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Transforming the understanding
and treatment of mental illnesses.

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Laboratory of Brain and Cognition Laboratory of Brain and Cognition (LBC)

LBC Office of the Chief Staff

Current Lab Members

Alex Martin, Ph.D. | NIH Senior Investigator and Acting Chief

Headshot of Alex Martin.

Dr. Martin currently serves as Acting Chief for the Laboratory of Brain and Cognition.

John Ingeholm, Ph.D. | Biomedical Engineer

John Ingeholm

Dr. Ingeholm received his B.S. in Biology from Ursinus College, followed by an M.S. in Electrical Engineering then a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University. Initially developing applications for EEG analysis, then transitioning to device and methods development for neurobehavioral testing with functional MRI.

Thalene Mallus, M.A. | IT Specialist

Thalene Mallus

Ms. Mallus is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University (B.A.), with a Master of Arts in Psychology from American University in Washington, DC. Thalene provides IT training, develops user documentation, and provides Macintosh technical support to laboratory staff. She also develops and maintains the LBC FileMaker database systems and provides laboratory web content support.

Michael Reel, CRNP, MSN | Nurse Practitioner

Michael Reel

Mr. Reel is a career Navy Nurse Corp Officer who worked within the area of medical readiness for Navy and Marine Corps Medical Command. Mr. Reel’s previous clinical focus was the effect of alternating electrical current on nerve stimulation and its impact on long-term control of chronic pain. Mr. Reel currently serves as the nurse practitioner in the lab, providing medical coverage to support LBC research protocols.

Britney Pollard, MSN, CRNP, FNP-BC | Nurse Practitioner

Britney Pollard

Brittany has a BS in Physical Education with a concentration in Exercise Science for Old Dominion University. She later decided to advance her education and received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Family Nurse Practitioner degree from the University of Cincinnati. She is currently working on her Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certification. She has experience working with a diverse patient population, mental health, and chronic pain. Brittany Pollard, CRNP currently serves as one of the Nurse Practitioners in the lab, providing medical coverage to help support the LBC research protocols.

Kevin Tran, M.S. | UNIX System Administrator

Kevin Tran

Mr. Tran is a graduate of National Tsing-Hua University in Taiwan with a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Maryland at College Park. Kevin provides IT support for all LBC Linux/Solaris/Mac servers, desktops, and laptops. He also supports all the scientific software applications being used in the lab.

Michael Valmonte, M.S. | Protocol Manager

Michael Valmonte

Michael is a contractor with Leidos Biomedical Research/ Frederick National Laboratory. He received his B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from American University and his M.S. in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. He provides laboratory and protocol management support for the LBC and ensures protocols and informed consent forms are consistent with current human subjects research regulations and NIH policies. He assists PIs with submissions to the NIH IRB and interacts with the Office of the Clinical Director on regulatory and reporting issues to the NIH IRB. He also facilitates the training of LBC staff to ensure the completion of mandatory trainings and the understanding of laboratory procedures.

Brittany Young | Operations Coordinator

Ms. Young received her B.S. in Psychology from Bowie State University. She provides administrative support to the Laboratory of Brain and Cognition.

Lab Alumni

Post-baccalaureate Fellows

  • Annelise Dickinson
  • Shivani Goyal
  • Kelsey Holiday
  • Jessica Jordan
  • Savannah Lokey
  • Maureen Satyshur