Sofia Beas, PhD

Principal Investigator 

Dr. Beas is an Assistant Professor in the Neurobiology Department at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. 

Dr. Beas grew up in El Paso, TX. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Science from the University of Texas at El Paso. 

She attained a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Florida in 2015, where she used rodent models to study age-related cognitive decline. 

Dr. Beas then joined the National Institute of Mental Health as a postdoctoral fellow in the Unit of the Neurobiology of Affective Memory. Her postdoctoral work focused on investigating the cellular and circuit mechanisms by which exteroceptive and interoceptive signals affect PVT neurocircuitry and drive adaptive behavior.  

Hobbies: Artisanal Chocolates, Coffee, Plants, Non-Fiction books, Learning new things, Thinking about life's big questions

Postdoctoral Fellows


Sierra Miller

Sierra is from Canyon, Texas and received her BS in Chemistry in 2016 with double minors in Mathematics and Biology from West Texas A&M University. After graduation, Sierra worked for a year and a half for the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service identifying bacterial populations driving gas production in feedyards. In 2023, she received her PhD from the Human Pathophysiology and Translational Medicine Program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Her graduate work focused on the role of Neuromedin U and its receptor in the medial prefrontal cortex in feeding and anxiety-like behaviors. At UAB, Sierra is part of the Mentored Experiences in Research, Instruction, and Teaching (MERIT) program.  


 Hobbies: cooking, crocheting, playing with her dog, and reading.


Graduate Students


Briana Machen

Briana is an Alabama native and an alumna of The University of Alabama at Birmingham with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. She is currently a second-year Ph.D. student in the Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Program. Her research interests include behavioral neuroscience and bioinformatics, and she is currently studying the long-term effects of chemotherapeutic agents on cognition and motivated behaviors.  


 Hobbies: reading, puzzles, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. 


Research Technicians


Sarah Herrell

Sarah is originally from Kentucky, where she received her B.S. at Georgetown College in 2022, majoring in Biology and Psychology. She also studied Psychology at Regent's Park College at Oxford University in Spring 2021. After graduating, Sarah interned at Riverbanks Zoo and Aquarium, where she worked with small mammals and gorillas. In 2023, she worked in Wisconsin at the International Crane Foundation as a Whooping Crane Chick Rearing and Release Apprentice. After that, she surveyed and handled a variety of wild fauna in southeastern Iowa interning for Iowa State University in 2024. 


 Hobbies: hiking, baking, painting, and listening to audiobooks. 


Master Students


 Karen Aikhionbare

Karen Aikhionbare is a Master's Student in the Multidisciplinary Biomedical Sciences Program at The University of Alabama at Birmingham.  She got her undergraduate degree in Cell and Molecular Biology at Augusta University.


 Undergraduate Students


 Lauren Assaf

Lauren grew up in Madison, Alabama. She is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in neuroscience at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. After finishing her undergrad, she aspires to attend medical school and specialize in surgery. 

Hobbies: she enjoys playing the flute, and piano, as well as lacrosse, reading, and listening to podcasts. 

 Julia Tucker

Julia Tucker is from Birmingham, Alabama and currently attends the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is studying neuroscience and working towards her masters in multidisciplinary biomedical sciences. After graduation, she plans to continue on to medical school with a passion to work in pediatrics.

Hobbies: Traveling, Exercise, Sports, Outdoor activities, Trying new restaurants, and Spending time with friends and family



 Paresh Jampala

Paresh Jampala is an undergraduate student at The University of Alabama at Birmingham majoring in neuroscience and working towards her MBA.  He is also part of the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP). 



 Shruti Mahesh

Shruti Mahesh is an undergraduate at The University of Alabama at Birmingham majoring in neuroscience.