Administration
Michael Maniskas, PhD – Research Program Manager
Education & Training
BS Marshall University – Huntington, WV
MS University of Kentucky – Lexington, KY
PhD University of Kentucky – Lexington, KY
Areas of Interest
Research interests: Alzheimer’s Disease, Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, Stroke, and Aging
Research & Experience
Undergraduate Research:
Marshall University – Studying the incidence of blue and green bottle flies through the decomposition of swine in the Ohio River Valley.
Marshall University – Studying the effects of articular cartilage degeneration in the femoral condyle of seniors in rural Appalachia.
Graduate Research:
University of Kentucky – Doctorate of Philosophy
Dissertation: LOOKING TO THE FUTURE OF STROKE TREATMENT: COMBINING RECANALIZATION AND NEUROPROTECTION IN ACUTE ISCHEMIC STROKE
Hobbies & Interests
Exploring the Houston food scene. Traveling with my wife to new areas of the US and abroad. Reading books about travel and science. Needlepointing belts and key chains.
Lori A Capozzi, CRA – Director of Business Management, Neurology
Certifications
Certified Research Administrator (CRA)
Phlebotomy Certification
Experience
Lori has over 20 years’ experience working in the academic research field. She has supported Dr. Louise McCullough’s clinical and basic science research since 2005 and serves as the Director of Business Development in Neurology here at UTHealth. She is a federally designated Certified Research Administrator and has extensive experience working with federal regulations regarding funding, grant submissions and Human subject research compliance. Lori manages and coordinates all aspects of the BioRepository of Neurological Disorders, which was designed to provide researchers biological samples for research studies and developing clinical trials. She assists in business process improvement both in and outside of the laboratory.
Hobbies & Interests
Her four children, travel, and spending time at the beach.
Ashley Fordyce – Administrative Coordinator
Education & Training
BA Mass Communications and Public Relations, Sam Houston State University – Huntsville, TX (2014)
Areas of Interest
Administration, public relations and communications
Experience
Ashley joined the BRAINS Research Laboratory in 2022 as an Administrative Assistant with over 10 years of experience. She assists in the day-to-day operations of the research group, purchasing equipment and products for the production of the lab. She also provides administrative assistance to both Lori & Michael ensuring daily operations of the lab are met.
Hobbies & Interests
Spending time with her daughter, working out, dancing, creating art, hiking and watching movies
Catalina Herrera – Administrative Assistant
Education & Training
Catalina is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Public Health at the University of Houston.
Areas of Interest
Health Science, Public Service and Administration
Hobbies & Interests
Cooking, napping, collecting vinyl records, scary movies, Lacrosse
Jana Rosario – Communications Assistant, Neurology
Education & Training
BS Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University – College Station, TX (2019)
MS Science and Technology Journalism, Texas A&M University – College Station, TX (2022)
Areas of Interest
Medical writing, medical illustration and animation, editing
Experience
Jana has publication experience with The New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the Journal of Shock and Hemodynamics, specifically in biomedical and cardiogenic research. She has experience in technical and creative writing, copyediting, graphic design, and 3D and 2D animation. She also has 5 years of clinical experience as an emergency veterinary technician. She manages the BRAINS website and helps the admin team with any writing and editing needs.
Hobbies & Interests
Illustrating, playing the piano, photography, and cosplaying her favorite characters at conventions.