She/Her
Dr. Melón
LC Melón, PhD
Assistant Professor, Biology
Dr. Melón earned her BA in Neuroscience as a Posse Scholar at Middlebury College. At Midd, Dr. Melón developed her scholarly interests as a researcher in Dr. Kim Cronise’s behavioral neuroscience laboratory and research assistant for Feminist Scholar Dr. Sujata Moorti. For her graduate work, she trained with Dr. Stephen Boehm, earning her MA from Binghamton University and PhD in Addiction Neuroscience from Purdue University, as an NIH funded predoctoral fellow in IUPUI’s Genetic Aspects of Alcoholism training program. For postdoctoral training, she joined Dr. Jamie Maguire’s lab as an NIH-IRACDA funded postdoctoral fellow at Tufts University School of Medicine.
At Wesleyan University, the overarching goal of the Melón lab is to discover neurobiological mechanisms that drive sex differences in the development of disorders associated with alcohol exposure.
Outside of the lab, Dr. M likes listening to loud music, cooking+eating spicy food and occupying scientific spaces that recognize
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Full list of Dr. Melón's Citations here.
She/Her
Doctoral Candidate
Bilge Buyukdemirtas, MS
Doctoral Candidate
Bilge is a PhD student in the Department of Biology. She is interested in neurobiology, addiction, and neurological disorders. She received her Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Molecular Biology and Genetics in 2016 from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. After graduation, she spent three years obtaining her Master of Science from University of Cologne in Cologne, Germany. Her research was on the properties of a common zebrafish olfactory co-receptor, OlfCc1.
Bilge was born and raised in a small town near Istanbul, Turkey. She spent most of her life near the seacoast and moved to Ankara, where there is no sea, for her bachelor’s degree and kept moving to cities with no seacoast. She is determined to live near the seacoast again someday. When she is not in the lab, she enjoys reading science fiction and fantasy books, watching overly dramatic TV series, and solving puzzles.
She/Her
Doctoral Student
Maysee Harman, BS
Doctoral Student
Maysee is a PhD student of Biology at Wesleyan University. Maysee's research interests lie broadly in the epigenetic approach to understanding neurobiological mechanisms of addiction and disease. She completed her Bachelors of Science (with honors) at Missouri State University obtaining a degree in Psychology minoring in Biomedical Science. Currently, Maysee is actively investigating sex differences in GABAergic plasticity in the ventral tegmental area.
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Maysee is a Missouri native. In addition to neuroscience she is interested in paleontology and evolution. When she isn't working in the lab you'll find Maysee spending time with family and friends, reading, playing with cats, doing CrossFit, baking, or hiking
She/They
Doctoral Student
Ari Robinson, BS
Doctoral Student
Hi! I’m Ari, I am a first year PhD student in the Melon lab. I study the impact of hormone status on the development of tolerance to alcohol. Outside of the lab I like to rock climb and play board games and spend time with my partner and our two cats. I am originally from upstate NY, went to undergrad in Boston and worked at Boston Children’s Hospital for 3 years before moving to Middletown.
She/Her
Graduate Researcher
Zelda Galdenzi, BA/MA
Independent Researcher
Zelda is a BA/MA from Northford, CT. Her project is investigating the effects of alcohol and phthalates on breast cancer and mammary gland development during adolescence. As an undergrad she majored in biology, neuroscience, and psychology, and is interested in cancer, neurodegeneration, and neurological diseases. Outside of lab she likes to hike, paint, and play board games.
She/Her
Graduate Researcher
Isabella Ahearn, BA/MA
WesMASS Scholar
Independent Researcher
Bella is a BA/MA student from Orlando, Florida. She finished her BA program in the Fall of 2022 with a major in Neuroscience and Behavior and a minor in Chemistry. After working in the lab for three years, Bella will graduate with her MA in the Fall of 2023. She studies the sex differences in the neuroplasticity of the mesolimbic pathway following sensitization to alcohol. Her passions lie in women’s health, pharmacology, promoting diversity in science and medicine, and neuroscience. Bella is a captain on the varsity volleyball team, volunteers for the American Red Cross, works as a CNA over winter and summer breaks, is a WesMaSS scholar, and a former SAAC representative and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion representative for the volleyball team. After graduation she plans to continue working in research and pursue MD/PhD to become a Neurologist and Neuroscientist. In her free time she loves to cook, bake, and learn about fitness and health.
