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
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
Contact: erin.gorman@uscmed.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.
Contact: daniel.joyner@uscmed.sc.edu
Breanna Robertson
Undergraduate student
Bre joined the lab in September of 2020. She is a Capstone Fellow pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Biology at U of SC. She is originally from eastern Tennessee and loves to hike through the mountains. Bre also enjoys cooking, traveling, and visiting family whenever she can.
Contact: bnr2@mailbox.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
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
Alumni
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.
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 