James Bourne, Ph.D. | Principal Investigator

Before joining NIMH to start the Section on Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment, Dr. Bourne resided in Melbourne, Australia, at Monash University and was most recently a Group Leader at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute. Before moving to Australia, he completed his undergraduate training in Biochemistry (Hons) at Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London. Following this, he pursued a Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology, undertaking a joint project with the Ministry of Defence (UK) and King’s College, London. In 2003, he was awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) Postdoctoral Fellowship and started developing an independent research area in primate cortical development and maturation. While moving throughout different departments at Monash University, in 2009, he accepted a position at the newly founded Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute at Monash University, where he led a group of 13, including Postdoctoral fellows and students. In 2014 he received a prestigious NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship and the NHMRC Marshall and Warren Award in 2018 for the most Innovative Project Grant (1/ 3110).

Kevin Marche, Ph.D. | Scientist, Contractor

Kevin earned his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Lille. He conducted his postdoctoral research at the CNRS in France and the University of Oxford in the UK, specialising in decision-making in non-human primates (NHPs). In October 2024, he joined Dr Bourne at the Section on Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment (SCCN). Within the SCCN, he is co-leading a team interested in cognitive neuroscience and exploring the developmental aspects of thalamocortical connectivity in NHPs. Kevin is developing methods that combine electrophysiology, calcium imaging and DREADDs with marmoset behaviour and computational modelling. He is also using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) to evaluate the contribution of thalamocortical networks throughout development. His research focuses particularly on investigating the involvement of the thalamus-prefrontal cortex connection in decision-making processes.

Leonardo (Leo) Claudino, Ph.D. | Staff Scientist

Leo Claudino received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland in 2017 and completed postdoctoral training at NINDS/NIH. He has been a Staff Scientist at NIMH since 2020 and joined the Section of Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment (SCCN) in 2025, where he works with James Bourne and collaborators. Leo provides data management support and assists staff and trainees with the analysis of neuroimaging and behavioral data. He also maintains SCCN’s in-house software and hardware infrastructure. His research focuses on marmoset behavior, particularly how they learn and act in naturalistic settings. More broadly, he is interested in the neural and behavioral bases of perception, action, consolidation, motivation, and decision-making, using approaches such as EEG, MEG, tACS, crowdsourcing, and computational modeling.

Qun Gao, Ph.D. | Laboratory Manager, Contractor

Qun has wide-ranging experience in biological research and laboratory management. She manages daily laboratory operations, such as implementing safety protocols in alignment with institutional requirements, ensuring adequate supplies, overseeing equipment maintenance and repair, managing inventory, documentation and records, coordinating communications, and addressing emerging tasks to support the efficient advancement of research projects.

Jack Scott, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral IRTA Fellow

Jack's research is primarily focused on the dynamic interactions between the thalamus and cortex, which play a critical role in the development of cognition and behavior. By examining these circuits, he aims to shed light on the latent neural mechanisms present from early life that give rise to psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Jack employs a multidisciplinary array of systems-based techniques spanning neuroimaging, electrophysiology, neurosurgery, and behavioral analysis. Through his work, he seeks to understand how the brain structures that have evolved to support human behavior also make the brain susceptible to disorders.

Angela Fan, BMedSc (Hons) | Predoctoral IRTA Fellow

Angela Fan is a Ph.D. candidate at Monash University and relocated to the Section of Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment (SCCN) at NIMH/NIH in 2022 to complete her doctoral training. Her research focuses on the organization of thalamocortical circuits in the mammalian brain, with particular emphasis on how these circuits are established across development and how they have changed across evolution. To investigate these questions, she employs a range of neural circuit tracing approaches in the marmoset, including traditional tract tracing, monosynaptic rabies virus tracing, and BARseq, a high-throughput single-cell sequencing method that simultaneously maps neuronal projections and gene expression.

Noah Kuehn, B.S. | Predoctoral IRTA Fellow

Noah Kuehn received his B.S. in Bioengineering with an emphasis in Biomolecular Engineering from Santa Clara University in 2023. He has been a Ph.D. student in Pharmacology and Physiology in the Georgetown University–NIH Graduate Partnership Program since 2023 and joined the Section of Cellular and Cognitive Neurodevelopment (SCCN) in 2024. Noah’s research focuses on characterizing the development of cortico-thalamic circuits using bulk, single-nuclei, and spatial transcriptomics. He researches cellular development at multiple pre- and post-natal timepoints and identifies the impact of experimental interventions on developmental processes. This work aims to advance understanding of neural circuit development and inform the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Jessica Phan, B.A. | Predoctoral IRTA Fellow

Jessica is an M.D./Ph.D. student in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars (OxCam) Program and Harvard Medical School. She received her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology from Pomona College and previously conducted research in neuroimmunology and addiction neurobiology. Jessica is pursuing a collaborative Ph.D. with Dr. James Bourne in SCCN and Prof. Angela Roberts at the University of Cambridge. Her research examines how the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex supports flexible, goal-directed behavior, with a particular focus on thalamocortical circuits involved in visuospatial working memory. She uses behavioral, neuroimaging, and computational approaches to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying these processes.

Max Walker B.S. | Post-baccalaureate IRTA Fellow

Max graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in December 2025 with a degree in neuroscience and biochemistry. He joined SCCN in June 2023 as a summer intern, continued as an undergraduate student IRTA, and started as a postbac in February 2026. Max primarily investigates neuronal phenotypes using histological techniques—including IHC, HCR, and tissue clearing—fluorescent light microscopy, and quantitative image analysis. This work broadly explores the developmental influence of the medial pulvinar on neuronal maturation in the prefrontal cortex. Max is pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience starting in Fall 2026.

Eunu Lim B.A. | Post-baccalaureate IRTA Fellow

Eunu graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Neuroscience, where he conducted research at UVA’s department of Pharmacology on the neurobiology of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and the central mechanisms linking cardiorespiratory function with affective states and behavior in rodents. He joined SCCN in February 2026 and is interested in studying the neural circuits and mechanisms that drive cognition and behavior. In his role, he runs and supports behavioral experiments with marmosets, analyzes behavioral data, and is interested in applying computational methods to study these processes. After his time at the NIH, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience.

Lex Matthews B.S., M.S. | Research Specialist III, Contractor

Lex Matthews received his B.S. in animal sciences from the University of Maryland in 2015 and M.S. in data analytics from Western Governors University in 2023. He joined NIMH and SCCN in 2026 after over 10 years of working in research at the NIH. He provides support involving animal handling and colony management.

Grace Gu, Post-baccalaureate IRTA Fellow
Josie Kleve B.S., Post-baccalaureate IRTA Fellow
Andrea Romanowski Ph.D., Postdoctoral IRTA Fellow
Jordan Jontz B.S., Post-baccalaureate IRTA Fellow