People

Gerald (Gerry) Downes

Principle Investigator

Gerry Downes is a Professor of Biology at UMass Amherst. Originally from Kingston Mass., he obtained a B.S. in Biology from Johnson C Smith University in Charlotte North Carolina and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis. At Wash U., Gerry worked on heterotrimeric G proteins. He conducted his postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, which is where he first began working with zebrafish. In 2005, Gerry came back to his home state and joined the faculty of UMass Amherst.

Fun fact: Gerry was a breakdancer- a really long time ago.
E-mail: gbdownes_umass.edu

Carson Martin

Lab and Fish Facility Manager- Also an Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Masters Student in the Blanchard Lab 

Fun fact: Carson is ambidextrous.
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
E-mail: carolinemart_umass.edu

Gregory Teicher

Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Student

Originally from Newton, MA, Gregory Teicher received his B.S. with an emphasis in Biology from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. He received his M.S. in Medical Science from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, where he completed his master’s thesis on the roles of purinergic signaling in regulating cytoskeletal rearrangements during wound healing in the cornea. Now a Ph.D. Student in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program at UMass Amherst, his research in the Downes Laboratory currently focuses on amino acid metabolism and mTOR signaling in nervous system development and epilepsy. Gregory maintains an active interest in the application of computational methods toward understanding biological systems and processes. He also has a strong interest in educational theory and reform.

Fun fact: Gregory has at various points played guitar, piano, and violin, and has recently started making electronic music.
E-mail: gteicher_mcb.umass.edu

Madison Riffe

Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Student

Madison Riffe is a Neuroscience and Behavior student at UMass Amherst. Originally from Charleston, West Virginia, Madison went on to earn a B.S. in Biology at West Virginia University. Her thesis is project is to use zebrafish to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie TBCK Syndrome and related disorders.

Fun fact: Madison has a black belt in a martial art. Don’t mess with her!
E-mail: rriffe_umass.edu

Liz Beech

Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Student

Fun fact:
E-mail:

Malia Cole

Undergraduate Student, Psychological and Brain Science Major (Neuroscience Track)

Fun fact: Malia spends most of her free time crocheting.
Hometown: Beverly, MA
E-mail: mmcole_umass.edu

Isabella Tancredo

Undergraduate Student, Biology and Portuguese double major

Fun fact: Isabella is trilingual.
Hometown: Watertown, MA
E-mail: itancredo_umass.edu

Rodrigo Vieira

Undergraduate Student, Biochemistry Major

Fun fact: Rodrigo enjoys snowmobiling and paragliding in his free time.
Originally from: Timoteo, MG, Brazil
E-mail: rmvieira_umass.edu

Colin Wood

Undergraduate Student, Biology Major

Fun fact: Colin placed 1st in Central Massachusetts and 4th in the US for the 2018 Brain Bee neuroscience competition.
Originally from: Grafton, MA
E-mail: colinwood_umass.edu