Lab Members
Lauren J. Kreeger, PhD
I am an auditory electrophysiologist and anatomist interested in how neurons in the auditory brainstem are specialized to encode specific parts of our auditory world. During my first research experience at The University of Maryland, I quickly became fascinated by how neurons combine unique dendritic arborizations with distinct biophysical properties to make a computation about the environment. The auditory system captivated my scientific curiosity, and I stayed in the field during my graduate work at The University of Texas at Austin and during my postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School. My work has traversed the auditory system from the cochlea to the thalamus in many model organisms.
Our group here at the University of Pennsylvania will study the development of octopus cells of the mammalian cochlear nucleus by combining in vitro electrophysiological recordings with anatomical reconstructions and genetic manipulations in mouse models. Together, we aim to understand how temporally extreme neurons like octopus cells transform fundamental synaptic properties to fit their computational needs.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time hiking, painting, and trying new food with friends and family.
Lucas J. Tittle
I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and my honors thesis in the lab of Dr. Kent Berridge studying how the canonically aversive neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing-factor (CRF) can generate positive incentive motivation when released from nucleus accumbent neurons.
I am generally interested in plasticity, electrophysiology, and behavior, and am becoming increasingly interested in how these processes interact during development.
Abigail Gemechu
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Abby is currently a sophomore studying neuroscience and public health at Penn. She is fascinated by octopus cells’ unique physical properties and temporal precision, and she hopes to understand more about these neurons develop along with the sense of hearing while in the Kreeger Lab. Outside of the lab, she enjoys writing, baking, and biking.
Ella Waldman
I am an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in neuroscience. Originally from Olney, Maryland, I joined the Kreeger Lab in the summer of 2025 as a PURM student. I have been interested in the auditory system for years, and am currently working on a project using HCR in situ hybridization to detect and localize RNA sequences in the cochlear nucleus. Outside of the lab I enjoy reading, cooking, being outside, and spending time with friends and family.
