Lab Members

Come join us! Our team is a fun and collaborative group.

The Douglas Lab is currently seeking postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. If interested, please contact us via the link below.

Principal Investigator

Peter Douglas, PhD

Peter M. Douglas, Ph.D.

Peter M. Douglas was born in San Antonio, TX, and lived in Dallas, TX, Chapel Hill, NC, and St. Louis, MO, before receiving his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Peter earned his PhD from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. As a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Douglas Cyr, Peter used different methods in biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology to understand the mechanisms by which protein homeostasis machinery detoxifies misfolded, aggregation-prone proteins. During this time he was awarded a predoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association. 

Peter completed his postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Dr. Andrew Dillin at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA, and the University of California in Berkeley, CA. During this time he was awarded fellowships from the National Institute of Health on the Neuroplasticity of Aging and the George E. Hewitt Medical Foundation. He also received a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) from the National Institute of Health.

In 2015, Peter joined the faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center as an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Biology. Since joining, Peter has received numerous awards including the National Institute on Aging Award, Clayton Foundation for Research Award, Welch Foundation Award, American Federation of Aging Research (AFAR) Young Investigator Award, Texas Institute of Brain Injury Research (TIBIR) Pilot Award, Glenn Award for Research in Biological Mechanisms of Aging, and the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Scholar Recruitment of First-Time, Tenure-Track Faculty Members Award.

Currently, Dr. Douglas is a faculty member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine (CRSM) in the Department of Molecular Biology and an integral part of the Genetics, Development and Disease (GDD), and Neuroscience Graduate Programs at UT Southwestern.

Lab Staff

Sonja Arneaud, PhD

Sonja Arneaud, PhD

Laboratory Manager & Research Scientist

Sonja was born in Trinidad & Tobago and earned her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia in the laboratory of Dr. John R. Porter. Her graduate work focused on the investigation of two key enzymes involved in the podophyllotoxin biosynthetic pathway of the endophytic fungus Phialocephala fortinii. As a research scientist in the Douglas Laboratory, her research efforts are focused on aging, neurodegeneration, and lipid metabolism in C. elegans. In her spare time, Sonja enjoys reading the Bible, traveling, photography, hiking/biking, and cooking.

Patrick Metang, MS

Patrick Metang, MS

Research Scientist

Patrick earned his Master of Science in Biotechnology at the University Pierre et Marie Currie in Paris, France. For his Master's defense, Patrick focused on constructing targeted antibodies to elicit specific CD8 responses against the cancer antigen WT1. As a researcher in the Douglas Lab, Patrick works on understanding the mechanism(s) of neurodegeneration caused by traumatic brain injury using mouse models as well as in vitro cell culture. Patrick enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. He also enjoys carpentry and sports.

Dora Arneaud

Dora Arneaud

Lab Helper/ Media Technician

Dora is responsible for all media preparation within the Douglas lab. She recently moved to Texas from her home country, Trinidad & Tobago. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, gardening, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

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Tina Gumienny, PhD

Visiting Associate Professor

Tina is an Associate Professor of Biology at Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX. She earned her PhD in Genetics from SUNY Stony Brook (at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), where she fleshed out genetic mechanisms of cell death and engulfment. As a postdoctoral researcher at Rutgers University, she characterized how bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) cell signaling is regulated. Her research lab has been funded by National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, and the United States Department of Agriculture. In her faculty leave with the Douglas lab, she will identify and characterize regulators of BMP signaling and write. In her spare time, she enjoys time with family and service with The Allied Genetics Conference (TAGC2024) and the Texas Genetics Society.

Postdoctoral Researchers

Rene Solano Fonseca, PhD

Rene Solano Fonseca, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher

Rene was born in Mexico and earned his PhD in Cellular and Structural Biology from UT Health San Antonio. His graduate work focused on investigating the role of microglia and inflammation on the aging ventricular-subventricular zone neurogenic niche. His postdoctoral research is focused on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanism of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a novel mouse model of TBI. Rene enjoys going on long walks with his wife and dogs, listening to loud music, and watching a lot of basketball.

