Team 

Post-Doctoral Researchers

Mike Newton, Ph.D 

Email: nemichae@umich.edu

Carli DeJulius, Ph.D 

Email: cdejuliu@umich.edu

Amit Chougule, Ph.D

Amit, originally from India, earned his undergraduate degree in Biotechnology before moving to the United States to pursue a master’s in biomedical sciences. He completed a PhD in Molecular Medicine at the University of Toledo, OH, where he focused on nuclear receptors in osteocytes and their role in linking bone, fat, and energy metabolism. At Henry Ford Health, MI, he investigated purinergic signaling pathways in osteocyte mechanosensitivity and bone health. Now, at the University of Michigan, in Drs. Maerz, Alford, and Hankenson's labs, he studies the roles of TSP1 and TSP2 in posttraumatic osteoarthritis and fracture healing, aiming to develop therapies for bone and joint repair. Amit enjoys running, music, and sports. 

Email: amitsc@umich.edu 

X: @Amit_C90

Amit’s publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=cPxo1MQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Lindsey Lammlin, PhD Student - Molecular and Integrative Physiology

Lindsey is a fourth 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 fourth-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 employs 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 

Helen is a second-year PhD student in Biomedical Engineering. She received her Bachelor's degree from the NCSU/UNC Joint Department of BME, and her Master's degree from the University of Michigan. Her research investigates the efferocytosis mechanism of synovial fibroblasts in PTOA using both in vitro and in vivo models. Outside of lab, Helen enjoys exploring new restaurants and coffee shops with her friends.

Email: hxtran@umich.edu

Adrienne Giannone, PhD Student - Cellular and Molecular Biology

Adrienne is a second-year PhD student in the Cellular and Molecular Biology program. She earned her bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Biophysics from UC Davis, and her master's degree in Biochemistry and Cellular Biology at Stony Brook University. Her research investigates the role of the transcription factor Sox5 in regulating the fate, function, and pathology of lining synovial fibroblasts in PTOA. She applies interdisciplinary bioinformatics, molecular, and in vivo approaches, with specific interests in epigenomics and 3D tissue culture systems. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading, running, building computers, and spending time with her cat. 

Email: aagiann@umich.edu 

X: @aagiannone 

Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6sUBcaQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=a

Aanya Mohan, Master's Student - Bioinformatics

Aanya is a second year Master’s student in the Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics. She received her Bachelor’s in Life Science Informatics from the University of Michigan, and has been a member of the Maerz Lab since 2022. Aanya’s work in the Maerz lab focuses on developing and optimizing various bioinformatics pipelines, specifically for single cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics data. Her main project has been conducting a meta-analysis between osteoarthritis and systemic sclerosis of the skin, to determine similar fibrotic patterns in the transcriptome across tissues.  She is also the primary analyst for Dr. Alex Knight’s project on integrative lineage tracing, leveraging single cell RNA sequencing to further understand the emergence of the synovial lining population in PTOA. Outside of lab, Aanya enjoys watching movies, cooking, traveling, and exploring new restaurants.

Email: aanyam@umich.edu

Danny Nguyen, Master's Student - Biomedical Engineering

Danny is a first-year Master’s student in Biomedical Engineering. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and was previously involved in clinical research involved in fibrosis in age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. His current work in the Maerz lab involves phenotyping fibrotic remodeling in articular fat in the context of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). He is in the process of developing and employing contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography techniques to visualize and track adipose tissue as it transitions into fibrotic tissue post-injury. Additionally, he is involved in developing immunofluorescent staining and quantification pipelines to trace the lineage/fate of key cell markers involved with fibrosis in the context of PTOA. Outside of lab, Danny enjoys watching and playing sports, jumping into any body of water, and grilling.

Email: danngu@umich.edu

Henry Dai, Master's Student - Bioinformatics

Henry is currently a first-year Master’s student in the Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics. He has been a member of the Maerz lab since 2023. Henry’s work focuses on optimizing the bulkRNA-seq pipeline, data analysis, and figure generation. Henry primarily works with Michael Newton and Lindsey Lammlin, with a focus on the thrombospodin-2 project. Outside of lab, Henry loves hip-hop dancing and learning more about personal finance.

Email: henrydai@umich.edu

Jared Sharnowski, Research Technician

Jared received a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering. Jared works within the lab as a technician, primarily assisting Alex Knights on his K99 grant investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of post-traumatic osteoarthritis that can be targeted for effective disease-modifying therapies. In his free time, Jared enjoys watching football, doing the NYT daily puzzles, and spending time with his dogs.

Email: sharnoja@umich.edu

Luke Stasikelis, Research Technician

Luke graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics. He began working in the Maerz lab in July 2024 as a Research Technician, primarily assisting Carli DeJulius with her project investigating synovial fibroblast CD38 in gout progression. In his free time, Luke enjoys playing tennis, fishing, and watching sports.

Email: stasikel@umich.edu

Morgan Whitaker, Research Technician

Morgan graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology in December of 2024. Morgan began her work in the Maerz lab in January of 2023 and has primarily assisted Easton Farrell in his work investigating synovial fibrosis and PTOA. She is taking a gap year and working as a lab technician assisting Easton Farrell and other PhD candidates with their experiments. She plans on applying to medical school during the 2025 application cycle. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, cooking, and hiking.

Email: mwhitak@umich.edu

Walker Ferry, Research Technician

Walker graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2023. In the lab, Walker primarily assists Carli DeJulius and other PhD candidates with their own experiments, but he especially enjoys working on Western Blot experiments, dissections, and microCT imaging. He thinks he will enjoy microsectioning as well once he gets more practice. When not in the lab, Walker enjoys going to concerts, knitting, crocheting, swimming, weight-lifting, exploring Ann Arbor, and watching sports, especially the St. Louis Cardinals/Blues and the Auburn Tigers.

