We are a growing team of individuals with a wide range of skills and experience. We love science, and we do it with passion, fun, and integrity.
Fiona Hollis
Assistant Professor
Fiona received her Ph.D. from Florida State University College of Medicine. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Swiss Federal Institute of Lausanne (EPFL) and the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. In addition to neuroscience, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, gardening, photography, and spending time with her husband and two children.
Email Fiona: fiona.hollis@uscmed.sc.edu
Alexia Crockett
Graduate Research Assistant
Alexia graduated with her B.S in Neuroscience from Agnes Scott College in May of 2020 and joined the lab in July of 2021. Her research interests include sex differences, female behavior, and understanding the role of mitochondria in stress related behavior. Originally from St. Louis, USA, Alexia enjoys eating good food, walking/hiking, spending time with her cat, and escaping reality through reading (she recently bought the entire unopened boxset of Harry Potter for $40 on FB marketplace).
Contact: Alexia.crockett@uscmed.sc.edu
Noelle Frambes
Graduate research assistant – co-mentored with Dr. Michael Ryan
Noelle graduated from Virginia Tech in 2021 with a dual degree B.S./B.S. in Biology and Animal and Poultry Sciences. She joined the Ryan lab as a research specialist in January 2022 and eventually a graduate student in Fall 2023. Her research interests include understanding the effects of stress on autoimmune disorders and the subsequent impact on renal mitochondrial function. Noelle fills her free time with painting, weightlifting, buying an excessive amount of plants, attending concerts, traveling, and cuddling with her cat and dog.
Contact: noelle.frambes@uscmed.sc.edu
Timothy Philbeck
Graduate research assistant – co-mentored with Dr. Susan Wood
Tim graduated from the University of Mary Washington with a degree in Biology in 2024. He joined the Hollis and Wood labs this past May and is working on learning all the various techniques associated with our collaborative project investigating mitochondrial function in gestational witness stress.
Contact: tim.philbeck@uscmed.sc.edu
Nazharee Cloude
Research Specialist
Nazharee graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina and as a recipient of a Magellan Galen Fellowship. She joined the Hollis Lab in August of 2023, and her research interests include understanding behavioral differences of maternal figures and how environmental factors and mitochondrial respirometry affects postpartum brain tissues. Nazharee is helping out the lab while applying to medical school and completing a Masters degree at Johns Hopkins. Nazharee enjoys writing poetry, painting, going to the gym, and celebrating long weeks by trying new cuisine with friends.
Contact: ncloude@email.sc.edu
Mercy Munyanya
Research Specialist
Mercy joined the lab as a PREP scholar in June 2024. She’s helping in the lab as a research specialist while she applies to graduate school.
Hannah Brennen
Undergraduate research assistant
Hannah is a rising senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in Public Health with a minor in Spanish. She is on the pre-med track, passionate about one day becoming an OBGYN. Her research interests primarily lie in understanding the role of mitochondria in women’s health. In her free time, she enjoys trying new recipes and volunteering at her local food pantry, the Love Kitchen.
Arshaam Kordamiri
Undergraduate volunteer
Arshaam is an incoming BARSC-MD student. He joined the lab in August 2024.
Delilah Green
Undergraduate research assistant
Delilah is a rising sophomore majoring in Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina. She joined the Hollis Lab in September 2024 with a Magellan Journey award.
Delaney Kirk
Undergraduate research assistant
Delaney is a rising junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Carolina. She joined the Hollis Lab in June 2025.
The team in Summer 2021, missing Drew Buoniconti 
The lab out to lunch! 
The Hollis Lab after Bre and Drew’s presentation at the UofSC Fall Showcase 
Bre and Drew at the UofSC Fall Showcase. They did a great job representing the lab! 
Jesseca’s last day in the lab. We’ll miss her but she’s off to do great things at Wake Forest. 
Erin hosted a lab holiday party 
Everyone decorated their own holiday ornaments to hang outside our lab 
Drew and Alexia preparing samples for immunohistochemistry 
Alexia and Noelle performing respirometry 
Erin injecting substrates in the respirometer 
The Lab attended the 2022 Neurobiology of Stress Workshop 
The lab at a summer bbq at the Hollis house in Summer 2022 
The lab after Ben’s lab presentation in July 2024 
Happy birthday to Dr. Hollis from the lab! 
Bre came back for a quick visit from Wake. It’s always great to catch up! 
Congratulations Dr. Erin Gorman-Sandler on a brilliant defense!
Alumni
Alaina Mullaly
Research specialist
Alaina graduated with a degree in neuroscience and minor in biology, originally from Philadelphia. She joined the Hollis Lab is January of 2023, and has loved every second of it! Her area of focus is the neurodevelopmental progress of Fragile X Syndrome. She is helping the lab accomplish their goals this year while applying to medical school. Currently, she likes to read in her free time and find new little coffee shops throughout Columbia. She starts Medical school this summer! We’ll be sad to see her leave!
