Ryann Fame PhD joined the faculty at Stanford University in 2022. Following her undergraduate degree in Biology and Chemistry at the College of William and Mary, Dr. Fame completed a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University. She completed her postdoctoral fellowships at The Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT and at Boston Children’s Hospital Pathology Department. Her research program encompasses the early neural stem cell niche, neural tube closure, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), metabolism, and cortical neuronal development. As a stem cell and developmental molecular biologist, Dr. Fame is dedicated to broad collaboration focused on translating an understanding of neural development and CSF biology into regenerative strategies for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disease. Outside of research, she is an avid swimmer and cyclist who sometimes crochets or plays the clarinet.

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Luke completed his doctoral training in toxicology at Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana). Under the supervision of Dr. Wei Zheng, he studied the mechanism by which choroid plexus (a heavy metal accumulation organ upon overexposure) modulates the subventricular zone adult neurogenesis and olfactory function through secretion of extracellular vesicles. Outside the lab, Luke enjoys basketball.
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Sonia Nan Kim is a neuroscientist interested in the genetic regulation underlying human brain development & disease. Sonia Nan received her B.S. in molecular biology & M.S. in biology from the University of California-San Diego with Dr. Lawrence S.B. Goldstein, studying synaptic defects in neurodegeneration. She received her Ph.D. in Biological & Biomedical Sciences from Harvard University with Dr. Christopher A. Walsh. In her doctoral research, she used somatic mutations as lineage markers to study the clonal architecture of the human cortex. She then worked with Dr. Howard Chang at Stanford University, developing RNA technologies for neurological therapeutics. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Fame lab, Sonia Nan is investigating the molecular regulators that direct choroid plexus development. Outside of lab, she is an artist specializing in three-dimensional art work.
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Shima Rastegar is a neuroscientist passionate about understanding how brain circuits are formed and how the brain’s surrounding fluid environment—cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)—can be leveraged to influence circuit connectivity. She earned her PhD at McGill University in Canada, where she investigated the development of somatosensory circuits from the spinal cord to the brain using transgenic mouse models. Her work highlighted critical periods during which proper connectivity is established—windows that, if disrupted, may contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders.Motivated by the potential of CSF to exert a broad influence on circuit formation and offer new avenues for modulating brain wiring in health and disease, Shima now focuses her postdoctoral research in the Fame Lab on CSF as an active signaling medium that regulates neuronal proliferation and migration. She is investigating how imbalances in CSF composition may alter neuronal trajectories and disrupt circuit formation—mechanisms implicated in neurological conditions such as epilepsy and autism.Outside the lab, Shima is an electronic music enthusiast, fascinated by human consciousness, and finds joy in biking and hiking through nature.
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Blake is a graduate student in the neuroscience PhD program at Stanford. They received a BS in brain and cognitive sciences in 2020 from MIT, where they studied adult neurogenesis and profiled recurrent thalamocortical networks. These days, Blake explores how cerebrospinal fluid impacts brain development. In their spare time, Blake makes bad presentation slides, attempts various crafts, pursues the affection of nearby cats, and practices fire arts.

Hi, I'm Arjun! I started my Ph.D. in Developmental Biology in 2022. I am originally from the east coast and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2021 with a degree in biomedical engineering and minors in philosophy & mathematics. I did my undergraduate research in Dr. Cheng-Yu Lee’s lab and studied gene regulation & fate determination in fly neural stem cells. I am currently interested in how chromatin state of forebrain progenitors changes during neural tube closure and the role of gene regulation on stem cell function. In my free time, I enjoy being a mediocre chess player, following the news, consuming large amounts of panda express, and being an avid Patriots fan.

Hi! I’m Sophia, a graduate student in the Developmental Biology department. I’m originally from Arizona and completed my undergraduate degree in biochemistry at MIT in 2023. While at MIT, I studied collagen folding and proteostasis in healthy and diseased states using both direct biochemical methods as well as modeling via iPSC-generated spheroids, or, as we coined them, “chondronoids.” While rotating, I initiated using choroid plexus organoids in the Fame lab, and I look forward to continuing to harness in vitro models to better understand choroid plexus function and development. Outside of lab, I enjoy watching and documenting movies on Letterboxd (non-snobbishly I promise), baking and sharing sugary goods, and, like Blake, seeking the affection of any and all nearby cats.

Sarah Rockwood is an MD-PhD student in the Stanford MSTP and Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine PhD program. She grew up in Orinda, CA and received her B.A. at UC Berkeley in 2019, where she studied Neurobiology and completed her Honors Thesis with Dr. David Schaffer, studying neural stem cells and optogenetics. She was highly involved in Cal Triathlon, Net Impact consulting, and APSA at Berkeley. She then worked at the Gladstone Institutes at UCSF with Dr. Todd McDevitt and Dr. Bruce Conklin studying iPSC-derived cardiac tissue models and SARS-CoV-2 infection of the heart. She is co-mentored with Dr. Anca Pasca in Pediatrics, where she studies neuroprotective therapies for neonatal hypoxic injury of prematurity. Between the two labs, she is interested in studying how the young brain can be protected from hypoxia. Outside of lab, she enjoys trail running, backpacking, backcountry skiing, cycling, ceramics, cooking, writing & publishing, student government, and community building.
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Hi! I'm Hannah and I'm a sophomore from the Chicago area planning on studying Chemistry. I originally became interested in neuroscience once I found out I had a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) and got involved in advocacy work and research about these stigmatized disorders. I'm currently learning how to program so I can use computational models to simulate effects of and therapies for neurological disorders in hopes of finding better future screening tools and treatments. I'm involved in the Stanford Undergraduate Neuroscience Society, Cardinal Free Clinics, and Stanford Women in Medicine. In my free time, I love going on long walks, baking brownies, and listening to Taylor Swift!
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