Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Dr. Bojana Zupan, Ph.D.
Dr. Zupan is an Associate Professor of Psychological Science and a member of the Neuroscience and Behavior program at Vassar College, having joined the faculty in the fall of 2012.
She received her B.A. in Neuroscience and Behavior from Barnard College in New York City, and after a 2-year period during which she worked as a neuroscience research associate at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, she enrolled in a graduate program at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences where she earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2009. After earning her degree, Dr. Zupan continued her research as a postdoctoral fellow at Weill Cornell, but also began to branch into teaching by holding Visiting Assistant Professorships at Bowdoin College in Maine. Outside academia, Dr. Zupan “taught” a much larger audience during her time at ABC News where, as the Assistant Medical Editor, she strove to bridge the communication divide between the scientific/medical communities and the general audience.
Here at Vassar, Dr. Zupan teaches courses predominantly in the Neuroscience and Behavior program and runs an active research lab investigating the impact of genetic and environmental factors on development of behavioral traits associated with disorders such as ADHD and Autism.
Full publication list at MyBibliography.
Current and Active Student Researchers
Leah Rebarber ’21, Neuroscience and Behavior
Emma Rys ’21, Neuroscience and Behavior
Brenna McMannon ’21, Neuroscience and Behavior
Claire Stutzman ’21, Biology
Benjamin Kheyfets ’21, Biochemistry
Ally Thayer ’21, Neuroscience and Behavior
Dhriti Seth ’24
Sloane Boukobza ’24, Biology
Kaiya Bhatia ’22, Neuroscience and Behavior
Huda Rahman ’23, Biochemistry
Claire Peikes ’23, Neuroscience and Behavior
Research Technician
Amber Osterman, B.A.
Amber is a recent graduate (’19) of Smith College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. As an undergraduate student she was a research assistant in Dr. Lisa Mangiamele’s neuroscience lab and a teaching assistant for Dr. Marney Pratt’s physiology labs.
Amber has experience with researching behavior with multiple organism models. She most notably has worked with Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroos in Australia.
As Dr. Zupan’s research technician she is hoping to help contribute to the research on the relationships among genetic and environmental factors programming neurodevelopment, brain function, and behavior. link to CV
Lab Mascot
Bailey
Hello! I am Bailey, Dr. Zupan’s lovable canine, and the Zupan Lab mascot. I like rolling in the grass, getting belly rubs, and going on hikes.
