LAB MEMBERS
Post-Docs
Kathryn Gallman, PhD
I received my PhD from the federated biology program at Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2023 where I trained in the labs of Drs. Eric Fortune and Daphne Soares. My research interests include investigating the neural basis of sleep and circadian behaviors. My dissertation research focused on the impacts of external environment cues on the control of activity rhythms in two species of fishes, the Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, and the weakly electric fish, Eigenmannia virescens. My current work in the Keene lab is also focused on the Mexican cavefish and investigates the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of sleep loss and biological resilience.
Chitrang Dani, PhD
Dr. Chitrang Dani completed his PhD from JNCASR, India in 2022 where his research focused on the evolution of circadian clocks in Drosophila reared under semi-natural conditions. He joined the Johnson lab at Vanderbilt University, USA in 2023 to investigate the adaptive value of self-sustained circadian clocks in cyanobacteria and rhythmic processes in phototrophic and heterotrophic bacteria. He became a part of the Keene lab in 2026, where he is interested in working on the interplay between sleep, metabolism and neurodegenerative processes.
Graduate Students
Jiwei Zhang
I received an MSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Southwest University in Chongqing, China. In my master's thesis research, I focused on understanding the circadian regulation of nocturnal feeding and daytime detoxification in a formidable Asian pest Spodoptera litura, which was supervised by Dr. Kazuei Mita (main PI), Dr. Marian R. Goldsmith (University of Rhode Island) and Dr. Makio Takeda (Kobe University).
Currently, I am a PhD student working on Drosophila in Keene Lab from October 2021. My research work primarily investigates the mechanisms behind circadian rhythms and sleep regulation, glial cell dysfunction and aging, as well as age-related neurodegenerative diseases and related genetic factors through molecular and behavioral experiments and data analysis with R/Python. Additionally, I am engaged in a collaborative project, co-mentored by Dr. Alex Keene and Dr. Zach Adelman, aimed at exploring the relationship between blood feeding and associated metabolism and sleep/wake behaviors in mosquitoes (Ae. aegypti). Outside of the lab, I have been playing volleyball for over ten years and I also enjoy tennis, traveling, photography, and some outdoor activities.
Eshani Yeragi
I hold a Bachelor of Dental Surgery and a Master of Dental Surgery in Periodontology and Implantology from Y.M.T. Dental College, Mumbai, India. My current research focuses on the Genetic Basis for Sleep, Longevity, and Interaction and to do this I am using Drosophila Melanogaster as a model organism. Sleep disruptions are linked to adverse health outcomes and reduced lifespan, yet the connection between age-related changes in sleep and longevity remains poorly understood. By tracking sleep patterns over the entire lifespan of individual flies, I assess variables such as sleep duration, bout number, bout length, and waking activity. Applying epidemiological techniques from human studies, I seek to uncover how genetic diversity impacts sleep and aging. I am also working in collaboration with Hugo Moebel, an undergraduate researcher, on a project identifying female-specific nocturnality in banded crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus).
Samaneh Biglari
I completed my M.Sc. in Human Genetics at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, where I conducted research on chromosomal microarray and whole exome sequencing in autism spectrum disorder. I am currently a Ph.D. student in Biology at Texas A&M University, focusing on the interaction between the fat body and brain in Drosophila melanogaster and its role in sleep regulation under the guidance of Dr. Alex Keene. My research interests include understanding how fat body-secreted molecules influence sleep behavior and metabolic processes in Drosophila, aiming to uncover molecular pathways that regulate sleep.
Aakriti Rastogi
I received my master's degree in applied microbiology from Madras Christian College, University of Madras, India. During this time, I interned in Dr. Kumarsamy Thangaraj’s lab at the Center for Cell and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, researching non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss in humans with a focus on the connexin gene family. My work included using clinical samples to study mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation disorders, peripheral neuropathy, and chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia by screening for mutations or multiple deletions in mtDNA.
After completing my master’s, I worked at the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, India in aquaculture, focusing on fish health and disease management. There, I developed and characterized new cell lines for commercially important fish species, isolated viruses, and conducted parasite and virus screening.
I am currently a PhD student in Dr. Alex Keene’s lab, investigating the evolution of sleep and activity patterns. My research utilizes Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) to study evolved sleep loss in their cave morphs and African cichlids to explore shifts in sleep timing to nocturnality. By focusing on the wake-promoting neuropeptide hypocretin and sleep-promoting melatonin, my work aims to identify the environmental and genetic factors driving these behavioral adaptation.
Kaya Harper
I received an honors B.S. in Molecular Biology and a minor in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Lehigh University in 2022. In my sophomore year I joined the lab of Dr. Gregory Lang studying hybridization and sporulation dynamics in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. My current research interests include investigating the genetic plasticity of complex traits in the surface and cave populations of Astyanax mexicanus. In addition I am also a member of Dr. Heath Blackmon’s lab at TAMU. There I am developing protocols to study rest and activity behavior in Tribolium castaneum. I am most interested in how anthropogenic activities are influencing adaptation and behavior in a wide range of species, and hope to explore this theme in Astyanax and a wide range of beetle species. Website
Allison Collins
I received my master’s degree in Wildlife Science from Texas A&M University, under the guidance of Dr. Thomas Lacher. My research took place in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon, where I learned about primate behavior and assessed the impact of agricultural expansion on population density in brown titi monkeys. I am currently a PhD student in the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology program, and I joined the Keene lab in 2025. I will be investigating sleep and activity patterns across different species of owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) at the Keeling Center in Bastrop, TX.
