Medical Student, BS Biochemistry
Ali Brandt joined the Peixoto lab in 2022. She graduated from Whitworth University where she obtained her undergraduate degree in biochemistry with a minor in biology and mathematics. While at Whitworth, she worked in Dr. Wheeler’s laboratory investigating molecular recognition profiles of diarylamides by using hot-stage thermomicroscopy of quasiracemic materials. Ali is currently enrolled as a medical student at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.

Research Student BS Human Physiology
Kaitlyn Ford joined the Peixoto lab in 2019 as an undergraduate research intern. She continued to work in the lab during her junior and senior years while she attended Gonzaga University. She graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Physiology and is now a post-baccalaureate research intern. In the lab, she is currently working on gene expression studies, as well as assisting with sleep studies in Autism mouse models, sleep analysis, tissue biopsies, and molecular benchwork. 

Dr. Abrar Al Maghribi joined the Peixoto lab in 2022. Previously, she completed her master’s degree with Dr. Rachita Sumbria at Keck Graduate Institute (KGI), using a mouse model to investigate potential treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease. Abrar enjoyed the possibility of improving healthcare for many (and she loved the Southern California sunshine!), inspiring her to pursue a PhD, which she completed with Dr. Angelika Niemz at KGI in May of 2021. Her research focused on point-of-care infectious disease diagnosis via isothermal nucleic acid amplification. Abrar’s studies included assay development and optimization, and she was able to accurately detect Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea in urine samples. In 2021, she moved to Spokane to be close to her family. In addition to managing the Autism mouse model colony for multiple projects in the lab, she is currently using electroencephalographic techniques to study sleep in a mouse model of Rett Syndrome. Abrar moved to the US when she was 18 years old and did not speak any English. She believes that nothing is impossible and that it is never too late to begin a new journey. She loves the outdoors and uses nature to reflect while hiking and camping.

Graduate Student, BA Psychology
Elizabeth Medina joined the Peixoto lab in 2018. Previously, she obtained her undergraduate degree in psychology from Winona State University in Minnesota. There, she worked in Dr. Richard Deyo’s laboratory investigating the neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease. Shortly after graduating she joined the Peixoto lab, first as a full time research assistant and now as a graduate student. Elizabeth Medina is a Neuroscience PhD candidate studying the role of sleep in neurodevelopmental disorders using genetic mouse models of autism. Elizabeth’s studies include electroencephalographic techniques, imaging methodologies, and genetic and computational approaches.

Research Intern, BS Environmental Science and Anthropology
Katelyn Middleton joined the Peixoto lab in 2023. Katelyn studied Environmental Science and Anthropology at Western Washington University and recently joined the lab as a post-baccalaureate research intern. In the lab, she is currently busy with molecular benchwork in addition to managing the Autism mouse model colony. Katelyn loves being outside, and when not in the lab you can find her exploring the beautiful hiking trails around Spokane with her puppy.

Medical Student, BS Biology, MPH Health Policy & Management, MS Applied Anatomy
Sarah Peterson joined the Peixoto lab in 2020. She graduated from Gonzaga University where she obtained her undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in psychology. Following this, she attended Case Western Reserve University to complete her Master of Science in Applied Anatomy. While attending graduate school, she worked as a Research Coordinator at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center on clinical trials for melanoma and prostate cancer research. She subsequently attended Kent State University, obtaining her Master of Public Health degree. Sarah is currently enrolled as a medical student at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, where she also serves as a Research Assistant on a HRSA funded grant, supporting student and clinic workshops for interprofessional team-based opioid education.

Undergraduate Student, BS Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry/Statistics & Data Science
Alex Popescu joined the Peixoto lab in June 2021 as a high school student after developing an interest in sleep genomics and neurological disorders at the SfN Global Connectome 2021, where he presented a poster on vitamin K2 and Alzheimer’s disease. As a research intern in the lab, he pursued an independent genomics data analysis project on reproducible gene expression changes in the mouse cortex in response to sleep deprivation and subsequent recovery sleep. He presented his poster “Transcriptional dynamics of sleep deprivation and subsequent recovery sleep in the murine cortex” at the International Society of Computational Biology’s 2022 ISMB Conference. He is currently pursuing a double major in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry and Statistics & Data Science at Yale University and intends to have a research career in academia.

Laboratory Manager
Dr. Kristan Singletary is a North Carolina and Virginia native where she studied hot sauces, BBQ, and saltwater fish.  She met the love of her life in Austin at the University of Texas where she studied hormones and neuropeptides involved in the sleep/wake cycle across vertebrates. She also investigated how nutrition, sleep/wake, and neuropeptides play a role in avian migration; Hook’em Horns!!  As a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, she suffocated from the virulent and devastating work environment, but she was interested in the interactions of maternal behaviors, UPR, stress, and sleep in offspring.  Additionally, she studied the functional connectivity of sleep/wake neuronal and hormone systems across sex and in aged mice. Kristan has also enjoyed medical writing, developing content for branded and unbranded pharmaceutical material.  She was reborn in the Inland Northwest and joined the Peixoto Lab in July of 2015 as lab manager. She also manages the lab next door, so she keeps herself busy.  She enjoys birdwatching, lifting weights, hiking, eating, wakeboarding, music, film, and adventurizing. She does miss saltwater fish and Eastern Carolina BBQ (and Texas BBQ!), but the immense variety of hops here takes her mind off all of that.