Stowe Lab Personnel

Assistant Professor

Dr. Jenny Lutshumba is a research assistant professor in the department of neurology. She got her B.S. in biotechnology at Kean University in New Jersey. She has a PhD in physiology from the University of Kentucky. Her research interests are to understand sex differences in immune function in the aging population with cardiovascular risk factors and how this contributes to cognitive decline. Her main focus is to identify immune changes in the early stages of dementia and its progress over time. Therefore, allowing a better understanding of the mechanisms that lead to immune dysfunction and cognitive decline.

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Graduate Student

Daimen attained a degree in neuroscience, with minors in biology and Italian from the University of Kentucky. She currently studies the effect of hypoxia and exercise treatment on SCI recovery in rats. She also has 2 hares with big ol' legs.

Graduate Student

Katherine Cotter received a degree in biochemistry, with a minor in biology, from the University of Kentucky. Her research looks at the effect of pre-stroke exercise on the post-stroke immune response and its contributions to post-stroke cognitive decline. Born on Super Bowl Sunday, she was born to be a Denver Broncos fan.

Graduate Student

Hope received a degree in neuroscience, with a minor in Spanish, from the University of Kentucky. As an AARTS scholar, her research focused on the role of amylin in the immune system post-stroke. She is currently completing a master's degree in medical sciences at UK. A fun fact about her is that she was a lifeguard for 5 years!

Graduate Student

Annabel is a 4th year student in the University of Kentucky MD/PhD program. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Her current research interests are immune cell trafficking patterns and meningeal immunity after stroke. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in neurosurgery and translational neuroscience. Annabel previously performed with a circus in Hawaii and was the fire baton twirler at Georgia Tech.

Graduate Student

Thomas Ujas received a B.S. in biochemistry from Loyola University at Chicago. His current research is in post-stroke B cell neutrotrophic responses and how they support cognitive recovery. Thomas has a dog named Luca that he got in September of 2022.

Murphy Byrd is an undergraduate student at the University of Kentucky. She is studying Kinesiology with a minor in Biology. Her current research interest involves meningeal immunity post-stroke. Murphy loves to workout and play with her golden retriever, Henry.

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Katie Colson obtained her BS in biochemistry and molecular biology from Centre College in 2019. She is a 5th year PhD student studying Age-Associated B cells and sex differences in aged post-stroke mice. She will be going to Portland, Oregon in 2024 to pursue a post-doctoral position in the lab of Dr. Selva Baltan at OHSU. In her spare time Katie likes to continue her dance career by choreographing for local schools.

Edric attended the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., and obtained an undergraduate degree in biology. He currently studies the neuroimmune response of type-2 diabetic-induced dementia, but he aspires to be a tenured professor track of neuroimmunology. He likes long walks on Lakeshore Drive (Pisces gang!), working out, and playing video games

UK Undergraduate

James is a rising junior attending the University of Kentucky. At the university, he is studying neuroscience. He is currently studying the effects of age on forelimb motor function after stroke in mice. One interesting fact is that James knows how to play the trumpet.

High School Student

Dash is a high school student at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. In Summer 2023, he worked with Daimen Britsch on the effect of hypoxia and exercise treatment on rat recovery from spinal cord injury, as well as clerical work for the lab protocol book and website. He has been to 46 states in the US, but has tragically never left the country.