Trainees
The Crnic Institute supports a thriving community of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and medical fellows training in the sciences and working on Down syndrome research projects.
Key fellowships and trainees supported by our team include:
Blumenthal Fellows
Established in honor of Crnic Institute Executive Director Emeritus, Dr. Tom Blumenthal, the Blumenthal Fellowship provides support for graduate students in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department at University of Colorado Boulder and/or graduate students or postdoctoral fellows at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Current Fellows:
Lauren Dunn
PhD Candidate, Dr. Kelly Sullivan Lab, Pediatrics
Liver Dysfunction in Down syndrome
Elena Woods, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Michael Verneris Lab, Hematology & Oncology - Pediatrics
The interplay between human Cytomegalovirus and Trisomy 21 alters NK cell function
Past Fellows:
Breanna Dooling - PhD Candidate, Dr. Huntington Potter Lab, Human Genetics and Genomics
Edward Evans, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. James DeGregori Lab, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Cayla Jewett - Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Andrew Holland Lab, Cell and Developmental Biology
Lucas Gillenwater - PhD Candidate, Dr. James Costello Lab, Computational Bioscience
Luis Gomez Wulschner - PhD Candidate, Dr. Won Chan Oh Lab, Pharmacology
Rachel Reeser - PhD Candidate, Dr. Jeffrey Jacot Lab, Bioengineering
Jesse Kurland - Graduate Student, Dr. William Old Lab, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Dallas Jones - Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Micheal Verneris Lab, Pediatrics-Hemetology/Oncology
Brittany Demmit - Graduate Student, Dr. Kenneth Krauter Lab, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Steven Guard - Graduate Student, Dr. William Old Lab, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Alexandar Ligget - Graduate Student, Dr. James DeGregori Lab, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Tyler Martinez - Graduate Student, Dr. Mark Dell'Acqua Lab, Pharmacology
Rani Powers - Graduate Student, Dr. James Costello Lab, Pharmacology
Amber (Sorenson) Scott - Graduate Student, Dr. Robin Dowell Lab, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
Brooke Sinnen - Graduate Student, Dr. Matthew Kennedy Lab, Pharmacology
Katherine Waugh, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Joaquin Espinosa Lab, Crnic Institute
Sie Fellows
Jointly administered by the University of Colorado Boulder, the BioFrontiers Institute, and the Linda Crnic Institute, the Sie Fellowship awards three years of salary and research support to a postdoctoral fellow working on an innovative Down syndrome project at the Boulder campus.
Current Fellows:
Maria Lo, PhD
Dr. Amy Palmer Lab, BioFrontiers Institute
Impacts of zinc deficiency on the cell cycle in trisomy 21
Joseph Cardiello, PhD
Dr. Robin Dowell Lab, BioFrontiers Institute
New tools to study gene expression changes induced by trisomy 21
Past Fellows:
Mary Allen, PhD - Dr. Robin Dowell and Dr. Joaquin Espinosa Labs, Molecular, Cellular, and Development Biology
Alfonso Garrido-Lecca, PhD - Dr. Thomas Blumenthal Lab, Molecular, Cellular, and Development Biology
Josien Levenga, PhD - Dr. Charles Hoeffer Lab, Integrated Physiology
INCLUDE Project Fellows
These graduate students and medical fellows are supported by supplements to various T32 training programs at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus funded by the NIH INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromeE (INCLUDE) Project.
Current Fellows:
Jessica Bloom, MD
Pediatric Rheumatology Fellow w/Dr. Rob Fuhlbrigge, Children's Hospital Colorado
Pulmonary hemorrhage in trisomy 21
Cayla Jewett
Graduate Student, Dr. Rytis Prekeris Lab, Cell and Developmental Biology
Rab19-directed cortical remodeling and ciliogenesis in Down syndrome
Dean Kareemo
Graduate Student, Dr. Matthew Kennedy Lab, Pharmacology
Mechanisms of beta amyloid mediated synaptic dysfunction
Mason Kleinjan
Graduate Student, Dr. Matthew Kennedy Lab, Pharmacology
Dendritic spine composition in altered activity and morphological states
Brian Lloyd
Medical Scientist Trainee, Dr. Jason Aoto Lab, Pharmacology
CRISPR tagging Down syndrome relevant alpha-neurexins
Rachel Reeser
Graduate Student, Dr. Jeffrey Jacot Lab, Bioengineering
Mechanotransduction pathways during heart development in Down syndrome
Amanda Richer
Graduate Student, Dr. Hesselberth Lab, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Simultaneous measurement of single-cell transcription and enzyme activity
Johnathon Schafer
Graduate Student, Dr. Beth Tamburini Lab, Immunology and Microbiology
PD-L1 and interferon signaling in Down syndrome
Monica Vielkind, MD
Pediatric Pulmonology Fellow w/Dr. Steven Abman, Children's Hospital Colorado
Lung mechanics in Down syndrome
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Katlin (Hahm) Zent
Graduate Student, Dr. Mark Dell'Acqua Lab, Pharmacology
Impact of trisomy 21 on regulation of neuronal transcription by NFAT
Crnic Institute Trainees
In addition to supporting trainees across various departments throughout the University of Colorado, the Crnic Institute directly trains graduate students and post-doctoral fellows within our own walls.
Interested in training with us? Check out our Join Our Team page to view open positions!
Current Trainees:
Lauren Dunn
PhD Student, Dr. Kelly Sullivan Lab
Liver dysfunction in Down syndrome
Jason Wilson
Graduate Student, Dr. Kelly Sullivan Lab
Paula Araya, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Joaquin Espinosa Lab
Mapping immune dysregulation in people with Down syndrome
Robert Elliot
Graduate Student, Dr. Michael Yeager Lab
Computational quantification of the anatomy of lymphatics in the lung
Noah Johnson, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Huntington Potter Lab
Protein misfolding and aggregation in Alzheimer's disease
Esteban Lucero
Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Chis Gignoux Lab
Alzheimer’s disease risk in under-represented minority populations
Kathleen Nguyen
Graduate Student, Dr. Michael Yeager Lab
Immune suppression and bacterial pneumonia in Down syndrome
Katherine Waugh, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Joaquin Espinosa Lab
Mapping immune dysregulation in people with Down syndrome