Emily Gladden
Undergraduate research assistant
Emily joined the lab in Fall 2023 with an interest in neurodevelopment. She recently graduated from the University of South Carolina with a major in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in French. She is taking a year to teach in Hungary.
Lauren Chappell
Undergraduate research assistant
Lauren joined the Hollis Lab in June 2024 as a VA Summer Research Student and we were fortunate to have her stay on in the lab until graduation. Lauren graduated this past spring with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. Lauren started her doctoral program in Biomedical Engineering in Fall 2025.
Gabrielle Wood
Undergraduate research assistant
Gabbie graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Neuroscience and research distinction, with a minor in Spanish. She joined the Hollis lab in the Spring of 2022 and a point of interest for her within the lab is exploring the role of mitochondria in stress. Outside of the lab, Gabbie enjoys reading, going on weekend trips (to the beach!), yoga, and cooking. In her spare time, she is also a barista! In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in medicine. Gabbie defended her neuroscience thesis and will start a position in a Spine and Neck clinic this summer.
Archana Ramesh
Undergraduate research assistant
Archana is a senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in Public Health with a minor in Business Administration. She joined the Hollis lab in Fall 2022 and a point of interest for her within the lab is exploring the effects of stress on mitochondrial and heart health with broader implications for maternal health. Outside of the lab, Archana enjoys spending time with friends, dancing, watching movies, working out, and cooking. In the future, she plans to pursue a career in medicine.
Erin Gorman
Graduate research assistant
Erin received her B.S. in General Biology from Southeastern University in 2019 and joined the Hollis lab in May of 2020. Her research interests involve understanding the role of mitochondria in depressive disorders and stress. Originally from northern Virginia, Erin enjoys hiking and visiting wineries, as well as cooking, drinking coffee, and spending time with family and friends. Erin successfully defended her thesis in fall 2024 and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at The Ohio State University with Katherine Lenz and Benedetta Leuner.
Contact: gorman-sandler.1@osu.edu
Baruk Srivastava
Research Specialist
Baruk joined the lab in September 2022 as an undergraduate researcher. He stayed on as a research specialist while applying to medical school. He is currently working at a clinic and will start medical school at MUSC this fall.
Jiya Desai
Undergraduate research assistant
Jiya is a junior at the University of South Carolina Honors College in the BARSC-MD (BS/MD) program with a minor in Business Administration. She joined the Hollis lab in June of 2023 and she is interested in exploring the role of mitochondria in postpartum depression. Outside of the lab, Jiya enjoys dancing, traveling, spending time with her friends, and going to football games! She is also a medical assistant at Palmetto Allergy & Asthma. Jiya is currently in medical school here at USC SOM.
Breanna Robertson
Undergraduate student/Research Specialist
Bre joined the lab in September of 2020. She graduated as a Capstone Fellow with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Biology at USC in 2022. She is originally from eastern Tennessee and loves to hike through the mountains. Bre also enjoys cooking, traveling, and visiting family whenever she can. Bre left the lab August 2023 to pursue her Masters degree at Wake Forest. We’re sad to see her go but know that she’s one step closer to achieving her goal of M.D.-Ph.D. in addiction research!
Contact: bnr2@mailbox.sc.edu
Daniel Joyner
Research Specialist
Daniel joined the lab in September of 2020. With a longtime passion for neuroscience, he received a B.S. in Psychology from Francis Marion University. Then, following the pharmacological side of his interests, and young love, he completed a B.S. and Master of Pharmacy from Griffith University in Australia. With a motley assortment of research interests, his biggest center around the role of catecholamines in mental illness, and binding profiles. When not being a science nerd, Daniel enjoys writing, including a fantasy novel (yes, still nerdy), dabbling in music, chasing gains in the gym (with varying success), and has rediscovered his teenage passion of skating, which has already gifted him his first broken bone. Daniel left the lab in August 2022 to pursue his Ph.D. in neuroscience at USC. You can find him in the Foster Lab next door!
Contact: daniel.joyner@uscmed.sc.edu
Drew Buoniconti
Undergraduate student
Drew joined the lab in January 2021. She is originally from Massachusetts. Drew graduated with her B.S in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in May of 2022 and has started a research associate position at Morphic Therapeutics in Waltham, MA. While in the lab, Drew received a Magellan Scholar award and a mini-Magellan grant to establish the signature of neural activation following social preference in a model of Fragile X Syndrome. Drew is now a senior scientist in immunology at Eli Lilly.
Jesseca Crawford
Research Specialist
Jesseca joined the lab in September of 2020. She graduated with her B.S. in Biology from the College of Charleston in May of 2020. She interned with Dr. Grillo here at the School of Medicine in the summer of 2019 and her various research interests have brought her back for more science. In addition to discovering cool science, Jesseca loves journaling, having new adventures, and jumping out of planes (with a parachute of course!). Jesseca left the lab in December 2021 to earn her Masters degree in Biomedical Sciences at Wake Forest. With her Masters in hand, she’ll start medical school and we can’t wait to see where she ends up!
The Hollis Lab 