Nikolas Scarcelli

Conduct laboratory inspections, tag and track safety equipment, and assist with emergency response to ensure compliance with environmental and laboratory safety standards. Support the implementation of SciShield, the college’s new web-based safety management platform, through onboarding, training, and user support. Collaborate with labs and departments to strengthen safety culture and improve compliance processes.

Managed day-to-day operations in a neuroscience research lab, overseeing equipment maintenance, procurement, and quality assurance to ensure smooth and efficient workflows. Maintained strong vendor relationships, coordinated capital equipment purchases, and strategically allocated resources to support evolving research priorities.

Provided hands-on training to over half a dozen researchers and helped coordinate lab operations for a team of up to 21 members. Led efforts to maintain lab-wide compliance with institutional safety and regulatory standards through proactive documentation, training, and process improvement.

Collaborated closely with principal investigators on experimental design and data analysis, contributing to the advancement of multiple research initiatives and overall lab productivity.


Principle Investigator: Matthew McGinley

I was the primary assistant to the lab manager, helping train new techs, handle orders, and lead the mouse colony team — which helped save the lab money through efficient management. I also managed genotyping for a large mouse colony and made sure those results got to the right people in a timely way. On top of that, I supported lab members with technical work, which led to being included on several publications in journals like Nature Metabolism, Nature Medicine, Science Advances, The Journal of Neuroscience, Cell & Bioscience, and others.



Principle Investigator: Yong Xu

Managed lab operations including ordering, budget tracking, equipment maintenance, and compliance with inspection regulations. Oversaw genotyping workflows and supply inventory, streamlining communication across the lab to improve overall efficiency.

Conducted experiments and maintained cell colonies using advanced cell culture techniques, including organoid culture. Applied cutting-edge technical methods to support research projects and provided technical preparation and assistance to lab members, enhancing operational flow and research outcomes.

Principle Investigator: Subrata Sen

Conducted research focused on the use of cardiac-inducing RNA to differentiate various cell types into contracting cardiac muscle cells for heart repair applications. Designed and executed experiments that advanced understanding of this innovative regenerative approach. Successfully developed and secured student research grants to fund these projects. Gained hands-on training in a range of technical applications including Western blotting, PCR, plasmid isolation, DNA extraction, cell culture, microscopy, and surgical techniques.

Principle Investigator: Larry Lemanski