Team 

Post-Doctoral Researchers

Alex Knights, Ph.D 

Alex hails from Sydney, Australia, where he gained his PhD studying how immune cells like macrophages and eosinophils regulate inflammation and metabolism. Following his graduate studies, Alex moved to the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute, to investigate immune cells that secrete acetylcholine to regulate adipose and liver function. Now, in the labs of Drs. Maerz and Hankenson, he aims to better understand the intricate crosstalk that takes place between different cell types residing in the joint microenvironment, with a particular focus on the role of R-spondin 2, a Wnt signaling agonist. For leisure, Alex enjoys outdoor pursuits like sports, hiking, camping and birdwatching, while also being an avid history and wildlife enthusiast. 

Email: aknights@umich.edu

Twitter: @ajknights7

Alex's Publications

Mike Newton, Ph.D 

Email: nemichae@umich.edu

Amit Chougule, Ph.D 

Email: amitsc@umich.edu

Carli DeJulius, Ph.D 

Email: cdejuliu@umich.edu

Lindsey Lammlin, PhD Student - Molecular and Integrative Physiology

Lindsey is a third year PhD candidate in the Molecular and Integrative Physiology program, and has been a member of the Maerz lab since 2019. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020 where she double majored in Biochemistry and Earth & Environmental Science. Lindsey is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. During her PhD, she will explore the roles of thrombospondin and R-spondin/Wnt signaling in joint injury and development. Outside of lab, Lindsey enjoys weightlifting, disc golfing, yard games (especially cornhole!), and baking cookies. 

Email: zlammlin@umich.edu

Twitter: @zlammlin

Easton Farrell, PhD Student - Biomedical Engineering 

Easton is a third year PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Michigan, and previously studied spatiotemporally controllable induction of myofibroblast phenotype under focused ultrasound and local matrix strain. His work in the Maerz lab focuses on the mechanobiology of synovial fibrosis and the response of synovial fibroblasts to modulated mechanical ECM characteristics in PTOA. Understanding the initial molecular interpreters of mechanical injury and the exacerbatory pathways they stimulate is important in identifying possible upstream targets in PTOA. He heavily employ bioinformatics techniques in his studies to identify differentially expressed genes, specialized fibroblast subtypes, and patterns of signaling interactions in injured tissue. Outside of the lab, he enjoys writing fiction stories, and he hopes to be an author following obtaining his PhD. 

Email: farreeas@umich.edu

Helen Tran, PhD Student - Biomedical Engineering 

Email: hxtran@umich.edu

Adrienne Giannone, PhD Student - Cellular and Molecular Biology

Email: aagiann@umich.edu

Aanya Mohan, Master's Student - Bioinformatics

Email: aanyam@umich.edu

Seth Kahan, Research Technician

Email: skahan@umich.edu

Sofia Gonzalez-Nolde, Research Technician

Email: sogo@umich.edu

Danny Nguyen, Research Technician

Email: danngu@umich.edu

Eleanor Knight, Undergraduate - LS&A

Eleanor is a sophomore at the University of Michigan and has been working in the Maerz lab since October of 2021. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Health, and Society (BHS). During her time in the lab, she assists Easton Farrell on his project investigating the roles of synovial fibroblasts in post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Following graduation in May of 2024, Eleanor plans on attending medical school. In her free time, Eleanor enjoys spending time outdoors, watching Michigan football, cooking, and baking sourdough bread. 

Email: eleanork@umich.edu

Rida Pervez, Undergraduate - LS&A

Rida is a sophomore at the University of Michigan pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Environment. Since joining the lab in October of 2020, Rida spends her time assisting Dr. Alexander Knights on his project elucidating the role of Rspo2 in the progression of PTOA. Following graduation in May of 2024, Rida plans to attend medical school. In her free time, Rida enjoys kickboxing, photography, and exploring Ann Arbor’s coffee scene. 

Email: pervezri@umich.edu

Paul Lais, Undergraduate - LS&A

Email: paullais@umich.edu

Izzy Smith, Undergraduate - LS&A

Email: izzysm@umich.edu

Scarlet Howser, Undergraduate - Kinesiology

Email: showser@umich.edu

Henry Dai, Undergraduate - Engineering

Email: henrydai@umich.edu

Hunter Stabile, Undergraduate - LS&A

Email: hstabile@umich.edu

Lexi Kahn, Undergraduate - LS&A

Email: lexiemk@umich.edu

Bonnie Huynh, Undergraduate - LS&A

Email: bonhuynh@umich.edu

Morgan Whitaker, Undergraduate - LS&A

Email: mwhitak@umich.edu

Lucas Junginger, Research Laboratory Specialist 

Lucas grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2017 with a double major in neuroscience and computer science. Lucas' undergraduate research focused on the development of a Drosophila model of axonal injury at the neuromuscular junction. During his time in the lab, he focused on two topics: 1) TSP-2's anti-angiogenic function and its role in the progression of post-traumatic osteoarthritis, 2) novel computational methods for automation of image analysis. On the side, Lucas also pursued a part-time MBA at University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. 

