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THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM
Ashley is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. She received BS degrees in Biopsychology & Cognitive Science and General Biology from the University of Michigan where an intro psychology class set her on a path for sleep research. Ashley received her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan working with Dr. Mark Opp. She made transgenic mouse lines to study neuronal- and astroglial-specific contributions to sleep and neuroinflammatory interactions. Ashley then did a postdoc with Dr. Marcos Frank at Washington State University where she studied the role of astroglial calcium signaling in sleep expression and homeostasis. She found that astroglial calcium activity changes dynamically with sleep, wake, and sleep need and plays a role in compensatory responses to sleep loss. This work was funded by an F32 through NINDS, and she is currently funded via a K99/R00 through the BRAIN Initiative. She also loves to sing, DIY, perfect her smoked brisket, cheer the Detroit Lions on to a Super Bowl, and spend time with her husband and 3 kids.
CAROLINE JIPA, MS | Lab Manager & Research Technician
Caroline is the lab manager for the Ingiosi Lab. Caroline received her Bachelor of Science in Physics at The Ohio State University where she completed her honors thesis and was awarded the 2019 Goldwater Scholarship. She then earned her Master's in Medical Science at the University of Michigan where she developed an interest in neuroscience research. In her free time, she enjoys video games, walks, arts and crafts and spending time with her cat Willow.
Andrew is a second-year graduate student in the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Program. He graduated with a BS in biology and a minor in mathematics from Denison University in 2023. While at Denison, Andrew was named a Margaret Ann Watkins Scholar in 2021-2022 and a department Senior Fellow in 2022-2023. In his free time he enjoys rec sports, working out, cooking, and video games.
Emily is a first-year graduate student in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BSGP). She graduated with a BS in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she continued her research career post-graduation as a Research Assistant II. Here at OSU, she’s passionate about student leadership, participating as a member of both the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Organization (BSGO) as the vice president and Graduate Women in STEM (GWIS) as the public relations chair. She has a love for science education and mentorship, with hopes to matriculate to a career in academia as a PI and professor in the field of neuroscience. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking, hiking, and (similar to Caroline) spending time with her cat Luna.
BRETT STEFFENILLA | Undergraduate Research Assistant
Brett Steffenilla is an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University. He is a neuroscience major on the pre-med track hoping to become a doctor one day. Brett chose to research sleep because while working in the hospital setting, he noticed how a lack of sleep impacts both staff and patients negatively. By researching the mechanisms behind sleep for his honors thesis, he hopes to increase the field’s understanding and prioritization of this fundamental pillar of health.
VALERIE SIMON | Undergraduate Research Assistant
Valerie Simon is a third-year undergraduate at The Ohio State University. She is majoring in neuroscience with a specialization in cognitive and computational neuroscience. She also has two minors in pharmaceutical sciences and legal foundations of society. Valerie chose to research sleep because of the major role sleep plays in our lives and overall well-being. She wants to contribute to expanding our knowledge of astrocytes' role in sleep. In her free time, Valerie enjoys playing and watching sports, working out, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
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