My research interests involve building computational models of brain function (which links systems-level interactions of brain areas to behavior) and testing neurological patients with basal ganglia or hippocampus damage on different behavioral tasks including working memory, decision making, and reinforcement learning.

I am a clinical psychologist with an MPhil and PhD from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India. Neuropsychological testing was the method of inquiry for my MPhil and PhD research on Aphasia and Learning Disability respectively. I am now interested in combining clinical neuropsychological and cognitive neuroscience techniques to make inroads in understanding brain-behavior relations especially in psychiatric disorders. Given the opportunities available at Dr.Gluck’s lab, I thought this was a good place to start with, to gather experience on studying the cortico-striatal and hippocampal functions from a cognitive neuroscience point of view and later work towards comparing the functional neural networks in PD and OCD for my postdoctoral research.

I have a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience from SUNY-Binghamton. My thesis and dissertation research involved understanding the cholinergic and GABAergic septohippocampal interactions in an animal model of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. My current postdoctoral fellowship at UMDNJ is part of a collaborative training grant that involves working with Dr. Richard Servatius at the New Jersey Veterans Hospital and Dr. Mark Gluck at Rutgers-Newark. My research interests include the neurochemical, neuroanatomical and behavioral aspects of anxiety, PTSD and other related disorders. I am also interested in neurogenesis and how it relates to pharmacological intervention for psychiatric disorders.

Amanda Farris
(Rutgers INS)
E-mail:amandafarris24@gmail.com

I graduated from Central Michigan University in 2005, focusing in psychology and neuroscience. My undergraduate research used a behavioral paradigm of Parkinson’s disease in the rat to look at retention of function in a simple task after 6-OHDA lesion or haloperidol injection. In search of clinical experience, I spent the following 2 years (2006-2008) on fellowship at NIH, with the Molecular Imaging Branch, NIMH. The focus of this lab is the development and implementation of PET tracers to investigate the physiology and pathophysiology in animal and man. As a PhD student in the Integrative Neuroscience program, I am interested in the mechanisms underlying the cognitive deficits of Parkinson’s disease patients on and off medications including antiparkinsonian medication (LDOPA), anticholinergics and dopamine agonists. Also, I am interested in looking into the high comorbidity in Parkinson’s disease with mental illness, such as depression and anxiety.

Mohammad Mustafa Herzallah
(Al Quds Palestinian University)
E-mail:sipetron_m@yahoo.com

My name is Mohammad Mustafa Herzallah, a medical student student at Al-Quds University/Jerusalem Palestine. I am so interested in Neurology and Neuroscience research, especially in the field of Neuronal Regeneration. I am working on testing Parkinson's disease patients in Palestine as a part of a Middle-East project on computational methods for the early detection of Parkinson's disease. In the near future, I'll be working on having degrees in Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience in the U.S. It is an honor for me to be working at the Gluck Lab.

Samer AbdelRazeq
(Al Quds Palestinian University)
E-mail:dr.samerar@gmail.com

I'm Samer AbdelRazeq, 24 years old, a final year student in the faculty of medicine at Alquds University in Jerusalem / Palestine. am doing a neurology research about the early detection of parkinson disease with the Cooperation of Dr. Misk, a neurologist in AlQuds University and 2 other medical students in my class. Next summer, i will finish my medical studies and im planning to continue my residency program in the U.S for a speciality of my interest. I hope that this research will help me make my mind about it.

Lara Al_Dweib
(Al Quds Palestinian University)
E-mail: Lara2050@hotmail.com

My name is Lara Hassan ,6th year medical student in AL-Quads University From Palestine. I am working with the Palestinian team in testing Parkinson patients. I met Dr. Gluck in conference for early detection of Alzheimer disease in Jerusalem. Given the opportunity to become a member in Gluck lab is a step to achieve my goal as a neuro pediatrician.

As Research Coordinator in the Gluck lab, I am responsible for the compliance of all documentation regarding human subject testing. I also help recruit subjects, maintain files on subjects/experiments, monitor the status of grants and collaborate on fundraising campaigns. I have an Admin. background, having worked in a variety fields including business, cultural and diplomatic in New York and in France.

My name is Shivangiben (Shiva) B. Patel. I live in Jersey City and I emigrated to the U.S. from India. I graduated from Dickinson High and am currently an undergraduate student at Rutgers University-Newark, with a major in Clinical Lab Sciences and minors in Biology and Chemistry. Since 2004 I have worked in the Gluck Lab as a Federal Work-Study student, where I have assisted in the animal lab, handling and caring for lab rats. I also work closely with the Research Coordinator helping in various administrative tasks.

I graduated from Westminster College, located in New Wilmington, Pa., in 2006. During my junior and senior years, I conducted my own research, entitled “Etiology of executive functioning deficits: Can they be attributed to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or comorbid depression?” In short, this research investigated the respective roles of obsessive-compulsive symptomology, comorbid depression, and hyperarousal in the impairment of executive functioning. I plan to resume my formal education within several years, my long-term goal being a Ph.D. In the meantime, I am delighted to gain research experience at CMBN under the supervision of Drs. Gluck and Myers.

Dr. Peter Amua-Quarshie:
(Community Outreach Coordinator for Newark, National African-American Alzheimer's Disease Health Literacy Program):
E-mail: pamuaquarshie@yahoo.com

Dr. Peter Amua-Quarshie received his medical degree from The University of Ghana Medical School in Ghana, West Africa, and his Masters of Public Health from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. Prior to attending Medical School he was a nursing assistant in the mental health field for over 2 years and has published research in the area of mental health in the workplace after receiving his MD. He has been involved in neuroscience research related to Alzheimer’s since coming to the US in 2004.

Arda Holtz:
E-mail: ardahotz@gmail.com

I graduated from Lafayette College in May 2008 with a B.S. degree in Neuroscience.? After volunteering for years with adults who have dementia, I have become very interested in learning more about the memory deficits characteristic of Alzheimer's Disease and other neurological disorders. I am excited to work with Drs. Gluck and Myers in the Memory Disorders Project. In the future, I hope to go on to medical school.

I am an Honors College undergraduate majoring in Chemistry. Currently, I am working in the lab under Dr. Myers on a genetics study. We are testing to see how a gene involved with seratonin affects learning and memory. I will apply the experience and knowledge I am acquiring at the Gluck Lab towards my future career in medicine.

I have recently finished my MBA at Baruch College, CUNY and have been commissioned to start a software development firm for two prominent ergonomic consulting firms based in New York and California. For the last two years I have been developing a web based application to help ergonomists determine risk in the workplace for both office and manufacturing environments. As this firm is a start-up firm and not yet running fulltime, I am able continue to build my freelance clientele as a webmaster which I have been doing since 1998.

Soumia Fares
E-mail: soumia@pegasus.rutgers.edu
Admininistrative Assistant

I'm Soumia, currently a freshman at Rutgers-Newark. I major in Chemistry and Psychology. I have a deep-rooted interest in the human brain in general, which led me here to the Gluck Lab. My future plans include attending medical school and becoming a psychiatrist.

Safa Kariti
E-mail: skariti@pegasus.rutgers.edu
Admininistrative Assistant

Currently a third year double major in Chemistry and Biology at Rutgers-Newark, I plan to graduate in May 2010 and go on to either medical school to become a medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathic medicine. My future plans could also include graduate school working towards a higher degree in Chemistry (still contemplating.) Then I will most likely be moving from the U.S. and taking my services back to the West Bank, the region I originate from.

I worked at CMBN from 2006-2007, took a brief break, and now I'm working here again. I'm presently responsible for assisting the administrative staff working hard at the Gluck lab.