Group Members

Lief Fenno, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-scientist, neuroscientist, and biomedical engineer developing molecular technologies to define, manipulate, and treat neural systems. His laboratory builds and applies programmable viral platforms and genetic tools that expand the precision of neuroscience research and enable new approaches for neurological and psychiatric disease. His work has introduced widely adopted technologies for cell-type-specific targeting and neural circuit manipulation.

Dr. Fenno is also a practicing addiction psychiatrist, where he provides clinical care for individuals with substance use disorders. His clinical experience informs his laboratory's focus on developing precision approaches for psychiatric disease and bridging advances in neuroscience with improved treatments for patients. He completed his undergraduate degree at Harvard University, followed by M.D./Ph.D. training in neuroscience, psychiatry residency, and postdoctoral training in bioengineering at Stanford University.

Claire holds a B.S. in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience from Texas A&M University, where she conducted research in the Moscarello, Maren, and Liberzon Labs investigating the neural mechanisms of fear and avoidance behavior. Her research included an independent honors thesis examining sex-specific mechanisms of active avoidance and contributed to a peer-reviewed publication in Neurobiology of Stress. Following graduation, she spent a year in Austria as a Fulbright U.S. English Teaching Assistant before joining the Fenno Lab as Lab Manager in September 2026.

Susanna holds a B.S. in Neurobiology from Stanford University, where she worked in the Deisseroth Lab for five years. Prior to Stanford, she attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in the D.C. area and worked in the Lab for Computational Cognitive Neuroscience at Georgetown University. She joined the Fenno Lab in September 2022, where she works primarily on gene therapy engineering.

Yeonha grew up in South Korea and earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Science and Technology in Korea, where she specialized in electrophysiology and glial biology. She is now a postdoctoral researcher in the Fenno Lab, studying the relationship between astrocytes and psychiatric disorders such as autism, and is expanding molecular techniques to understand the link between human genetic mutations and circuit-level dysfunction.

Charles is a postdoctoral fellow in the Fenno Lab, where he develops precision genetic and electrical stimulation technologies for neuromodulation. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from UT Austin and his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Rice University, working in the Robinson Lab on multidisciplinary nanotechnologies for neuromodulation. His doctoral work focused on optimizing magnetogenetics for improved temporal resolution and expanded multiplexing using rate-sensitive TRPA1 channels and novel magnetic nanoparticles.

Rayna grew up in Japan and earned her Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience from University College London, where her dissertation on gene therapy for epilepsy sparked an interest in how bioengineering advances translate into therapies for neurological disorders. This led her to a Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering from Imperial College London, and then a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering in the Fenno Lab, where she developed a split-payload AAV system for delivering large genes. She is now expanding that technology as a postdoctoral researcher.

Megan is a graduate student in the Fenno Lab and the Institute of Neuroscience. She received her B.S. in Neuroscience from Colorado State University in 2023 and is interested in the molecular and cellular underpinnings of neuropsychiatric disorders. Outside of lab, she enjoys hiking, concerts, swimming, and exploring ice cream joints.

Sabranth is a graduate student in the Fenno Lab and the Cell and Molecular Biology program. He earned his B.Tech. from Vellore Institute of Technology, India, then worked as an undergraduate research assistant at the Genome Institute of Singapore before moving to Honolulu, where he worked in the Owens Lab developing directed evolution techniques for genome engineering reagents.

Carlie grew up in Iola, Kansas, and earned her B.S. in Biochemistry from Pittsburg State University. She is now a graduate student in the Fenno Lab, bringing a background in ocular gene delivery and photoreceptor biology, and is interested in applying gene delivery approaches to studying and treating disease.

Alex is a Visiting Scholar in the Fenno Lab and a Master's student in Neuroscience at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. She works closely with Rayna Newton and other lab members, gaining hands-on experience in molecular biology, AAV-based approaches, and other neuroscience techniques. Her visit is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Fenno Lab and Prof. Ofer Yizhar's laboratory at the Weizmann Institute.

Abby grew up in Austin, Texas, and earned her B.S. in Biology and Computer Science from UT Austin, where she worked in the Dillig Lab and the Havird Lab and participated in the Texas 4000 for Cancer bike ride. She joined the Fenno Lab in January 2024.

Ian grew up in Austin, Texas, and obtained his B.S. in Neuroscience from UT Austin. He is interested in the genetics underlying neurological disorders and translatable research that can benefit patients suffering from them.

Yuni earned her B.S.A. in Neuroscience from The University of Texas at Austin and joined the Fenno Lab in February 2024. She previously interned in Sung Yon Kim's lab at Seoul National University, studying optogenetics in the peripheral nervous system, and is now interested in developing gene therapies for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Layla grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and is pursuing a B.S. in Psychology at UT Austin. She previously interned at Vanderbilt University, studying a nanoparticle-based delivery platform for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In the Fenno Lab, she is interested in developing genetic tools to investigate and manipulate the neural mechanisms underlying neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Harshith grew up in Plano, Texas, and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience at UT Austin. He joined the Fenno Lab in 2025, where he works with Rayna Newton as an undergraduate researcher interested in developing new treatments for neurological disorders. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing basketball, biking, and swimming.

Christopher grew up in Santa Cruz, California, and is pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience at UT Austin. He joined the Fenno Lab as an undergraduate researcher interested in developing tools for genetic modification of the brain to address neurological and psychiatric disorders. Outside of lab, he enjoys playing guitar and baking.

Sataha grew up in Dallas, Texas, and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Scientific Computation and Data Sciences at UT Austin. In the Fenno Lab, she is gaining hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques that support gene therapy development. Outside of the lab, she enjoys exploring Austin and playing tennis.

Lara grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience at UT Austin as part of the Dean's Scholars Honors Program. She previously worked in the Cummings Lab studying fish behavior and cognition, and is now in the Fenno Lab, interested in the neural circuits that may influence psychiatric disorders.

Ishan grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and is pursuing a B.S.A. in Molecular Biology with a minor in Healthcare Reform and Innovation at UT Austin. He joined the Fenno Lab as an undergraduate researcher. Outside of his studies, he enjoys basketball, music, and spending time with friends.