People – Cellular and Synaptic Physiology Lab

Principal Investigator

Sven Kroener, PhD

Sven Kroener is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience in the School of Behavior and Brain Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas.

Sven’s love for neurobiology began in the lab of Dr. Onur Güntürkün at the Ruhr Universität Bochum in Germany, where as a graduate student he used immunohistochemical and electrophysiological techniques to characterize the avian equivalent of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mammals. His interest in the PFC and its modulation by dopamine led him to pursue post-doctoral work with Drs. German Barrionuevo and David A. Lewis at the University of Pittsburgh (2000-2004). After a second brief postdoc with Dr. Jeremy Seamans (who years before had sparked his initial interest in dopamine), Sven then transitioned into an independent position as a Research assistant professor (2005-2010) at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Through collaborations with Dr. Judson Chandler and others at MUSC he got introduced to the field of drug addiction. This line of research continued when Sven moved to UTD in the summer of 2010, and in recent years studies into the mechanisms and treatment of substance abuse have become the main focal point of the Kroener lab.

In his spare time, Sven lives vicariously through his 2 teenage children. He also has a keen interest in photography and music. Sven gets most of his exercise from throwing tennis balls for his 2 dogs and watching the Steelers on TV.

Postdocs

Zheng Chang

Dr. Chang joined the Kroener lab in the Fall of 2022. He is an expert electrophysiologist who studies changes in the pathways between the basolateral amygdala and the PFC in the transition from goal-directed to habitual alcohol drinking.

Reza Arezoomandan

Dr. Arezoomandan joined the Kroener lab in the Spring of 2023. He studies changes in the pathways between the PFC and the Nucleus accumbens in the context of cocaine addiction and the facilitation of extinction learning by VNS. Reza likes to socialize and share his passion for movies, geography, and history. He is also an avid follower of politics and football (the real football, played with feet; thus he has no opinion on the Steelers).

Graduate Students

Christopher Driskill

Chris is a PhD candidate who has been in the lab longer than Sven, but still weighs his options of going to med school and becoming a Pediatric Neurosurgeon. He was into Skrillex before anyone else. Chris does not care about football, but thinks the Steelers would probably be better if they used more VNS.

Sierra Rodriguez

Sierra is a PhD student who joined the lab in the Fall of 2020. She performs electrophysiological recordings to examine if VNS reduces relapse by restoring drug-induced shifts in the ratio of AMPA and NMDA currents. She is adamant that Zane(?!) was the best in One Direction.

Lily Vu

Lily Vu (the one and only Lily.Vu2@utdallas.edu) is a PhD student with immaculate handwriting who joined the lab in the Fall of 2022. She performs behavioral and viral experiments to study how BDNF may contribute to VNS’ effects on extinction learning. Hailing from California, she is a Swiftie who has memorized every song in Taylor Swift’s discography.

Skylar Mendez

Skylar is a PhD student who joined the lab in the Fall of 2022. She performs behavioral and optogenetic experiments to determine alcohol’s effects on the prefrontal cortex. Skylar enjoys hiking and attending kickboxing classes. She believes 5 Seconds Of Summer was better than One Direction.

Undergraduate Students

Dravin Raj

Dravin is an undergraduate sophomore majoring in neuroscience and he joined the lab in August 2023. He is currently contributing to the cocaine projects of the lab. In his free time he likes to play golf and go to car meets.

Neha Suji

Neha is an undergraduate sophomore majoring in Neuroscience. She joined the lab in July 2021 and is contributing to the lab’s alcohol project. She likes adventure sports, volleyball and dance.

Neissa Molin

Neissa is an ENSURE fellow who joined the lab in late 2022. Neissa works on behavioral experiments related to cocaine abuse and its modulation by VNS.

Zara Kanwal

Zara is a Neuroscience major preparing herself to go to medical school and eventually become a neurologist. In her free time, she loves volunteering at animal shelters, watching anime, and binging on chocolate milk.

Ria Nuna

Ria is a Neuroscience major on the pre-med track. In her free time she loves to paint and sing on Dhunki, the South Asian A Capella team on campus.

Mansi Madaik

Mansi is a Biology major on the pre-med track. She joined the lab in May 2023 and is currently a part of the lab’s cocaine project. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, baking, and watching movies.

Abigail Nguyen

Abigail is a Neuroscience major on the pre-med track. She joined the lab in March 2023 and is contributing to the lab’s alcohol project. In her free time, she likes reading, baking, and going to the gym.

The 3 musketeers

Better than either 5SOS or One Direction are Aaron (l), Tanav (m), and Jonathan (r), the 3 musketeers of electrophysiology who support Sierra in all her experiments. They are all aspiring physicians and also like the proper type of football. In addition, Tanav loves singing, weightlifting, and playing basketball. Aaron also plays basketball and loves to read and try out new food. Jonathan sings and dances on Raaftar, a Bollywood fusion dance team