People

Staff Personnel

Anisha Banerjee, M.S.
_{Researcher V
ab9223@uab.edu}

Anisha received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and her Master’s degree in Biochemistry in India. Anisha received a second Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at UAB and presently works as a full time employee in the Hernandez Lab as a Researcher. Anisha’s current research project includes behavioral characterization of rodents. Anisha’s future goals involve furthering her academic and research endeavors.

Publications:

• Hernandez, Abbi R., Banerjee, Anisha, Parker, Erik, Buford, Thomas W., (2023) Microbiome-driven alternations in metabolic pathways and impaired cognition in aged females of TgF344 AD rats. Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The journal of the Alzheimer’s association (under review).
• Baptista, Liliana, Zumbro, Emily L., Graham, Zachary A., Hernandez, Abbi R., Buchanan, Taylor, Sun, Yi, Yang, Youfeng, Banerjee, Anisha, Verma, Amrisha, Li, Qiuhong, Carter, Christy S., Buford, Thomas W., (2023) Multiomics profiling of the impact of angiotensin (1-7) expressing probiotic combined with exercise training in aged male rats. J.Appl Physiol.
• Hernandez, Abbi R., Sun,Yi, Banerjee, Anisha, Yang, Youfeng, Verma, Amrisha, Li, Quihong, Baptista, Liliana, Buford, Thomas W., Carter, Christy S., (2022). Angiotensin (1-7) delivered orally via probiotic in combination with exercise: Sex dependent influence on healthspan. J.Geronto.Ser.A.
• Yang, Youfeng, Banerjee, Anisha, Yi, Sun, Carter, Christy S., Buford, Thomas W., (2021). Interactive effects of enalapril administration and novel HIIT wheel-bed training in aged rats. Front. Rehabil.Sci.
• Hernandez, Abbi R., Banerjee, Anisha, Carter, Christy S., Buford, Thomas W., (2021). Angiotensin (1-7) expressing probiotic as a potential treatment for Dementia. Front Aging.
• Sun, Yi, Yang, Youfeng, Banerjee, Anisha, Verma, Amrisha, Li, Qiuhong, Carter, Christy S., Buford, Thomas W., (2020). Effects of Angiotensin (1-7) expressing Lactobacillus and exercise on gut-brain axis in aged rats. Innov Aging.
• Sun, Yi, Roberts, Lisa, Banerjee, Anisha, Yang, Youfeng, Knighton, Anthony, Peramsetty, Sujitha, Sanders, Amber, Verma, Amrisha, Li, Qiuhong, Carter, Christy S., Buford, Thomas W., (2020). Effects of genetically modified probiotics and exercise on physical function in aged rats. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
• Buford, Thomas W., Sun, Yi, Roberts, Lisa, Banerjee, Anisha, Peramsetty, Sujitha, Knighton, Anthony, Verma, Amrisha, Morgan, Drake, Torres Gonzalo E., Li, Qiuhong, Carter, Christy S., (2020). Angiotensin (1-7) delivered orally via probiotic, but not subcutaneously, benefits the gut-brain axis in older rats. Geroscience.

Yolanda Halls, M.S.
_{Researcher III
yrhalls@uab.edu}

Yolanda received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and her Master of Science in Multidisciplinary Biomedical Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Yolanda is currently working on behavioral studies that test cognitive capacity over time, as well as conducting RNA extracting and purification experiments. Yolanda has goals of going to medical school and starting her own non-profit organization that focuses on helping young adults in the future.

Anna Caton, B.S.
_{Researcher I}
^{annaac@uab.edu}

Anna Caton is a research tech in the Hernandez research lab. She has a bachelor’s of science degree in Biology and Chemistry. She is currently working on our high fat diet project and JESS Simple Western projects. Her future goals are to continue her education in science and medicine.

Graduate Students

Anna Caton is a research tech in the Hernandez research lab. She has a bachelor’s of science degree in Biology and Chemistry. She is currently working on our high fat diet project and JESS Simple Western projects. Her future goals are to continue her education in science and medicine.

Sreehari (Hari) Girish Kumar, M.S.
^{GBS Graduate Program (CMDB Theme)
hgirishk@uab.edu}

Hari is a 3rd year graduate student in the Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology (CMDB) theme of the Graduate Biomedical Sciences program. He is currently in Dr. Abbi Hernandez’s lab in the Department of Medicine, investigating the role of gut-brain axis in Alzheimer’s Disease using an aged rat model. His hobbies include drawing, singing and cricket.

Macy A. McCuiston
^{Neuroengineering Graduate Program
macym13@uab.edu}

Macy McCuiston is a graduate student focused on neuroengineering applications in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Earning her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from UAB, she now investigates fear memory impairments in aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). She explores amygdala activity in AD rats during fear conditioning and utilizes techniques like western blotting and immunohistochemistry to investigate pathology. Co-President of the Neuroengineering Society and Head of the Neuroengineering Mentorship Program, Macy is passionate about mentoring undergraduate students. Her future projects and interests delve into in-vivo electrophysiology, optogenetics, and fiber photometry, as well as small molecule delivery methodologies for AD treatment. Open to collaborations.

Brea Ford

^{GBS Graduate Program (BSB Theme)}
BFord2@uab.edu

Brea is a 2nd year graduate student in the Biochemistry and Structural Biology (BSB) theme of the Graduate Biomedical Sciences program. She is currently in Dr. Abbi Hernandez’s lab in the Department of Medicine, investigating the role of metabolism in cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s Disease using an aged rat model. Brea enjoys going to the gym, binge watching TV and hanging out with friends and family.

Undergraduate Students

Sherine Skjefte
^{Biomedical Engineering
sskjefte@uab.edu}

Sherine is a freshman in biomedical engineering. Her current projects are using immunohistochemical technique to identify neuropathology across the lifespan in wild type and Alzheimer’s disease and implementing ketone diester supplementation diet to rescue fear extinction in fear conditioning. Her future plans are to continue exploring neuroengineering.

Grace Fagan
^{Genetics and Genomic Sciences
gof2@uab.edu}

Grace is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Genetics and Genomic Sciences. She helps with several projects in the lab, including microdialysis and a pilot study on the metabolic effects of a high fat diet. Once she finishes her undergraduate degree, Grace plans to pursue an MD/PhD path.

Pheven Yohannes
^{Neuroscience
yohannes@uab.edu}

Pheven Yohannes is currently an undergraduate student earning her degree in Neuroscience. She is currently engaged in a research project involving the application of immunohistochemistry to study brain tissues in mice. After undergrad, she hopes to be in a MD or MD-PHD program with the goal of becoming a neurologist or neurosurgeon.  

Former Students

Sarah Ding B.S.
_{uabsarah@uab.edu}

Sarah received her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is currently preparing to apply for medical school and works on projects in the lab as a volunteer. She is currently working on polishing her undergraduate thesis into a manuscript to be submitted for publishing, a project that connects time-restricted feeding, ketogenic diets, and metabolic gene expression in both brain and peripheral tissues. In her free time she enjoys crocheting.