Valentina Cigliola, PhD
Assistant Professor
​Department of Pharmacology 
Vanderbilt Brain Institute 
Vanderbilt University

Valentina has a long standing interest in the biology of tissue regeneration. After a Master degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Bari (Italy), she moved to Cambridge (UK) for a research internship at the Mitochondrial Biology Unit. She received her PhD in the laboratory of Dr. Pedro Herrera at the University of Geneva (Switzerland), where she characterized regeneration of insulin-producing beta cells during diabetes. She then completed her postdoctoral training with Ken Poss at Duke University (USA), where she characterized mechanisms of heart and spinal cord regeneration using zebrafish and mouse models. She established her lab at the Institute of Biology Valrose in Nice (France) in the spring of 2023 and moved to Vanderbilt University in August 2024. 
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Contact: [email protected]
Bsky / Twitter: @CigliolaLab

Nicolas Noel
Research Assistant

Paige Pfotenhauer
Graduate Student

Miles Dryden
Graduate Student

Barera Ajaz
Undergraduate Researcher

Abhiram Chilakamarri ​
Undergraduate Researcher

Christina Avila
Undergraduate Researcher

Ava Aria
Undergraduate Researcher

Nina Zhang
Medical Student

Violet Hensen
​Visiting High School Student

Nic grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He went on to receive a B.S. in Aquatic Biology from the University of California Santa Barbara. During his time at UCSB he participated in a developmental research program at the University of Queensland, Australia, and served as an undergraduate researcher in the Oakley Evolutionary Biology Lab where he studied ostracod morphology and embryogenesis. Outside the lab Nic enjoys backpacking, photography, rock climbing, fishing, and golfing.
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​Contact: [email protected]

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​Paige is a PhD student in the Department of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. She is a Minnesota native and a graduate of Trine University, where she received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. During her undergraduate career, she investigated nanoparticle-based therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and strategies for drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier. As a post-baccalaureate student, she conducted research in the Van Cleve Cardiac Regenerative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic, focusing on engineered exosome therapies. Outside the lab, Paige enjoys reading, strolling through Centennial Park, and exploring Nashville’s food scene.

Contact: [email protected]

​Miles is a PhD student in Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. Miles grew up in Colorado where he attended the University of Colorado Denver, becoming a MARC research scholar, and earning his B.S. in Psychology. As an undergraduate, Miles studied how the reproductive cycle modulates the neural circuits involved in fear extinction and stress. In his free time, Miles enjoys hiking, music, and video games.

Contact: [email protected]

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​Barera is a junior undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Data Science. She gained experience in single-cell genomics at Junhyong Kim’s lab at the University of Pennsylvania, and in developmental biology techniques at Marianne Bronner’s lab at Caltech. On campus, she is the Vice President of the national service frat, Alpha Phi Omega, and in her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, and listening to new music!

Contact: [email protected]
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​Abhiram is a second-year undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University double majoring in Neuroscience and Medicine, Health, and Society. On campus, he participates in events for Vandy Active Minds and Nashville Rescue Mission. In his free time, he enjoys playing the violin, spending time outdoors, and playing basketball and soccer with friends.

Contact: [email protected]
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​Christina is a fourth-year student at Vanderbilt University, double majoring in Neuroscience and European Studies on the Pre-Med track. Originally from Miami, she recently attended a summer neuroscience research program in Germany, which combined and nurtured her passion for her majors. On campus, she is involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Minority Association of Pre-Med Students. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing the piano and singing, and watching soccer and other sports.

Contact: [email protected]
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Ava is a second-year undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University, double majoring in Neuroscience and Medicine, Health, and Society. She previously worked in the Mas Lab at the University of Maryland, where she gained experience in mitochondrial transplantation after ischemic injury. On campus, she is involved in the Multicultural Leadership Council, Middle Eastern North African Student Association, and Vanderbilt Iranian Student Association. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, photography, and spending time with friends.

​​Contact: [email protected]

Nina is a first-year medical student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (MD ’28). She completed her undergraduate degrees in Neuroscience and German Studies at Duke University (BS ’24). Her honors thesis in the lab of Dr. Timothy Faw explored strategies to treat spinal cord injury in mice. Prior to that, as a 2022 NeuroSURP scholar in the lab of Dr. Rafiq Huda at Rutgers University, she investigated the effects of astrocyte Ca2+ signaling on Parkinson's Disease motor symptoms. Outside of school and lab, Nina is working on exploring Nashville!

Contact: ​[email protected]

​Violet is a junior at Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School working in the Cigliola Lab under a research internship with the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV), a four-year high school joint venture program with Vanderbilt and Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). During her last three years with the SSMV, she has been involved in the effects of addictive substances on brown planarian behavior, the effect of color association on recognition of text-to-color connections, as well as the effect of varying water intake on pea plants and desert plants. In her free time, she works as the 2025 Nashville Youth Poet Laureate with Southern Word, and enjoys the outdoors, listening to music, and practicing performances for her school choir.
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Contact: [email protected]