Personnel

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Stephen Santoro, PhD

Stephen joined the University of Colorado and the Section of Developmental Biology in 2020 after starting his faculty career at the University of Wyoming in 2015. He got his training in chemical biology and biochemistry as a Ph.D. student and postdoctoral fellow at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA, and in developmental neurobiology as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University.

Kawsar Hossain, PhD

Kawsar earned his B.S. and M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. After graduation, he worked as a research officer in the Biosimilar R&D section at Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Bangladesh. In 2017, he began his PhD in the Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences program at the University of Wyoming and joined the Santoro Lab the following year. In 2020, when the Santoro Lab relocated to the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Kawsar transitioned to continue his research there. His work primarily focuses on identifying the nature of stimuli that promote stimulation-dependent neurogenesis of specific neuron subtypes in the mammalian olfactory epithelium and understanding the cellular mechanisms behind this process. Kawsar graduated in Fall 2023 and is now a Research Services Senior Professional in the Santoro Lab. 

Karlin Rufenacht, PhD Student

Karlin is originally from Peyton, CO. She attended the University of Wyoming where she was a member of the women's track and field team and received her B.S. in Physiology with a minor in Neuroscience in 2019. She joined the Integrated Physiology Graduate Program at CU Anschutz in 2020 and the Santoro Lab in 2021. Karlin is interested in the role of neurogenesis in experience dependent changes to the composition of the olfactory epithelium. Outside of the lab, Karlin enjoys spending time running, hiking, camping, and skiing.

Alexa Asson, BS

Alexa earned her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Anatomy and Physiology from California Polytechnic State University SLO in 2023 where she also conducted research in the public health department. She started as a professional research assistant in the Santoro Lab in the fall of 2023 and is interested in the mechanisms behind neurogenesis in the olfactory epithelium. Alexa hopes to attend graduate school for Genetic Counseling in the future.