Brad Hubbard, PhD

Position: Assistant Professor 

Bio: Dr. Brad Hubbard is currently an assistant professor in the UK Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center and the UK College of Medicine Department of Physiology and a research physiologist in the Lexington VA Healthcare System. He is an alum of UNC-Chapel Hill (2012) and Virginia Tech (2016). He enjoys hiking, disc golf, and various racquet-based sports. He is blessed with his wonderful wife Alex, and three children, Ella, Rey, and Banner.

Gopal "Velu" Velmurugan, PhD

Position: Research Scientist 

Bio: Gopal V. Velmurugan, PhD is a research scientist in the Hubbard lab in the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center.

Sarah Tran

Position: Research Analyst 

Bio: Sarah Tran is currently a research analyst in the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Center with the Hubbard lab. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's in medical sciences. She enjoys collecting and building Legos, spending time with her five-year-old brother, and making people laugh. 

Jaycie Gard

Position: Undergraduate Research Student 

Bio: Jaycie is an undergraduate student in the Hubbard lab majoring in neuroscience and minoring in pharmacology on the pre-med track. She enjoys running, going to football games, and singing in the UK treble choir.

Shaojing Ye, PhD

Position: Scientist 

Bio: Shaojing Ye, a scientist in the Hubbard lab with a passion for research. She graduated from University of Kentucky with a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry. She believes in kindness and peace, loves nature, and enjoys hiking and gardening. 

Sushant Prajapati 

Position: Graduate Student 

Bio: currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the Hubbard lab, earned his Bachelor of Technology degree in Biotechnology from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India. His research primarily centers around traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and their related neurological outcomes. Alongside his academic pursuits, Sushant has a strong inclination towards the arts, always keeping a pencil and a blank sheet of paper on his table. Beyond his scholarly endeavors, he finds joy in writing, cooking, swimming, photography, and athletics. Additionally, he holds a deep commitment to values such as peace, empathy, and togetherness.

Ratthew McConaughey

Position: Lab Mascot 

Bio: Ratthew McConaughey is the beloved lab mascot for Dr. Hubbard. He spends many hours working hard at lab meetings, and volunteering to test experimental tools for the lab. All the while keeping in the mind that safety comes first, with his flattering and stylish vest.

Emily Brown

Emily Brown was the former Hubbard lab manager.

Frances Meredith

Frances Meredith is the former lab technician for the Hubbard lab.

Cherokee Scruggs

Cherokee moved here from California after getting her bachelor's in animal science at Fresno State University. She also worked as the lab manager for Dr. Patrick Sullivan and worked primarily with the behavior experiments in most studies. She was also the founder of the lab mascot, Ratthew McConaughey!