PATTABIRAMAN
NEURODEVELOPMENTAL
LABORATORY
OUR TEAM
Principal Investigator
Kartik Pattabiraman MD, PhD
Kartik Pattabiraman is an assistant professor and child psychiatrist at the Yale Child Study Center. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from University of California, San Francisco. He completed his Ph.D. thesis work in the laboratory of John Rubenstein M.D., Ph.D. Afterward, he completed his clinical training in adult and child psychiatry and his postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Nenad Sestan M.D., Ph.D. He enjoys spending time with his family, collecting sneakers and watching the Jacksonville Jaguars
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dan Doyle Ph.D.
Dan Doyle is a postdoctoral fellow co-mentored by Kartik Pattabiraman M.D., Ph.D., and Nenad Sestan M.D., Ph.D., at the Yale Child Study Center and Department of Neuroscience. He received his Ph.D. from University of Michigan. He completed his Ph.D. thesis work in the laboratory of Ken Kwan, Ph.D. Dan joined the Pattabiraman and Sestan laboratories in July 2024, and is interested in genetic and molecular mechanisms controlling evolutionarily divergent neural circuit development. He enjoys watching soccer, inhaling new cuisines, and spending time with his dog, Maizie.
Graduate Student (MSTP)
Matthew Yuen
Matthew was born and raised in New York. He graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in neuroscience. He is now a MD-PhD candidate in Yale’s Indepartmental Neuroscience Program being co-mentored by Kartik Pattabiraman and Nenad Sestan. He enjoys spending his free time giving haircuts, producing music, and reading.
Graduate Student (INP)
Nikkita Salla
Nikki is a PhD student at Yale in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, comentored by Kartik Pattabiraman and Nenad Sestan. Nikki obtained a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience at Temple University and spent a couple years as a Research Assistant at the Broad Institute after graduating.She enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to trivia around New Haven, reading, and staying active!
Postgraduate Associate
Devippriya Essakimuthu
Devippriya Esakkimuthu is a Postgraduate Research Associate at Yale University's Child Study Center. Armed with a Master's degree in Microbiology from Bharathiar University, India, she honed her research skills under the guidance of Dr. Angayarkanni Jayaraman. Driven by a commitment to interdisciplinary exploration and public engagement, She is deeply interested in unraveling the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders during brain development.
Master's Student
Bivas Nag
Bivas Nag is a master's student at LMU Munich, currently completing his master's thesis in Kartik's lab at Yale University. He obtained his undergraduate degree from St. Xavier's College in Mumbai, where he conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Shubha Tole at TIFR Mumbai. Bivas enjoys traveling across different countries, exploring diverse cultures and cuisines. He has a passion for cooking and is a dedicated fan of Arsenal, the English soccer team.
Postgraduate Associate
Mac Gortney
Mac Gortney is a research assistant at the Yale Child Study Center. He earned his B.S. in neuroscience from Sewanee: The University of the South. His goal is to attend Nurse Practitioner school in the coming year. He enjoys working out and fitness, traveling, the outdoors and following sports.
MD-MHS thesis student
Helen Cai
Helen Cai is an MD candidate at the Yale School of Medicine and an alum of Yale College, where she studied Applied Mathematics and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. While her previous research background has primarily been in engineering and physics-related fields, she is now refining her computational skills with application in studying the mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders. In her spare time she enjoys knitting, staying active, and collecting insects.