Members
Kara Gross Margolis, MD
- Principal Investigator
Marguerite Bernard
Marguerite is a master’s candidate in human nutrition at Columbia University. She received a BS in industrial and systems engineering from Georgia Tech (’18) and joined the Margolis Lab in 2020 as part of her thesis work. In her free time, Marguerite enjoys going to comedy shows, playing volleyball, and exploring the city with friends.
Andrew Del Colle, MS
Andrew received a BA in economics from the University of North Florida (‘15) and is currently completing his thesis for his master's degree in Human Nutrition from Columbia University. In his free time, Andrew enjoys basketball, cycling, and going to the movies.
Zixing Huang, MS
Zixing received her bachelor’s degree in business administration at Fordham University (18’) and master's degree in human nutrition at Columbia University (20’). She joined the Margolis Lab in 2020. She enjoys playing musical instruments, hiking, and practicing pilates in her free time.
Lin Hung, PhD
Lin completed her BSc (Hons) and PhD in enteric neurophysiology from the University of Melbourne in Australia. She joined the Margolis Lab in 2019. Her research focus is the multifaceted roles of serotonin in disorders of the gut-brain axis, where serotonin has the potential to be pathophysiological and therapeutic. In her spare time, Lin enjoys traveling and exploring new places, and she hopes to visit many cities and states during her time in the US.
Narek Israelyan, MS
Narek is a medical student at Columbia University. He received his undergraduate degree in neuroscience from University of California Irvine ('13) and joined the Margolis Lab in 2014 while pursuing a master's degree in human nutrition from Columbia University. He is an aspiring physician-scientist who hopes to one day change the climate of pharmaceutical production and distribution in the US. In his spare time, Narek enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending an inappropriate amount of time playing with cats.
Daniel Xavier Juarez
Daniel Juarez is an undergraduate student on the pre-medical track and is studying neuroscience and behavior at Columbia University. He joined the Margolis Lab in the summer of 2021 and in his free time he enjoys hiking, writing poetry, and exploring the city with friends.
Moneek Madra, PhD
Moneek Madra received her BS degree in biological sciences from University of Windsor, her MS in human nutrition from Columbia University, and her PhD from Columbia University in nutritional and metabolic biology. Her research focuses on early life stress induced models of long-term dysfunction in the gut-brain axis.
Sarah Najjar, PhD
Sarah is a postdoctoral researcher in the Margolis Lab. She received a BS in biology from the University of Central Florida (2013) and a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh (2020). Sarah completed her dissertation research on the role of the colon epithelium in visceral nociception and gut motility. She is currently studying how epithelial serotonin influences the visceral hypersensitivity associated with gut-brain disorders. Outside the lab, Sarah enjoys reading, playing music, and trying out new vegan recipes.
Ruxandra Tonea
Ruxandra is an undergraduate student studying biomedical engineering and statistics at Columbia University. She aspires to get a PhD and make use of both biology and computational science to solve and understand diseases. In her free time she enjoys listening to music, dancing, and taking long walks.
Yan (Ashley) Tong, MS
Yan (Ashley) Tong received her master’s degree in biotechnology from New York University (21’). She joined the Margolis Lab in 2021. During her spare time, Ashley enjoys watching animation, playing board games with friends, and trying delicious foods.
