Current Lab Members
Roman Giger, PhD
Principal InvestigatorEducation:
Postdoctoral fellow, Johns Hopkins University (Advisor: Alex Kolodkin)
Postdoctoral fellow, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research (Advisor: Joost Verhaagen)
Ph.D. University of Zurich, Switzerland (Advisor: Peter Sonderegger)
Roman Giger is a Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan School of Medicine. His research is focused on molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate nervous system regeneration following injury or disease. To study gene function in the mammalian nervous system, the Giger laboratory pursues a variety of mouse genetic approaches combined with surgical, histological, biochemistry-based, electrophysiological, and behavioral studies. These investigations have led to the identification of novel ligands and receptors that orchestrate neural network assembly, axonal regeneration, myelin development, and synaptic plasticity in the mammalian central nervous system.
Thus far, Dr. Giger has mentored 17 graduate students in his laboratory. He is deeply committed to mentoring trainees in critical thinking, scientific writing, and scientific rigor to tackle important problems at the forefront of biomedical research.
Xiaofeng Zhao, PhD
Research Assistant ProfessorEducation:
Ph.D. (Molecular Biology), University of Bergen, Norway
Master’s Degree (Pharmacology), Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Bachelor’s Degree (Biochemistry), Sichuan University, China
Xiao-Feng is involved in all aspects of day-to-day research in the Giger lab. He has many years of research experience in the field of developmental biology. At the University of Michigan, he has ongoing projects relating to both the central and the peripheral nervous systems. He is greatly interested in research questions about how immune cells regulate nervous system regeneration following injury.
Ligia Buloto
Ligia obtained her dental and master’s degrees at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She specializes in the field of Oral Medicine, and conducted her PhD at the Oral Health Sciences Program, University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Her PhD work focused on cancer neuroscience, the investigation of nerve-tumor interactions, more specifically in the context of oral cavity cancer. Now a postdoctoral fellow at Roman Giger’s lab, Ligia will focus on Schwann cell biology in peripheral nervous system injury and regeneration.
Qian (Fanny) Feng
Postdoctoral FellowQian (Fanny)’s research focuses on neuroprotection and axon regeneration. At the University of Michigan, she is exploring the interaction between neuronal and non-neuronal cells in the ocular niche to enhance neuronal resilience and regenerative capacity in adult and aged mice.
Hannah Hafner
Graduate StudentAfter completing her bachelor’s degree at Michigan Technological University, Hannah entered the biotech industry with a research associate position at R&D Systems. Here, she put her biochemical knowledge into practice, developing purification strategies for new protein products. Because metabolic disorders can damage the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and result in peripheral neuropathy, Hannah became interested in mechanisms that regulate nervous system degeneration and regeneration. To learn more about this subject, she rotated in and subsequently joined Dr. Roman Giger’s laboratory for her graduate studies. Hannah’s thesis work utilizes a mouse genetic approach to study the immune response to PNS injury.
Matthew Finneran
Graduate StudentMatthew is a Ph.D. student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program. In 2018 he obtained his Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University in neuroscience and chemistry and subsequently obtained his Master of Science in chemistry and biochemistry in 2020 from the University of Oklahoma. Matthew is interested in identifying molecular mechanisms that lead to improved neuro-regeneration following nervous system injury or disease.
Mitre Athaiya
Graduate StudentMitre is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program. He moved to the United States in the fall of 2016. During his undergraduate studies, he joined the Aran Lab where he quickly absorbed many concepts from electronics, physics, chemistry, and biology in order to think in an interdisciplinary manner. He was able to develop these skills, emerging as a well-rounded individual with a keen sense of and interest in conducting scientific research. In the Giger lab, Mitre is investigating the role of microRNAs in nervous system regeneration. After completing his Ph.D., Mitre plans to work in a biotechnology firm to possibly develop diagnostic devices for neurodegenerative diseases.
David Wilborn
Undergraduate ResearcherGiger Lab Alumni
| Trainee | Graduation Year | Current Position | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karthik Venkatesh, Neuroscience Graduate student | Ph.D., June 2007 F31-NS049870 | Director | R&D Governance, Biogen Inc. Boston |
| Onanong Chivatakarn, Neuroscience Graduate student | Ph.D. , July 2008 F31-NS056558 | Senior Scientist | Wave Life Sciences Inc., Boston |
| Laurie Robak, MSTP | Ph.D., December 2008 MSTP training grant | Assistant Professor | Baylor College of Medicine, Houston |
| Stephen Raiker, Neuroscience Graduate student | Ph.D., November 2010 F31-NS061589 | Assistant Professor | St. Mary’s College of Maryland |
| Travis Dickendesher, Neuroscience Graduate student | Ph.D., December 2013 F31-Rackham Neuroscience Fellowship | Principal Medical Science Director, Neurological Rare Disease | US Medical Affairs, Genentech, Inc. San Francisco |
| Kathrine Baldwin, Graduate student, Cell and Mol. Biology | Ph.D., May 2015 F31-NS081852 | Assistant Professor | University of North Carolina Cell Biology and Physiology |
| Yevgeniya Mironova, Graduate student, Cell and Mol. Biology | Ph.D., June 2016 F31-Center for Organogenesis | Postdoctoral fellow | Johns Hopkins University Dwight Bergles lab |
| Jing-Ping, Lin, Graduate student, Cell and Developmental Biology | Ph.D., June 2017 | Postdoctoral fellow | National Institute of Health Danny Reich’s lab |
| Rafi Kohen, Neuroscience Graduate student | Ph.D., March 2020 | International Medical Writer | CDM, Barcelona, Spain |
| Lucas D. Huffman, Neuroscience Graduate student | Ph.D., June 2021 T32-GM113900 | Project Manager | Henry Ford Health & Michigan State University |
| Ryan Passino Graduate student, Cellular and Developmental Biology | Ph.D., November 2023 | Postdoctoral fellow | University of Pennsylvania Uyhazi Lab |
| Postdoctoral Fellow | Years in Giger Lab | Current Position | Current Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakjoo Lee, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral fellow, 2005-2008 | Research Faculty | Augusta University, Georgia |
| Xiaorong Xu, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral fellow, 2005-2008 | Research Assistant Professor | University of Rochester Medical Center, New York |
| Yuntao Duan, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral fellow, 2007-2013 | Research Scientist | BioAxone Biosciences, Inc. Boston |
| Choya Yoon, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral fellow, 2013-2018 | Assistant Principal Scientist, Neuroimmunology | Merck Discovery Neuroscience, Boston |
| Xiao-Feng Zhao, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral fellow, 2014-2018 | Research Assistant Professor | University of Michigan Medical School Ann Arbor, MI |
| Ashely L. Kalinski, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral fellow, 2015-2020 | Assistant Professor | University of South Carolina Columbia, SC |
Giger Lab at the CDB Department Picnic