Melissa Campbell, M.D., Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Campbell is a new assistant professor in the department of Neurosciences at UCSD Health, in the Division of Pediatric Neurology. Dr. Campbell did her graduate training with Dr. Gordon Fishell in New York University’s medical scientist training program, and her postdoctoral training with Dr.’s Edmund Au and Chaolin Zhang at Columbia University Medical Center.

Dr. Campbell is passionate about helping both neurons and people achieve their full potential. A former executive board member of the Columbia postdoc union, Dr. Campbell believes in achieving good science by supporting the people who do it.

When she’s not in the lab, Melissa loves gardening, baking, biking, and enjoying nature with her husband (also a scientist) and young daughter (exploring her options).

Yujie Cao, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Scholar

Yujie is a Postdoctoral Fellow who is currently conducting research in Melissa Campbell's laboratory. He received his Ph.D. from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, where he focused on microtubule organization and intracellular transport during neuronal development. In his current position, Yujie's research focuses primarily on interneuron differentiation. Beyond his work in the lab, he has a passion for electronic music, photography, and video games. 

Jungeun Lim, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Scholar 

Jungeun obtained a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from both Seoul National University and Georgia Institute of Technology. Her interest lies in applying engineering techniques to model the neuromicroenvironment, with the aim of discovering new findings in Neuroscience. Besides her research work, Jungeun enjoys playing tennis, cooking, and traveling with her spouse.

Srija Pamujula, B.S.

Lab Assistant 

Srija Pamujula graduated from UCSD with a B.S. in Neurobiology. She is interested in many areas of neuroscience including epileptogenesis. She plans on applying for medical school in the future in order to pursue her passion for Neuroscience in a clinical setting. Apart from being in lab, she hopes to work as an EMT in order to further her interest in EMS in the near future. In her free time, Srija loves to paint, cook and dance.

Ananya Achanta

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Ananya Achanta is a freshman at UCSD who is pursuing a B.S. in Neurobiology. She is interested in neuroscience and the impact of metabolism on autism and epilepsy. Ananya wants to pursue an M.D/Ph.D to pursue her passions in research and clinical work. Outside of school and research, Ananya likes to play the piano, read, and explore beaches in San Diego.

Jeffrey Smith, B.S.

Developmental Neurosciences Program Manager

Jeff has nearly 20 years of laboratory set-up and management experience at UCSD. He brings a wealth of experience to manage multiple basic-translational laboratories, and numerous operational, regulatory and budgetary complexities within a diverse, multi-institutional collaborative research environment. In his spare time, Jeff loves exploring local craft breweries, flying, motorcycles, and escaping to his cabin out of town.