Xu-Friedman Lab

Matthew Xu-Friedman

Principal Investigator

Hails from: San Diego, CA

BS 1989, Yale University

PhD 1997, Cornell University, Carl Hopkins PI

postdoc 1997–2004. Harvard Medical School, Wade Regehr PI

Assistant Professor 2004–2010, University at Buffalo

Associate Professor 2010–2018 , University at Buffalo

Professor 2018– , University at Buffalo

Nicole Wong

PhD Candidate

Hails from: Brooklyn, NY

BS in Biology from Adelphi University

MS in Biology from Adelphi University

Projects: Effects of activity on endbulbs

Hobbies: Playing tricks on her labmates, playing video games, watching the New York Mets, and playing the Ukulele 

Maggie Postolache

PhD Candidate

Hails from: Los Angeles, California

BA in Biology from UC Santa Barbara

Projects: Effects of aging on cochlear nucleus units

Hobbies: Tennis, travel, hiking

Kimberly Nguyen

MS Student 

Hails from: Westchester, NY

BS in Pharmacology and Toxicology

Projects: Effects of noise exposure and deafening on synaptic structure

Hobbies: Guitar, Yoga, and tidying up like Marie Kondo

John Puskas

MA Student 

Hails from: Buffalo, NY

Projects: Effects of noise exposure and deafening on endbulb structure

Hobbies: Baking, fantasy football, and video games

Tenzin Yongye

Undergraduate

Hails from: New York, NY

Projects: AAV injections into the semicircular canals

Hobbies: Tennis and listening the music

Luke Oh

Undergraduate

Hails from: New Hyde Park, NY

Projects: Using anatomical structure to identify different types of auditory nerve fibers

Hobbies: Cooking, jogging/exercising, skiing, singing, playing drums, playing video games with friends, and riding an electric scooter

Sushmita Patil

Undergraduate

Hails from: Rochester, NY

Projects: Electron microscopy reconstruction of auditory nerve fibers

Hobbies: Dancing, reading, and hiking

Sydney Brongo

Undergraduate

Hails from: Rochester, NY

Project: In vivo optogenetics

Hobbies: Reading, writing, hanging out with friends

Alexander Gennaro

Undergraduate

Hails from: Buffalo, NY

Project: Gene expression changes in auditory nerve fibers

​Hobbies: Skiing, drums, video games

James Engel

Lab Support Specialist

Hails from: Baltimore, MD

Projects: Differentiation of auditory nerve fibers

Hobbies: Biking, Cooking, volunteering time to save lives with LVAC