SBMS Trainee: Tanya Victor
Graduate Advisor: Dr. Stella Tsirka
Clinical Advisor: Dr. Louis Manganas
Graduate Program: Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
Email: tanya.victor@stonybrook.edu
Originally from Long Island, Tanya left to obtain an M.S. in biomedical sciences with a concentration in molecular genetics. After working as a clinical research scientist in Albany, NY, Tanya was drawn back to continue her education. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology program working in Dr. Stella Tsirka’s lab. Her research investigates the interactions between microglia (the immune cells of the central nervous system) and other cells in the brain. She is utilizing an in vivo model of epilepsy to examine the pathways by which microglia affect epileptic seizures, how they modulate the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus, and the signaling mechanisms in microglia that cannabidiol (a non-psychotropic component of marijuana) uses to lessen seizure incidence. When not in the lab or classes, Tanya enjoys music, grilling, spending time with her family, amusement parks and building Lego.
