Tianyi Mao, Senior Scientist and Principal Investigator
Contact: mao AT ohsu DOT edu

After earning her B.S. in Biological Science and Biotechnology at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China in 1997, Mao received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2005. She did postdoctoral research at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and then at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Farm Research Campus. Mao was appointed as an assistant scientist at the Vollum Institute in September 2010 and was promoted to Scientist in 2017 and to Senior Scientist in 2024.

Landon Bayless-Edwards, MD/PhD Student
Contact: baylesse AT ohsu DOT edu

Landon is an MD/PhD student who joined the Mao lab in spring 2021. In 2016 she received Bachelors of Science degrees in Biology and Environmental Studies from Warren Wilson College, and in 2019 she received a Masters of Science in Biology from Idaho State University. Her master's thesis was focused on the effect of point mutations implicated in paralysis disorders on voltage-gated sodium channel gating. In the Mao lab she plans to use two-photon imaging to understand opioid neuromodulation in brain regions associated with affective pain. Outside of lab she enjoys hiking, gardening, and spending time with her wife and son.

Yang Chen, Graduate Student
Contact: chenyan AT ohsu DOT edu

Yang joined the Mao lab in 2018 as an NGP graduate student. She earned her B.A. in Biological Chemistry from Grinnell College, where she studied the effect of homocysteine on neurotransmission in the mouse neuromuscular junction. For her graduate work, Yang plans to explore subregional inhibitory circuits in the striatum using laser scanning photostimulation combined with electrophysiology. Outside of the lab, Yang enjoys music, travelling and developing cooking recipes.

Ian Gingerich, Research Assistant 2
Contact: gingerii AT ohsu DOT edu

Ian joined the Mao lab in January 2020 as a research assistant. He earned his B.A. in Biology from Whitman College, where he investigated eye and head movement deficits in concussion patients. As a researcher in the Mao lab, Ian plans to investigate insular circuits and cell types utilizing electrophysiology. Outside the lab he volunteers with a youth mountaineering organization and enjoys rock climbing and skiing in the Cascades.

James Jones, Postdoctoral Fellow
Contact: jonejame AT ohsu DOT edu

James joined the Mao lab in March 2024 as a postdoctoral researcher. In 2019, he earned his B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience at the University of California in San Diego. In 2023, he earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Texas in San Antonio, where he worked with Dr. Charles Wilson to study how neurons in the basal ganglia communicate via inhibitory synapses. In the Mao lab, he plans to continue studying the basal ganglia, but shift his focus to their integration of synaptic excitation from the thalamus and cortex, while also studying the subcellular signaling cascades engaged by neuromodulator release at these same circuits. Outside of the lab, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two cats, reading, listening to music, and running.

Bart Jongbloets, Visiting Scientist
Contact: jongbloe AT ohsu DOT edu

Bart earned his Ph.D. at the Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Translational Neuroscience, in Utrecht, the Netherlands. During his graduate studies he identified novel roles for Semaphorin 7A, an axon guidance protein, in the adult brain. Combining his expertise in biochemistry and genetics with electrophysiology, optogenetics and 2-photon imaging, Bart investigates the heterogeneity of functional circuitry in the striatum. He joined the Mao lab in summer 2015 as a postdoctoral fellow and transitioned to his current visting scientist position in 2020. Outside the lab, Bart enjoys testing new cooking protocols and kitesurfing.

Michael Muniak, Assistant Staff Scientist
Contact: muniak AT ohsu DOT edu

Michael joined the Mao lab at the start of 2019 as an assistant staff scientist. He was raised in the hinterlands of northern Michigan before spending ten years in Baltimore, MD, where he earned both his B.A. (2005) and Ph.D. (2011) from Johns Hopkins University under the mentorship of Prof. David Ryugo. He then followed Prof. Ryugo to the antipodes, continuing his research on the structure and function of central auditory pathways as a postdoc at the Garvan Institute in Sydney, Australia. He will now apply his expertise on reconstructing and objectively characterizing neural circuits to the central nervous system. Beyond the bench, Michael maintains an ever-growing record collection that stretches common definitions of music, supports the experimental arts community, and enjoys exploring the outdoors with his partner.

Maozhen Qin, Senior Research Assistant and Lab Manager
Contact: qinm AT ohsu DOT edu

Maozhen obtained a bachelor's degree in nursing in China and has been working as a research assistant since 2008. She joined the Mao lab in 2011 where she quickly became the "go-to" person for genotyping, culturing slices, performing animal surgeries, and maintaining the inventory of lab supplies. Outside of work, Maozhen enjoys camping and hiking.