Graduate Students & Interns

Kielen Zuurbier, PhD Candidate

Kielen Zuurbier, PhD Candidate

Graduate Student (6th year)

Kielen received his BS in Biomolecular Research from the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht in The Netherlands. He performed his Bachelor’s thesis work in the lab of Dr. Ann Stowe in the department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics at UT Southwestern where he developed a novel gene expression system with both chemical and optical induction capabilities. In the Douglas Lab, Kielen is interested in elucidating the molecular mechanism behind why dopaminergic neurons specifically degenerate after traumatic brain injury. In his spare time, Kielen enjoys playing guitar in his band.

Lexus Tatge, PhD Candidate

Lexus Tatge, PhD Candidate

Graduate Student (5th year)

Lexus received her BS in Biochemistry from Hamline University in 2019. She did two years of undergraduate research at her university in Dr. Larry Masterson's Lab working on peptide-lipid interactions, and an REU at McGovern Medical school in the Lab of Dr. Ruth Heidelberger looking at the role of syntaxin-3 in breast cancer. In the Douglas Lab, Lexus is interested in elucidating protein::ligand interactions regarding orphan receptors in C. elegans. In her spare time, Lexus enjoys coaching youth lacrosse around the DFW area.

Jordan Wall, PhD Candidate

Jordan Wall, PhD Candidate

Graduate Student (3rd year)

Jordan received her BS in Biology from Louisiana State University in 2020. She did her undergraduate research in the lab of Dr. Alyssa Johnson, in which she worked to develop a CRISPR-engineered Drosophila model to study mutations in the Valosin Containing Protein, which are associated with several degenerative diseases. In the Douglas lab, Jordan is interested in investigating the connection between the unfolded protein response and lipid sensing. In her spare time, Jordan enjoys traveling and exploring new cities.

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Gupse Otuzoglu, BS

Graduate Student (2nd year)

Gupse received her BS in Molecular Biology & Genetics from Bilkent University in Turkey. She worked on multiple projects during her undergraduate years, the most relevant being with Dr. Scott Brady & Dr. Gerardo Morfini at the Marine Biological Laboratory. There, she studied dysfunctions in axonal transport linked to multiple neurodegenerative diseases using D.Pealeii neurons. In the Douglas lab, she is interested in researching the molecular mechanisms of neurons under stress. In her spare time, she enjoys playing volleyball with her friends.

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Juhee Kim, BS

Graduate Student (1st year)

Juhee was born in South Korea and earned her BS in biochemistry from the University of Texas at Dallas. She worked on nucleocytoplasmic dynamics of NHR-49, a nuclear hormone receptor in C.elegans, as a Green fellow in the Douglas lab for one year. Afterward, she joined the lab as a graduate student and now she is interested in regulation of neuronal health and aging through the lens of the microbiome-gut-neuron axis. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano, watching shows, and spending time with her friends.

 

Support Team

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Oscar

Sheriff, Douglas County

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Zuri

Deputy Sheriff, Douglas County

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Lola

No-nonsense Liaison

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Gogo

Chief Leisure Officer

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Maya

Whistleblower

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Maggie

Cheer Captain

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Fred

VP Wellness & Mental Health

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Pasadena

Silent Partner

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Lab Alumni

Abigail Watterson

Postdoctoral Researcher (2022-2023) Graduate Student (2018-2022) 

Jaeyoung Oh

MSTP Student Intern (2023)

Juhee Kim

Student Intern (2022-2023)

Shaghayegh "Shay" Tashakori Beheshti

Student Intern (2021)

Naureen Wajahat 

Research Intern (2020-2021)

Nicholas "Nick" Cheatwood

Research Technician II (2018-2020)

Nathan "Nate" Egge, PhD

Graduate Student (2016-2020)

Jacob McClendon, MS

Graduate Student (2017-2019)

Melina Mihelakis

Research Scholar (2018-2019)

Pauline Wales

Research Associate (2018-2019)

Wu Yu

Visiting Scholar (2018)

Wu Yu

Visiting Scholar (2018)

Charles "Charlie" Savelle

Research Technician II (2017-2018)

Sidra Shah

Research Technician I (2016-2017)

Ian Gonzalez 

(2017 NSF Recipient)

Research Intern (2015-2017) 

Juan “JJ” Jaramillo

Research Technician II (2015-2016)