Originally from the North East part of France, I grew up in a small town surrounded by nature. I've always been interested in animal behavior, biology and genetics. My initial training after high school was as a medical lab technician, but once I've set a foot in a research lab, I couldn't get enough! I got an opportunity to reconcile my passion for behavior with my undergrad training in biochemistry and molecular biology when I joined the Joint Master in Neuroscience at the University of Strasbourg. I pursed with a PhD with Michael Reber at the INCI during which I studied the development of visual maps in the mouse superior colliculus. I had found my structure of interest! After obtaining my PhD, I had to know more about the physiology and behavioral implication of this structure, and with this in mind, decided to join Jianhua Cang's lab (JC) for a post-doc. Since then, I've been characterizing the visual responses, organization and modulation in this structure, hoping to reconcile physiology with behavior.  There is still a long way to go, and I'm pretty excited to take this work to the next level within my own lab at the University of Michigan!

Contact: esavier@med.umich.edu

 I earned my Masters and PhD from Wayne State University (School of Medicine) and lived long enough in Detroit to call myself a proud ‘Michigander’. My PhD thesis offered me a unique experience of exploring the anti-cancer therapy in the context of synaptic dysfunction. My work investigated mechanisms due to which cisplatin induces cytotoxic response in non-tumor cells, depletes cochlear ribbon synapses and contributes to side-effects such as synaptic dysfunction and ototoxicity. After my PhD, I worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York) to hone my skills at translational research. I worked on delineating the mechanisms by which common genomic events drive initiation and progression of soft tissue tumors. I have a publication in progress for this work. In the July of 2024, I was honored to get an opportunity to work with Savier lab. I am motivated by the techniques my current lab uses to study how visual information is processed in the brain, also my PhD experience on understanding how brain processes sensory information such as sound stimulus has proven valuable in embarking on this new area of research. Outside work, I love stargazing, watching Netflix and spending time with my husband 

 Xena recently graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in computational neuroscience. Her scientific interests include biointerfaces, neuromorphic computing, and anti-aging research. She plans on eventually pursuing a PhD in the biomedical sciences. Besides doing science, her idea of a good day also involves music, fashion and makeup, DIY projects, socializing, and writing science fiction. 

Abdullah Masri, originally from Iowa, graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Biology and obtained a Masters in Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Michigan. He plans to pursue medical school in the near future. Outside the lab his hobbies include kayaking, attempting to cook, and adventuring around Ann Arbor.

Alex Ford grew up in Michigan, attaining a Psychology degree from Eastern Michigan University before deciding to pursue graduate study in neuroscience. He is a current PhD candidate in the University of Michigan’s Neuroscience Graduate Program, with research interests that include the foundations of how the brain processes sensory information, from circuits to behavior, and has worked on both the auditory and visual systems. Outside the lab you’ll probably find him reading and writing, painting, and spending time in the great outdoors.