YAPICILAB - Lab members

Associate Professor

Nilay Yapici is an Assistant Professor at Cornell University and Nancy and Peter Meinig Family Investigator. Her research focuses on understanding how animals make behavioral decisions by integrating their physiologic states and external sensory stimuli received from the environment. She earned her BA in molecular biology and genetics from Bogazici University in Turkey and went on to earn a PhD in 2008 at the University of Vienna where she worked with Barry Dickson at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP). She completed her postdoctoral training with Leslie Vosshall at Rockefeller University before joining Cornell as an Assistant Professor in 2016.

Deepthi Mahishi, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

After completing her master’s degree in 2013 from the University of Mysore, India, Deepthi worked as a research assistant at the Indian Institute of Science, exploring the world of Drosophila behavior and genetics. She obtained her Ph.D. degree in 2021 from the University of Leipzig, Germany. Deepthi continued studying the neural basis of foraging, chemosensation, and food choice behavior in Drosophila during her doctoral studies in the labs of Andreas Thum and Wolf Huetteroth. Her Ph.D. also focused on the role of neuropeptides in gut/brain signaling in flies. In the Yapici lab, she will work on understanding neural correlates of foraging and food intake using multi-photon microscopy and behavior. Apart from doing science, Deepthi spends her time volunteering for SciComm initiatives, petting and fussing over her pup - Curie, singing, reading books, hiking, and being an avid foodie.

Anna Gruzdeva

Graduate Student

Anna graduated from Moscow State University as a physiologist (MS). She studied mechanisms of memory encoding and retrieval in mice using in vivo 2-photon imaging of the neocortex and different behavioral tasks at the Kurchatovskiy Institute (Moscow). In 2019 Anna participated in the Transylvanian Experimental Neuroscience Summer School (TENSS) where she learned how to build microscopes and synchronize data acquisition systems, among other skills. There, she was also inspired by scientists from all around the world. After this experience, she worked as a technician at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology (Munich) where she recorded calcium activity in the deep structures of the mouse brain using fiber photometry. In 2020 Anna enrolled as a PhD student at Cornell University, where she studies the neural mechanisms of learning and their connection to state-dependent processes. Anna enjoys traveling, hiking, biking, and kickboxing.

Wenshuai Jiang

Graduate Student

Hailing from Wuhan, Wenshuai received his Bachelor’s degree in biopharmaceuticals before starting his gap year in the US. During his gap years at UC San Diego, he researched how dopamine metabolism at the blood-brain barrier regulates dopamine levels in the brain. In San Diego, he developed strong interests in burrito, beach, and system neuroscience which eventually led him to join the neurobiology PhD program at Cornell University. Now he is having fun exploring neuroscience, and studying how internal state influences mouse foraging strategy. Wenshuai tried parkour and Brazilian jiu-jitsu for a short period, he also loves biking, hiking, rock music, and making memes.

Anthony Rabinovich

Graduate Student

Anthony Rabinovich earned his BS in Molecular & Cellular Biology in 2024 from Johns Hopkins University, where he studied spider web repair behavior. He is currently working on the Drosophila foraging circuit. In his free time, Anthony enjoys fiddling with computers, cooking, and playing with his cat, Cannoli.

Renee Henderson

Rotation Student

Renee Henderson earned her BS in Neural Science in 2023 from New York University, where she studied the role of oxytocin in maternal care and how social interactions between female mice facilitate the transmission of effective caregiving behaviors. She is broadly interested in state-dependent decision-making—i.e., the hormonal and neuronal mechanisms underlying how internal states, such as hunger and reproductive cycles, shape behavior. Outside the lab, Renee enjoys swimming, reading fiction, listening to metal music, and restoring furniture.

Xinyue Cui

Research Specialist

Cui graduated from Zhejiang University as a biomedical science bachelor and from the University of Edinburgh as a Master of Science in 2016. She is currently working on solving the circuitry that regulates the activity of ingestion neurons in different physiological states. She enjoys playing instruments and interesting games in her free time.

Jamien Shea

Lab Manager/ Research Specialist

After earning his BS in Molecular Genetics from Fredonia State, Jamien was a scientist in multiple biotech startups and a genetic engineer for the Fetcho Lab here at Cornell and the Koyama group at Janelia Research Campus. Jamien’s main focus has been the development of novel proteins and expression constructs for studying neural circuitry in animals with an emphasis on fluorescent imaging in living animals. His free time is overbooked with carpentry, masonry, and metalworking projects, as well as being co-owner of Aurora Ale and Lager Brewery.

Sophie Gustin

Undergraduate research assistant

Sophie Gustin is a junior studying Biological Sciences and Health Equity in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. After graduation, she aspires to attend medical school and acquire the skills to serve as a clinical psychiatrist. She is particularly passionate about mental health awareness, health care policy, and community-based service work. In the Yapici Lab, she works under the mentorship of Ph.D. candidate Naman Agrawal to investigate the impact of serotonergic and dopaminergic neuromodulators on Drosophila behavior. Outside of the lab, she enjoys dancing and reading about philosophy.

Aanya Goel

Undergraduate research assistant

Aanya Goel is a junior studying Biology and Society in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her future pursuits involve attending medical school to alleviate the mental and physical symptoms associated with various chronic diseases and address public health disparities. She is particularly committed to health care equity and diet-based disease prevention initiatives. In the Yapici Lab, she works under the mentorship of Ph.D. candidate Wenshuai Jiang to explore the role of varying metabolic states on reward perception in dopaminergic system of the mammalian brain. Outside of the lab, she enjoys volunteering with elderly and baking fusion desserts.

Daniel Shi

Undergraduate research assistant

Daniel is a current undergrad studying Plant Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He is passionate about age-related neural dynamics and data analytics. His future pursuits involve attending medical school to further explore ways that bioinformatics could help make predictive analytics leveraging data to forecast disease progressions. In the Yapici Lab, he works under the mentorship of Ph.D. candidate Anna Gruzdeva to learn about the role of AgRP activity in space and spatial memory, particularly during foraging tasks. Outside of the lab, he enjoys bird watching, graphic design, and chipotle salads.

Yun Losson

Undergraduate research assistant

Yun is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is interested in the intersection of neuroscience, mathematics, and philosophy, and hopes to explore these fields further in her career. In the Yapici Lab, she works under the mentorship of Ph.D. candidate Wenshuai Jiang, exploring how metabolic states impact reward perception and foraging behavior in the mammalian brain. She contributes through carrying out data analysis and wet lab experiments. Outside of the lab, she enjoys bouldering and exploring new activities.