Podcast Team
Alaa Taha
Alaa is a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering at Western University, Canada, co-supervised by Dr. Jonathan Lau and Dr. Ali Khan. He supports with electrophysiology in the operating room and facilitates a monthly support group for individuals undertaking deep brain stimulation. For Alaa, "Stimulating Brains" is a way to bridge his research and clinical interest in neuromodulation. His favorite part about producing episodes is learning about the unique stories and perspectives each guest brings and sharing these insights in an open and accessible format for our listeners worldwide.
Niels Pacheco
Niels Pacheco, a physician from Peru, is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Biostatistics at Harvard Medical School. Guided by Dr. John D. Rolston, he explores the intriguing connection between circadian rhythms and clinical outcomes in neuromodulation therapies such as Deep Brain Stimulation and Responsive Neurostimulation. For him, Stimulating Brains is a unique platform to uncover the human side of the brilliant minds driving neuromodulation research. His favorite part of producing episodes? Discovering the behind-the-scenes stories and surprising details that guests almost want to keep off the record.
Ruoyu Ma
Ruoyu is a PhD student in functional neurosurgery at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, under the mentorship of Professor Jianguo Zhang and co-mentorship of Professor Valerie Voon from the University of Cambridge.Her research interests focus on deep brain stimulation (DBS) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the analysis of intracranial local field potentials. In her free time, she enjoys playing ping pong.
Andreas Horn
Andy is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and loves to have in-depth conversations with stimulating brains about stimulating brains.
Talk Series Team
Barbara Hollunder
Barbara has recently finalized her PhD in the NetStim Lab in Berlin, where she specialized in mapping symptom networks responsive to DBS across various brain circuit disorders. She is especially intrigued by how DBS acts as a window into human brain (dys)function, revealing insights that offer profound translational value for real-world applications. What she enjoys most about "Stimulating Brains" is uncovering the captivating narratives behind the science, as the varied backgrounds of featured speakers weave together unexpected connections that spark innovative ideas.
Garance Meyer
Garance is a postdoc in the Network Stimulation Lab in Boston working on DBS for psychiatric indications. Her passion in neuromodulation comes from her first internship in a TMS clinic. Her favorite part about hosting stimulating brain talks is bringing people together for great post-talk discussions!
Patricia Zvarova
Patricia Zvarova is a PhD student interested in advancing brain stimulation efficacy and patient well-being. Her favorite part of hosting the Stimulating Brains talks is connecting with researchers from around the world and providing an accessible resource that promotes knowledge-sharing.
Nanditha Rajamani
Nanditha Rajamani has just finished her PhD and focused on DBS network mapping for symptom-specific connections in Parkinson’s Disease. Her favorite part of stimulating brains is learning about the state of art in neuromodulation and neuroscience research from world wide experts.
