys jigsaw puzzles, video games, and jogging.
Leikwaivion Davis | Master’s Student
Following his time in the Richardson Lab at Howard University, Leikwaivion is pursuing a Master of Biomedical Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. He completed his graduate coursework and is currently conducting thesis research. His thesis investigates mechanisms regulating neuronal-microglial interactions during development. Through his graduate training, Leikwaivion aims to expand his expertise in translational biomedical research and to pursue a doctoral degree to further advance scientific discovery.
Hannah Fountain | Master’s Student
Hannah Fountain is a master’s student at Baylor College of Medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin. During her undergraduate studies, under the direction of Dr. Zoi Gkalitsiou, she investigated the effect of bilingualism on stuttering. Her current research focuses on uncovering the role of LKB1 in astrocyte development. In her free time, she enjoys reading, completing puzzles, and baking.