Email: hughferr@umich.edu

Yashhvardhan Rajjput, Research Technician

Yashh graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in Human Biology. As a lab technician, Yashh assists Amit Chougule in research focused on the therapeutic applications of Thrombospondin-1 and -2, specifically in enhancing bone healing and regulating inflammation for post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Outside of the lab, Yashh pursues his interests in weightlifting, watching movies, and traveling.

Email: yashhvar@umich.edu

Alexandra (Lexie) Kahn, Undergraduate - School of Public Health, Ross School of Business

Lexie is a senior currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Sciences alongside a Business Minor. During her time in the lab, she has been assisting Easton Farrell on his project investigating the roles of synovial fibroblasts in post-traumatic osteoarthritis. In her free time, Lexie enjoys spending time with her friends around campus, trying new restaurants, reading, and testing different coffee orders.

Email: lexiemk@umich.edu

Arya Gandhi, Undergraduate - LS&A

Arya is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan on the pre-medical track. She is majoring in Biology, Health, and Society (BHS) and minoring in Crime and Justice. She assists Helen Tran on her project investigating autonomous RUNX2 suppression in genetically modified stem cell-derived chondrocytes as a disease-modifying therapeutic for PTOA. In her free time, Arya enjoys spending time outdoors, watching sports, running, baking, and hanging out with friends.

Email: asgandhi@umich.edu

George Esteve, Undergraduate - LS&A

George Esteve is a senior at the University of Michigan pursuing a Bachelor's of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, & Neuroscience. George began working with the Maerz Laboratory in August 2024, assisting PhD candidate Easton Farrell in his work on synovial fibrosis and PTOA. George spends some of his free time leading a healthcare consulting organization at Michigan. When not in lab, he also enjoys hybrid athletic training and playing the guitar.

Email: esteveg@umich.edu

Hunter Stabile, Undergraduate - LS&A

Hunter is a fifth-year student at the University of Michigan majoring in both Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN) and Spanish. A member of the Maerz lab since 2023, Hunter assists Easton in his work to explain the mechanobiology of synovial fibrosis in PTOA. In addition to his role at the Maerz lab, Hunter serves as the Co-President of the Global Surgery Student Alliance - UM Chapter and as a Global Health Policy Research Assistant for LFR International. Outside of work, Hunter enjoys spending free time learning languages and cooking. 

Email: hstabile@umich.edu

Izzy Smith, Undergraduate - LS&A

Izzy is a Senior at the University of Michigan and has been working in the Maerz lab since January 2023. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB). During her time in the lab, she assists Lindsey Lammlin with her project investigating the role of Thrombospondin 2 in joint growth and development through animal work and histology. She is also working on a senior thesis, exploring the role of Chemokine Ligand 16 in pain signaling. Following graduation in May 2025, Izzy plans on staying in orthopedics and pursuing a Ph.D. in physiology. In her free time, Izzy enjoys competing on the club gymnastics team, hiking, and baking. 

Email: izzysm@umich.edu

Javier Castro-Corral, Undergraduate

Email: javcas@umich.edu

Mario Kadnar, Undergraduate

Email: mkadnar@umich.edu

Md Muhtasim Fuad, Undergraduate - LS&A

Fuad is a senior at the University of Michigan and has been working in the Maerz lab since June 2024. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biomolecular Science (BMS) and minoring in Polymer Chemistry. During his time in the lab, he has been assisting Carli DeJulius in her project investigating synovial fibroblast CD38 in gout progression. After graduation in April 2026, Fuad plans on doing a Masters in Chemical Biology of Cancer before applying to medical school. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games, watching UFC fights and movies with friends, and trying new burger places around Ann Arbor.

Email: mfuad@umich.edu

Nikhil Kondagunta, Undergraduate - Kinesiology

Nikhil is a junior studying movement science on the pre-med track. He has worked in the lab since June 2024 and is interested in sports medicine. In his free time, he loves to play pickleball!

Email: nkonda@umich.edu

Salem Wang, Undergraduate - LS&A

Salem is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry. She has been working in the lab since October 2024 and has been assisting Adrienne Giannone in her work investigating the role of Sox5 in lining synovial fibroblasts in PTOA. In her free time, she likes to write short stories, ballroom dance, and cook for friends and family.

Email: salemw@umich.edu

Scarlet Howser, Undergraduate - Kinesiology

Scarlet is a Senior at the University of Michigan and has been working in the Maerz lab since May 2023. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Movement Science from the School of Kinesiology. 

Email: showser@umich.edu

Bonnie Huynh, Undergraduate - LS&A

Email: bonhuynh@umich.edu

Alex Knights, Ph.D 

Alex received a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from NIAMS and is now an Assistant Professor at Washington University's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, where his lab studies tissue crosstalk in joint disease.

Alex's Publications

https://orthopaedicresearch.wustl.edu/labs/alexander-knights/

Paul Lais, Undergraduate - LS&A

Paul graduated from the University of Michigan in May of 2024 with a degree in Biochemistry and has been working in the lab since May of 2022. He plans on taking a gap year and applying to medical school in the fall of 2025. 

Email: paullais@umich.edu

Eleanor Knight, Undergraduate - LS&A

Eleanor received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Health, and Society (BHS). During her time in the lab, she assisted Easton Farrell on his project investigating the roles of synovial fibroblasts in post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Following graduation in May of 2024, Eleanor began working for Stryker. 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 received a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Environment. Rida spent 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

Seth Kahan, Research Technician

Email: skahan@umich.edu

Sofia Gonzalez-Nolde, Research Technician

Email: sogo@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