Yuan Wang, Ph.D. Lab Director
Research: Received a Ph.D in Biophysics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and completed two postdoctoral training with Dr. Harvey Karten (University of California at San Diego) and Dr. Edwin Rubel (University of Washington). Recruited to Florida State University in 2015 as a faculty in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience. My long-term research interest is to pursue answers pertaining to the development of sensory systems in healthy and disordered brains.
Yong Liu Scientific Research Technician
Trained in computer programming and database management. In the lab, Yong develops imaging methods and functional analyses, programs data analyzing protocols, and manages laser-based microscopes.
Danah Alquraish Graduate Student
Trained in medicine, received her M.S. in Advanced Studies & Clinical Research from the University of California at San Diego, and joined the lab in 2021. Danah's project aims to determine the novel contribution from the inner ear to the development of sensory dysfunction in Fragile X syndrome using conditional transgenic mice and embryonic chicken brains.

Sima Sabbagh Graduate Student
Received M.S. in Developmental Biology from Kharazmi University and have research experience in molecular biology of neurological disorders. She joined the lab in the summer of 2022. Her project will focus on alterations in synaptic development in Fragile X syndrome (FXS) by assessing the role of the FMRP pathway in presynaptic terminal formation and maturation, using chicken as the animal model.

Paulina Montes Mendez Lab Technician
Lab, started as a full-time lab tech on May 12th, 2025. Graduated from Florida State University in May 2025 with a bachelors in Biological science and a minor in psychology and chemistry.

Brianna Donaldson Lab Technician
Current Undergraduate Assistants
Aum Bhogade Major: Biomedical Sciences
Sydney Best Major: Behavioral Neuroscience
Past lab members
Mark Jessup: Lab Manager (2020-2024). Currently enrolled at UMiami Miller School of Medicine
Brett Winter: Lab Technician (2023-2024). Currently enrolled at NYIT College of Medicine
Xiaoyan Yu: Graduate Student (2017-2022). Currently completing her Post-Doc at UPenn
Xiaoyu Wang: Postdoc (2015-2019). Currently an Assistant Professor at Jinan University
Diego Zorio: Research Faculty II (2015-2020)
Christine Jackson: Lab Technician (2015-2017)