He/Him
Undergraduate
Andrew Engel, '25
undergraduate research assistant
Andrew is from Northwest Indiana and a sophomore double majoring in MB&B and Neuroscience with hopes to enter either medical school or an MD/PhD program. He is also a Program Coordinator for WesReads/WesMath and a peer tutor. Andrew is passionate about reading, cooking, and going on adventures with friends in his car Cassandra. In the lab, Andrew works with Maysee investigating sex differences in GABAergic plasticity in the VTA. While unsure of his current academic path post-graduation, he is very excited about the contributions he can make to the Melón Lab, and the research experience he is gaining.
He/Him
Undergraduate
Elias Owen, '25
undergraduate research assistant
Hello! My name is Elias Owen (he/him), and I’m a sophomore from Westchester, NY. I intend on majoring in neuroscience and behavior as well as mathematics. I’ve been working in the Melón lab since the summer of 2022, specifically helping with the lab’s computational work. The Melón lab is a perfect environment for those who, like me, enjoy merging STEM disciplines! Aside from my work in the lab, I am also a writing workshop tutor and ambassador on campus. In my free time I enjoy making art, reading, and I’ve recently developed a bit of a chess obsession.
She/Her
Undergraduate
Hannah Kwa, '25
undergraduate research assistant
Hannah is an undergraduate student at Wesleyan University. She is currently double majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior and Sociology, with a minor in Chemistry. Hannah plans to become a physician, with a possibility of specializing in neurology or social emergency medicine. She is interested in the ways social contexts are a necessary component of medical care and treatment. Outside of the lab and classes, she is part of the Wesleyan Book Club, loves to crochet, and plans on volunteering with her EMT certification.
She/Her
Undergraduate
Ellie Rosen, '24
undergraduate research assistant
Ellie is an undergraduate at Wesleyan from Oakland, CA, pursuing a BA in Neuroscience and Behavior with a minor in Middle Eastern studies. Post-graduation, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience, continuing with a focus on women’s health. Outside of the lab, Ellie plays on one of Wesleyan’s Ultimate Frisbee teams, Vicious Circles, and spent her sophomore spring semester studying in Amman, Jordan. She loves to spend time on the water and playing with her dog, Smokey.
She/Her
Undergraduate
Zainab Mian, '24
undergraduate research assistant
Zainab is from Long Island, New York and is a senior (’23) at Wesleyan University. She is also Biology and Neuroscience & Behavior double major. In the lab, Zainab is helping to examine the effects of alcohol and phthalates on breast cancer and mammary gland development during adolescence. Zainab hopes to attend medical school and become a physician after graduating. She also enjoys research and plans to continue doing research in her career. For fun, Zainab loves to play with her cat, bake, and travel!
He/Him
Undergraduate
Jerron Chan, '26
undergraduate research assistant
Jerron is a freshman ('26) from Hong Kong, in his free time he enjoys yoga and listening to Hamilton Morris's podcast. He hopes to pursue a career in the medical field with a focus on neuropharmacology
He/Him
Undergraduate
Leo Mercado, '26
undergraduate research assistant
Leo is an undergraduate student at Wesleyan currently double majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior and Dance. After graduation, he hopes to pursue an MA/PhD program in neuroscience or a related field, and is interested in cognitive neuroscience and mental illness research. Outside of the lab, he enjoys taking part in Wesleyan’s many dance showcases, watching horror movies, and playing volleyball with friends.
He/Him
Undergraduate
John Kim, '24
undergraduate research assistant
​John is an undergraduate majoring in neuroscience and behavior that wants to get into PTSD research and clinical therapy after graduating. John is also an amateur mycologist who likes to grow all kinds of mushrooms in his free time. Outside of school, John likes to spend his time in the outdoors camping, off-roading, and mushroom foraging.