Meet Our Team

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Gavin is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He majored in Biology and Philosophy. Gavin joined the Ritola Lab / Neurotools in 2021 as an Undergraduate Research Assistant and then moved into a Research Technician position after graduating from college. Gavin’s primary responsibilities include cloning and DNA preparation. Gavin is also currently involved in two AAV gene therapy research projects. Gavin is preparing to apply to medical school.

Research Technician

Aaliyah received her B.S. in cellular biology from The University of Georgia in 2021. When she joined Ritola Lab / Neurotools she began working on AAV DNA bacterial growth protocols. Aaliyah has since transitioned to her primary responsibilities in AAV production, optimization, and quality control. Aaliyah’s current research projects include reduction of recombinase independant recombination, AAV gradient production optimization, and non-human ITR to human capsid compatibility. Aaliyah is preparing for PhD applications to continue her training in hopes of achieving her long term goal of developing improved AAV vectors that can overcome the challenges in translating rAAV gene theropy to clinical applications.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Simna received her PhD in Biochemistry from India, where she studied the pharmacological effects of traditional drug in Skin squamous cell carcinoma. She underwent postdoctoral training at UPenn (Clinical and gene therapy studies), Saveetha Medical University (Neuroscience) and at UNC, Chapel Hill (Ophthalmology and Neuroscience). Simna’s interdisciplinary skill set and rigorous training under different mentors has led her to explore new arenas in the scientific field. Currently, in the Ritola lab Simna is focusing on optimization and production of AAV, Rabies and Retro viruses and their implications on gene therapy.

Business Officer

Zoe is an experienced business and program manager with a proven track record of streamlining processes and growing revenue. As the lab's business officer, Zoe is responsible for improving the lab's processes including billing, shipping, customer experience, and financial management. Her bachelor's degree in pedagogy from George Mason University and background in education has led her to work with a number of educational institutions, where she's developed a passion for bettering businesses with a meaningful mission. Outside of the lab, Zoe enjoys trying new restaurants, home decorating, cooking, and spending time outdoors with her husband and two dogs.

Research Technician

Kaden is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He majored in Biological and Medical Physics. He’s interested in applications of physics and engineering in the medical field and is deciding between pursuing a career in academic or industry applied science. In the Ritola lab, Kaden is currently working on DNA prep, cloning, and AAV production. Kaden also has a microfluidics based collaboration where he is using nanopore engineering. Out side of work, he loves to travel, listen to music, and go hiking and camping.

Research Technician

Undergraduate Research Assistant