Neuronline Community Leaders Program
The Community Leaders' program is a group of active SfN members who are interested in cultivating the sharing and discussion of resources among SfN members on the Neuronline Community. Topics of discussion range from recaps of virtual events, scientific research, and professional development. These conversations are meant to expand the number of member perspectives shared around Neuronline resources and to encourage outside members to connect by joining in the discussion.Visit the Community Leader’s forum to join in the discussion and scroll down to meet the 2025 Community Leaders Cohort!
Current Community Leaders
Daisy Gallardo
Daisy Gallardo is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Oswald Steward’s laboratory at the University of California, Irvine. Her research focuses on understanding and targeting neurodegenerative mechanisms in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, with the aim of identifying neuroprotective mechanisms that may mitigate neuronal death. Beyond the lab, she is passionate about science advocacy and outreach, striving to foster communication between researchers and the public. In her second year as a Neuronline community leader, she is looking forward to engaging in discussions on scientific communication, mentoring, advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and promoting scientific rigor.
Akanksha Gupta
Akanksha is a graduate student in Neuroscience at INS, INSERM, Aix-Marseille University, France. Her research focuses on human attention and neural dynamics in speech and music processing, leveraging machine learning, computational modeling, psychophysics, and intracranial EEG data. As a Community Leader, Akanksha looks forward to promoting open science practices, driving discussions on mental health and well-being in academia, and highlighting diverse perspectives to strengthen the global neuroscience network.
Valeria Marques Figueira Muoio
Valéria Muoio, PhD, is a neurosurgeon based in São Paulo, Brazil. She did her doctorate at the University of São Paulo, with a period at Johns Hopkins University and also worked as a scientist at Charite University in Berlin, Germany. Muoio divides her time between the operating room, the laboratory, and teaching at the São Paulo medical school, and believes that such activities are complementary. This will be her second year in the Community Leader program, and she has found being part of an inspiring group like this is really motivating. She hopes to be able to contribute to the group and meet new colleagues.
Sai Lavanya Patnala
Sai Lavanya Patnala, an MBBS graduate from Hyderabad, India, aspires to specialize in neurology with particular interests in behavioral neurology, stroke care, and sleep medicine. She is also a blogger for Lexicon Medical Magazine India, where she shares her insights on medical topics. Beyond medicine, Patnala is passionate about cooking and advocates for mindful nutrition to inspire positive lifestyle changes. Dedicated to lifelong learning and self-improvement, she actively seeks opportunities to enhance her expertise and make meaningful contributions to her field. As a Neuronline community leader for 2025, Patnala is excited to collaborate with neuroscientists worldwide, facilitating impactful exchanges of ideas and advancing the understanding of neuroscience.
Lucia Pizzoccaro
Lucia Pizzoccaro, PhD, is an Italian PhD student in Bénédicte Amilhon's lab at the University of Montreal, Canada. Her research explores sex-dependent differences in the activity of median raphe serotonergic neurons, focusing on their inputs to the ventral hippocampus and their role in anxiety-like behavior. Passionate about science communication, Pizzoccaro has actively contributed to outreach and education programs. As a Neuronline community leader, she looks forward to fostering engaging discussions on topics such as behavioral neuroscience, mentoring, and work-life balance. She is also eager to share valuable resources and cultivate a collaborative and inclusive space for neuroscientists at all career stages to connect and grow.
Srikanth Ramaswamy
Srikanth Ramaswamy, PhD, is a Marie Curie Fellow, a Lister Prize Fellow and an assistant professor in computational neuroscience at Newcastle University. He is also a Fulbright Scholar at MIT and a Theoretical Sciences Scholar at OIST. He directs the Neural Circuits Laboratory at Newcastle University. His research focuses on the role of neuromodulators in shaping cognition in biological neural networks and building biologically-informed neural network models. He is a founding scientist of the Blue Brain Project at Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (EPFL). He earned his PhD at the EPFL in computational neuroscience, where he developed data-driven modelling frameworks for biologically detailed digital models of neural networks. As a scientist of colour, Ramaswamy is passionately committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and is a founding member of the ALBA network, where he leads efforts to advance DEI in neuroscience, including launching the ALBA diversity podcast series in late 2020, highlighting the stories of emerging neuroscientists from underrepresented backgrounds.
Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez, PhD, is a Mexican researcher from the National University of Mexico (UNAM) and the head of the neuropsychopharmacology and timing laboratory. The lab is looking to understand the neuropharmacological basis of PTSD and related disorders as well the timing behavior and its neurobiology and works with animal models, especially with rodents and octopuses. As a Neuronline community leader, Sánchez looks to be closer to the scientific community and to bring some help and support. He believes that science will be available for all humankind and the role of SfN is crucial.
Soaleha Shams
Soaleha Shams, PhD, is a Canadian neuroscientist interested in neuroscience of social behaviour, both typical and atypical expressions. Shams studies social behaviour of zebrafish as a tool to understand other social vertebrates and to make disease models for neuropsychiatric disorders. Shams completed her PhD in behavioural neuroscience in Toronto, postdocs in pharmacology (in Gothenburg, Sweden) and in genetics and molecular biology at the Mayo Clinic. She recently moved back to continue her work in Canada using more omics approaches towards bigger questions about effects of environment, social experience, and isolation on zebrafish social behaviour. Outside the lab, Shams love teaching, outreach, and science advocacy, and she looks forward to playing an active role in the coming future of neuroscience policymaking in Canada and globally.
Pawan Thapaliya
Pawan Thapaliya is a PhD candidate in applied physics at the University of South Florida, specializing in computational neuroscience and biophysics. His research focuses on understanding chemical ischemia-induced changes in astrocyte function, neuronal signaling under metabolic stress conditions, and the role of glial cells in neurovascular coupling during ischemia and epilepsy. He develops biophysical models and applies machine learning techniques to investigate complex neural dynamics. Thapaliya is passionate about translating computational insights into clinical applications, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and advancing scientific innovation. As a Neuronline community leader, he looks forward to sharing knowledge, engaging with peers to explore professional development, and contributing to programming that highlights the intersection of neuroscience, computation, and translational research.
Maria-Tzousi Papavergi
Maria-Tzousi Papavergi is a third-year PhD candidate in the Lemere Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, co-supervised by Cynthia Ann Lemere and Daniel van den Hove. Her research focuses on unraveling the cellular and epigenetic mechanisms linking the complement cascade to aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Maria holds a BS in molecular biology and genetics from Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, and an MS in cognitive and clinical neuroscience from Maastricht University, Netherlands. As a Neuronline community leader, Papavergi looks forward to collaborating with fellow neuroscience enthusiasts and contributing to discussions that inspire new ideas and promote global neuroscience education.
Beh Suet Theng
Suet Theng Beh, PhD, is a Staff Scientist at Banner Sun Health Research Institute, where she leads the Human Cells Core for Translational Research and supports the Brain and Body Donation Program. With a strong foundation in neuroscience and expertise in mitochondrial biology and cell reprogramming, her research focuses on understanding the cellular pathways underlying age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. She plays a pivotal role in integrating biobanking efforts with clinical and research initiatives. She oversees sample selection, coordinates global distribution to researchers and pharmaceutical collaborators, and ensures data integrity and secure storage. As a Neuronline Community Leader, she hopes to connect with neuroscientists worldwide, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration to advance discoveries into meaningful clinical applications.
Jaya Viswanathan
Jaya Viswanathan, PhD, is a neuroscientist, engineer, author, and artist born and raised in India. She earned a master’s in neuroscience and a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience before working as a postdoctoral fellow. She is currently a KGS contractor program analyst in the division of neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging. Viswanathan authored and illustrated a neuroscience and neuroart book for children, Baby Senses: A Sensory Neuroscience Primer for All Ages (https://babysensesbook.com/) which has won several literary and education awards. She also develops and disseminates resources as the host of the Know Brainer Podcast and educator. As a Neuronline community leader, she will generate resources for neuroscience communication, support career development for diverse neuroscientists, and enhance dialogues between scientists and society.
X // LinkedIn // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Baby Senses Book // Know Brainer Podcast
Bin Yin
Bin Yin, PhD, is an associate professor at Fujian Normal University, specializing in behavioral neuroscience and computational psychology. With a robust academic background from Peking University and Duke University, Yin’s research integrates animal models and computational methods to explore learning, cognition, and emotional processes. His work aims to bridge the gap between preclinical studies and applications in mental health and artificial intelligence, fostering interdisciplinary innovation. As a Neuronline community leader, Yin looks forward to sharing insights, mentoring early-career researchers, and promoting global collaboration. He is passionate about building an inclusive scientific community that encourages the exchange of ideas and empowers members to tackle pressing challenges in neuroscience and psychology.
Applications to the Community Leader Program are now closed. Please email digitallearning@sfn.org with any questions.
