Lab Members

Principal Investigator

Dr. Sarah Kucenas, Owen R. Cheatham Professor of the Sciences

Principal Investigator/Creative Director

Sarah is interested in elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate glial-glial interactions in the developing and regenerating nervous system. Her long-term goal is to understand the mechanisms that mediate cellular interactions along developing spinal motor nerves and use this information to better understand how the human nervous system is initially established, maintained, and behaves during disease. Sarah earned a B.Sc. in Biology from Valparaiso University in 2000 and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Pharmacological & Physiological Science from Saint Louis University with Dr. Mark Voigt in 2005. After Dr. Kucenas’ postdoctoral work with Dr. Bruce Appel at Vanderbilt University, she joined the faculty at the University of Virginia in 2009. Sarah has a 13-year-old daughter, Madelyn, 3 (VERY big) dogs, and is an avid swimmer. (Photo by Jeneene Chatowsky/UVA)

Research Scientist

Dr. Drew Latimer

Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Drew received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Presbyterian College and his Ph.D. in Dr. Bruce Appel’s laboratory at Vanderbilt University, where the focus of his thesis was the role of Delta-Notch signaling in cell fate specification at the embryonic zebrafish midline. Drew was a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Jason Jessen’s laboratory at Vanderbilt and studied extracellular matrix formation and function during zebrafish gastrulation. Following this he was an Assistant Research Scientist in Dr. Jonathan Gitlin’s lab at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. At the MBL he investigated the role of copper during zebrafish development, energy production and growth. Drew joined the Kucenas lab in 2016 to study the molecular diversity of peripheral glia. He likes growing vegetables, IPAs, reading, and mountains.

Post Doctoral Fellows

Brianna Peskin Gifford

Brianna was born and raised in Syosset, New York. She received her B.S. in Biology from Stony Brook University where she also minored in Fine Arts. Brianna completed her Ph.D. in the Bagnat Lab at Duke University where she investigated how segmentation of the notochord sheath serves as a blueprint for vertebral body formation during spine morphogenesis. Brianna joined the Kucenas lab in 2023 as a postdoctoral researcher and is excited to investigate developmental patterning in a completely new way. Her project will center on the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing oligodendrocyte tiling in the central nervous system. Outside of the lab, Brianna enjoys spending time in the mountains hiking and skiing, loves her cat a little too much, and is an avid portrait artist.

Graduate Students

Heather Barber

Heather, a North Carolina native, first became interested in biology through a high school internship at Wake Forest Baptist’s Institute of Regenerative Medicine. She went on to earn a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2020. As a new graduate student, Heather is excited to delve into astrocyte development, growth, and function in zebrafish. Heather also enjoys playing tabletop games, cooking and baking, drawing, and thrift shopping.

Charles Marcucci

Charles was born and raised outside a small town in rural eastern Iowa and attended the University of Iowa where he earned a B.S. in Neurobiology. He started his training at UVA in 2019 as a member of the combined MD/PhD program with hopes of becoming a physician-scientist. He has always been fascinated by how the nervous system is assembled and is now studying the developmental dynamics of a novel glial cell called perineurial glia. Outside of science and medicine, Charles is an avid Iowa Hawkeye and Chicago sports fan, aspiring movie buff, and an occasional woodworker.

Sarah Hunter-Chang

Sarah Hunter-Chang is a PhD candidate studying interactions between phagocytes and axonal spheroids at the University of Virginia. She is co-advised by Christopher Deppmann and Sarah Kucenas. Before coming to UVA, she received her BSc in neuroscience and behavioral biology from Emory University, after which she worked as a research technician for two years. Sarah is passionate about scientific outreach and mentorship, and likes to mix art and science where she can. When not in the lab, Sarah can usually be found crashing through the woods on a trail run, drawing in her sketchbook, or finding new ways to put cereal in dessert.

Veronica Coyle

Veronica grew up in Massachusetts and earned her B.S. in Biology & Biotechnology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a minor in Spanish. While there she worked with Dr. Jagan Srinivasan studying the molecular mechanisms driving C. elegans olfactory responses. After graduation she spent a few years in industry, working in Cell Line Development at both AbbVie Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. She is interested in how a better understanding of nervous system development can lead to understanding what goes wrong in disease, and how that information can aid in the development of therapeutics. Outside of lab Veronica likes playing with her cats, cheering for the Red Sox, and going to the beach.

Andrew Perl

While properly an Ohioan, Andrew was first exposed to research in Pennsylvania during middle school through participation in PJAS and PRSEF. He garnered a Neuroscience BS from Ohio State University in 2019, where work in a neuroimmunology lab first piqued his interest in glia. He studied mechanisms of microglial dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease model mice at
the NIEHS through the IRTA program before embarking on a neuroscience PhD at UVA in 2023, where he will be examining developmental myelin targeting in zebrafish. Outside research, Andrew can be found catching up with friends and family, watching and making movies, and cooking anything but seafood.

Lauren Jung

Lauren has lived in several places but primarily grew up in Colorado. Embracing her adventurous spirit, she attended college in North Carolina, earning a B.S. in Biology in 2022 and an M.S. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in 2024 from East Carolina University. As a Ph.D. student in the Cell & Developmental Biology Graduate Program, she is eager to use innovative genetic tools and microscopy to investigate astrocyte tiling and development. Outside the lab, she is a serial hobbyist who enjoys crocheting, solving puzzles, and playing Sudoku while cuddling with her cat.

Jingxuan Guo

Jingxuan is a Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia interested in synaptic repair, neural degeneration, and regeneration. She is co-advised by Christopher Deppmann and Sarah Kucenas. Before coming to UVA, she earned her B.S. in Bioscience from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2024. Outside the lab, Jingxuan enjoys oil painting, swimming, and water rafting. She also has a tuxedo cat and a Dutch bunny.

Fish Facility Manager

Lori Tocke

Lori got her B.S. in Human Services form Virginia Tech in 1992. She went on to get her Associate's of Applied Animal Science from Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in 1999. In the past, she has been a Counselor for Dually-Diagnosed Adults and a Veternary Technician specializing in Emergency Medicine. Lori is currently in charge of fish husbandry and maintence of our facility in the Kucenas Lab. Outside of the lab, Lori is a FEMA K-9 search specialist and works closely with her rescue dog, Sarge. Lori also enjoys running, eatting chocolate, and reading mysteries.