Joseph
C. LaManna, Ph.D.
Dr.
LaManna has been involved in
cerebrovascular research for more than 30 years. He is the
Chairman of the Anatomy
Department at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine as well
as a Professor in the
Neurology,
Physiology/Biophysics and Neuroscience
departments.
E-mail
Dr. LaManna: joseph.lamanna@case.edu
Girriso
Benderro
Born in Sidama, Ethiopia, Girriso graduated
from Asmara University with a BS in Biology and from Addis Ababa
University/Jimma with an MS in Anatomy, where he taught anatomy and
physiology to medical/paramedical students for 9 years. He is
currently pursuing a PhD in Anatomy. His current research
interests include hypoxic response in various organ tissues. In his
free time, Girriso loves long journeys to historical
places, alongside watching soccer and basketball.
E-mail Girriso:
girriso.benderro@case.edu
Bernie
Erokwu
Bernie has worked at Case
for 15 years, serving 9 years in pulmonary medicine critical
care division working on respiratory control. She received a
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Nigeria and a
Masters of Education from John Carroll University. She is currently
involved in cardiac arrest model of global ischemia. Her hobbies
include playing the piano, reading, traveling.
E-mail
Bernie: boe@case.edu
Sue Foss
Sue Foss has worked at CASE since 1988 and with Dr. LaManna since 1989,
functioning as his personal secretary/assistant and also as Department
Assistant for the Anatomy
Department. She is an enthusiastic employee who really enjoys
her job. Sue was elected to the Staff Advisory Council in 1998 and
served on the
Staff Training and Development Committee for several
years. She is married, has three children, and one adorable
granddaughter, Angelena, and a grandson on the way! In her spare time
she enjoys babysitting, gardening, walking, and boating with her
husband.
E-mail
Sue:
suzanne.foss@case.edu
Smruta Koppaka
Smruta graduated from Cleveland State with an MS
in Chemical and
Biomedical Engineering in Aug. '06. Currently pursuing a PhD
in Biomedical Engineering, her research interests include cereberal
energy metabolism, especially under the influence of ketogenic diet.
Smruta enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, biking,
and swimming. Smruta also loves reading books!
E-mail Smruta: smruta.koppaka@case.edu
Mary Modesitt
Mary graduated in 1999 from Hiram College with a
BA in Biology.
Thereafter, Mary became part of the Anatomy Dept. in Dec.
1999 and has been working in the medical school as a histology tech.
ever since. From mid-spring to late fall Mary enjoys spending
her weekends whitewater kayaking in PA, WV, and various other places
when the rivers are running!
E-mail Mary:mary.modesitt@case.edu
Obinna
Ndubuizu
A
native of the Washington, D.C. area and a graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore
County (UMBC), where he double majored (BS) in
Biochemistry/Molecular Biology & Psychology. He is
currently a Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) student with a
thesis project involving the regulation of Hypoxia Inducible
Factor-1α (HIF-1α) and ischemic preconditioning in
the aging rat brain. Primary interests outside of the lab and
school are football and basketball (playing and viewing).
E-mail
Obinna: oin@case.edu
Michelle Puchowicz
A native Clevelander, she
graduated from CASE
with three degrees: a BS in Biomedical Engineering, an MS in Nutrition,
and a Ph.D. with
Dr. Brunengraber in Nutrition. She has specialized in the
field of whole body metabolism of ketone bodies and short chain fatty
acids and her expertise includes the study of esters of synthetic
nutrients and nutraceuticals. Click
here to
view her published articles and
patents. She has joined Dr. LaManna's laboratory to investigate
substrate metabolism in normal and diseased brain, focusing on seizure
disorders and mathematical modeling of brain metabolism. Among her
personal interests are equestrian sports, biking, enjoying nature, her family and
her "Private Animal Farm".
Daisy
Mae
Larry
Radon
Kitty
E-mail Michelle: map10@case.edu
Xiaoyan
Sun
Xiayan was born in Dalian,
China, living almost forty years in Qingdao, China. (Qingdao is famous
for its beer) She graduated from Qingdao Medical University, afterwards
she lived in Israel with her husband for five years, visited a few
European countries and then embarked on her journey to the United
States. She has been working as a Research Assistant ever since she
settled in America. She loves to travel, cook eggplants, play tennis
and volleyball, and debating with her 18-year daughter about her
“unknown” future. All in all, she’s a
lovely warm woman who loves her family very much, especially her
one-year-old-daughter who grabs absolutely ANYTHING within her
immediate reach without WARNING.
E-mail Xiaoyan: xxs@case.edu
Constantinos
Tsipis
Constantinos is a graduate of
Case Western
Reserve University with a BA in Chemistry who is currently
working as a research assistant in the lab. Constantinos' research
focuses on the effects of ketone bodies in the stressed rat brain.
Specifically, the stress induced by hypoxia or cardiac arrest
is a major focal point of his research. Constantinos is an
avid guitarist/songwriter and has plans to attend medical school in the
future.
E-mail
Constantinos: cpt2@case.edu
Kui
Xu
Born in Beijing, China, she
graduated from the West China University of Medical Sciences in 1993.
She had been a general surgery resident for three years in the People's
Hospital of the Beijing Medical University before coming to the USA in
1996. Looking to apply her surgical expertise in a research
environment, she began work in the lab that same year studying the rat
cardiac arrest model. She previously received a grant from The
American Heart Association
to investigate the effects of adenosine on the recovery of rat brain
following cardiac arrest. Click
here
to view her publications. Her hobbies include traveling, soccer,
tennis, and cooking the meanest fried rice this side of the Prime
Meridian.
E-mail Kui: kxx@case.edu