Dante Lopez
Dante received a B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Texas San Antonio and an A.S. in Biology from South Texas College. During his undergraduate training, he participated in several research programs focused on genetics, genomics, and interdisciplinary scientific research. As a participant in the Summer Undergraduate Research in Genetics and Genomics (SURGe) program at Texas A&M University, he used CRISPR/Cas9 approaches to study DNA repair mechanisms in Aedes aegypti.
Dante’s research training includes participation in the NIH-funded Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program under the mentorship of Dr. Brian Hermann. As well as interdisciplinary research in science education through the IES Educational Research Pathways Program under the mentorship of Dr. Guadalupe Carmona.
Dante is currently a first-year Ph.D. student in the Genetics and Genomics program at Texas A&M University in the Keene Lab. His research focuses on the neural and evolutionary mechanisms underlying sleep and behavior using the Mexican cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus).
Faith Roland
I received a B.S. in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Emergency Management and Crisis Informatics from Prairie View A&M University. During my undergraduate studies, I gained research experience both at my home institution and through internships at Vanderbilt University, The University of Texas at Austin, and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
I am currently a first-year Ph.D. student in Biology at Texas A&M University. My research focuses on studying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to identify novel genes involved in sleep regulation and investigating the evolution of microglia in Astyanax mexicanus by comparing surface fish and cavefish populations.
In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing The Sims, and spending time with my family.
Undergrads
Sai Nannpaneni
Howdy, my name is Sai Nannapaneni, and I am a junior majoring in Biology. I joined the Keene Lab during my sophomore year, where I work with Eshani on Drosophila Melanogaster and assist her with her Alzheimer’s project.
My current research project that I work on with Eshani uses Hermetia illucens (black soldier flies) as a model organism in collaboration with the Tomberlin Lab. I am investigating sleep activity and behavioral patterns in these insects. This project is particularly exciting because there is currently very limited literature on sleep behavior in black soldier flies. Black soldier flies are nearly five times larger than Drosophila and exhibit unique behavioral patterns that I hope to uncover under guidance of Dr. Alex Keene.
Alexandra Losoya
Alexandra Losoya is a member of the Texas A&M University Class of 2027 from Austin, Texas. She is majoring in Biology with a minor in Neuroscience and plans to pursue medical school after completing her undergraduate studies. Her research focuses on Drosophila melanogaster models expressing Alzheimer’s-related genes, examining how olfactory function declines with age. Through this work, she hopes to better understand sensory degradation associated with Alzheimer’s disease and explore potential strategies to rescue olfactory loss, an early indicator often observed in human patients.
In her free time, Alexandra enjoys spending time outdoors, especially camping! Alexandra also enjoys rewatching Pitch Perfect and the Twilight franchise on a highly repetitive basis.
Johnny Vu
Johnny Vu ('28) is a Biology major and Business minor. When he isn’t in the lab, you can find him at the gym or in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes. While he is deeply interested in the importance of sleep, he admits that actually getting a full night's rest remains a work in progress.
Hailey Phan
I am currently a second year undergraduate student at Texas A&M University studying Biomedical Science with a minor in Public Health. I joined the Keene lab in 2025, where I work under the guidance of Samaneh, focusing on fat body and brain genes in Drosophila melanogaster and their role in sleep patterns. My work involves assisting Samaneh in maintaining flies, preparing for experiments, and conducting my own experiments to discover more about the connection between fat body and Drosophila melanogaster. In my free time, I enjoy working out, rock climbing, and baking.
Staff
Melvin M Bonilla, PhD
Dr. Melvin M. Bonilla completed his Ph.D. in 2014 from the Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at UNR. His graduate research focused on sexual selection, sperm competition, and epigenetic regulation. His research interest can be divided into two main interests: 1) The effects that ecological and stochastic process can have on phenotypes. 2) The underlying genetic and epigenetic variation that contributes to evolutionary innovation.
He accepted a post-doctoral position in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard School of Public Health, to explore the role that environmental processes have on epigenetic regulations. During this time, he expanded his molecular toolbox, developing and optimizing many NGS workflows.
In 2017, Melvin joined the Shubin Lab at The University of Chicago to work on evolutionary development in sharks and skates. He was promoted to senior scientist and lab manger. During this time he was involved in various research interest using a wide range of taxa to explore questions highlighting key evolutionary transitions in tetrapod.
Melvin joined the Keene Lab in July of 2025, and is interested in integrating molecular techniques to better understand the underlying mechanism that link neurodevelopment, behavior, and sleep.
Haya Mansoor
I received my Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Texas A&M University . I currently work as a Research Assistant on fish-based research projects, where I assist with experiments, animal care, data collection, and analysis. My work involves maintaining aquatic systems, monitoring fish health and behavior, and supporting laboratory procedures in accordance with established research and safety protocols. I am particularly interested in aquatic biology and using fish models to better understand biological processes and environmental influences on physiology and behavior.