Email: lmjun@umich.edu

Rachel Bergman, Medical Student - University of Michigan 

Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Northwestern University. After spending a year conducting clinical research at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, she began medical school at the University of Michigan in 2017. With a career interest in Academic Orthopaedic Surgery, Rachel took a leave from the Medical School to spend a year in the Maerz lab to learn basic science laboratory techniques and conduct her own project, studying sex differences in PTOA utilizing the lab's non-invasive murine model of ACL rupture. In her free time, Rachel enjoys spending time with family and friends, outdoor activities and exercise, exploring Ann Arbor's restaurants, cooking, as well as a newfound interest in mixology. Rachel is now completing her residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern University.

Email: rfbergma@med.umich.edu

Olivia Ellis, Undergraduate - Engineering

Olivia graduated with a Bachelor's in biomedical engineering with a minor in computer science. As a member of the bioinformatics team, she analyzed single cell RNA-sequencing data. Olivia is currently working full time for Eli Lilly.

Email: oellis@umich.edu 

Monique Cruz, Undergraduate - LS&A

Monique graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's in Biology, Health, and Society (BHS). Monique assisted with histology priorities for various projects within the lab. With her BHS degree she plans to attend medical school. Monique enjoys reading, going to the gym, and spending time with her little sister for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Detroit program. 

Email: cruzmoni@umich.edu 

Alexa Samani, Undergraduate - LS&A

Alexa graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Spanish with a minor in business in May of 2023. During her time in the lab, she assisted Rachel Bergman and Lindsey Lammlin in their project studying sex differences in PTOA through work in histology. Currently, she is attending dental school at the University of Michigan.

Email: alexasam@umich.edu

Sunghun Cheong, Undergraduate - Engineering

Sunghun graduated with his Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Biomechanics at the University of Michigan in 2021. During his time in lab, Sunghun worked with Raman spectroscopy to assist the research laboratory specialist, Lucas Junginger, with the study of the anti-angiogenic function of TSP-2 and TSP-2's role in the progression of PTOA. Sunghun is currently pursuing a PhD in Bioengineering at Seoul National University. His research is focused on "organ-on-a-chip" models. Specifically, he is interested in brain-on-a-chip, bone-on-a-chip, and lymph-on-a-chip .

Email: shcheong@umich.edu

Rose Darcy, Undergraduate - Kinesiology

Rose graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Movement Science in the School of Kinesiology with a minor in Spanish Language and Literature at the University of Michigan in 2021. After working with Dr. Maerz on a project to elucidate the local and systemic effects of ischemic therapy in 2018-2019, Rose joined the Maerz lab where she primarily worked under medical student Rachel Bergman and Dr. Alex Knights on their projects studying sex differences in PTOA and the role of R-spondin 2 in the development of osteoarthritis, respectively. Rose graduated in May of 2021 and is currently working towards her medical degree at Northwestern University.

Email: rdarcy@umich.edu

Sam Goldman, Undergraduate - Kinesiology

After graduating from the University of Michigan's School of Kinesiology in 2021 with a B.S. in Movement Science, Sam pursued a gap year as a clinical research coordinator for the Integrated Spine Research Program (ISRP) at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, New York. In this role, he conducted basic science cell culture experiments with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), analyzing how varying surface porosities on 3D printed titanium spine implants affect bone growth and the osteopromotive environment. His goal was to determine how to maximize bone growth which could ultimately translate into the development of more successful spinal fusion surgeries. Additionally, he is involved in clinical trials investigating bone graft substitutes in spinal fusion surgery and studies comparing pedicle screw accuracy in robotic-assisted surgery vs. freehand spinal surgery. Following his gap year, Sam plans to pursue a medical degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine beginning in August 2022. 

Email: samngold@umich.edu

Phillip Rzeczycki, Ph.D - Post-doctoral Researcher

Phil Rzeczycki was a post-doctoral researcher in the Maerz lab. He studied how cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system are involved in the inflammatory and catabolic processes of PTOA, and if these compounds could be therapeutically beneficial. Phil completed his PhD at the University of Michigan in 2018 in pharmaceutical sciences, and graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2013 with a degree in chemistry. In his free time, Phil enjoys cooking, playing with his dog Faye, and watching UConn basketball.  Currently, Phil is working for Cayman Chemical here in Ann Arbor.

Phil's Pubmed Publications

Email: pmrzec@umich.edu

Stephen Redding , Research Technician 

Stephen graduated with a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan. A forever Wolverine, he then began a Master of Physiology program, during which he started in the Maerz lab. Since the conferral of his Master’s, he has continued to study chemokine expression in joint tissues following mouse ACL rupture. Currently, Stephen is attending medical school and hopes to become an orthopaedic trauma surgeon and continue orthopaedic research. In his free time, Stephen works as an emergency medical technician and spends time with family and friends.

Email: sjredd@umich.edu

Cody Rasner, Masters Student - Physiology 

Cody was raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan before moving to Nashville, TN where he studied biology at Belmont University. While working in the Maerz Laboratory, he pursued a Master of Science in Physiology at the University of Michigan and investigated the role of the endocannabinoid system in post-traumatic osteoarthritis. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, camping, and anything fitness related. Currently, Cody is attending medical school at the University of Minnesota and plans to pursue a career in research-based medicine.

Email: crasner@umich.edu