Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine >> Research >> Labs >> Opp Lab

Opp Laboratory
Team Members

  • Backman, Tina, BS Grant Research Specialist
    Departmental Staff

    Tina Backman, BS

    Research Grants Specialist
    Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    Biographical Statement: Tina manages pre-and post-award operation for federally sponsored programs for the department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine. Tina has extensive expertise on institutional and government funding agencies' policies and procedures. Evaluates and reviews grant proposals and resulting awards, coordinating on-going budget analysis and assuring compliance with grant requirements. Assists with development and maintenance of complex data and information management system.

  • Banks, William, MD, FACE Professor, UW, VAPSHCS
    Faculty
    photo of research collaborator

    William Banks, MD, FACE

    Professor
    Associate Director for the Geriatric Research Education & Clinical Center (GRECC)
    Professor, Division of Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine
    Department of Internal Medicine, University of Washington
    Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science
    Editor-in Chief, Current Pharmaceutical Design

    wabanks1@uw.edu

    Research Interests: study of how the brain and body communicate with one another through the transfer of informational molecules across the blood-brain barrier (BBB)

    UW Bio

  • Barf, Paulien, PhD Research Scientist
    Departmental Staff
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    Paulien Barf, PhD

    Research Scientist,
    Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    rpbarf@uw.edu

    Research Interests: Paulien was born in The Netherlands, where she studied Biology at the University of Groningen. Her PhD project focused on the metabolic consequences of sleep restriction. Paulien intends to continue the topic of metabolic consequences of sleep loss, with a focus on central hypothalamic mechanisms and mitochondrial changes.

    Personal Interests: Outside of the laboratory, Paulien enjoys traveling, hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. Whenever the weather does not allow this, she also enjoys reading books or watching movies.

  • Febinger, Heidi, BS Research Scientist Assistant
    Departmental Staff
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    Heidi Febinger, BS

    Research Scientist Assistant,
    Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    hyfeb13@uw.edu

    Research Interests: Heidi graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology at the University of Washington in Seattle, with a focus on biocultural anthropology and archaeology. Her senior thesis explored the effects of short and long naps and brief periods of wakeful rest on cortisol levels to see if they paralleled typical changes in cortisol induced by a good-night's sleep. Heidi has expertise in hormone assays using EIA techniques, and experience in molecular biology. She has previously worked at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the UW Biological Anthropology and Biodemography Laboratory, and the UW Thermoluminescence Laboratory.

    Personal Interests: Heidi enjoys reading, video gaming, rock-climbing, history, art, and movies.

  • Gemma, Carmelina, PhD Research Associate Professor
    Departmental Staff
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    Carmelina Gemma, PhD

    Research Associate Professor,
    Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    Research Interests: Dr. Gemma received her first PhD in Neuroimmunology from the Mario Negri Institute in Milan, Italy. Her dissertation was a study on the interaction between the central nervous system and the peripheral immune system with special emphasis on the hypothalamic serotonergic system and peripheral inflammatory molecules. She received a second PhD in Neurophysiology from the University of Milan in Italy where she studied the role of inflammation on sleep-wake cycle activity. Her postdoctoral research activities were focused initially on examining the alteration in the sleep-wake cycle during the course of HIV infection and later on the neurobiology of aging. Since then, she has been dedicated to the study of inflammation in the aging brain and has a scientific background superbly tailored to approach such topic. Dr. Gemma recently relocated from Tampa, Florida to join the University of Washington.

    Personal Interests: Dr. Gemma enjoys traveling, fashion and great food!

  • George, Amrita, BS Research Scientist/Engineer II (Lab Manager)
    Departmental Staff
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    Amrita George, BS

    Research Scientist/Engineer II,
    Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine;
    Manager, Opp Laboratory

    amgeorge@uw.edu

    Research Interests: Amrita is the laboratory manager for the Opp Lab. She plans, investigates and develops approaches for experiments. Amrita assists in the preparation of reports, papers, presentations, new proposals, etc. She has expertise in histology, microscopy and data processing.

  • Imeri, Luca, MD Associate Professor, UNIMI
    External Collaborator
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    Luca Imeri, MD

    Associate Professor of Human Physiology,
    University of Milan

    luca.imeri@unimi.it

    Research Interests: Cytokine and Neurotransmitter Interactions in Sleep Regulation

    UNIMI Bio

  • Krueger, James, PhD Regents Professor, WSU
    External Collaborator
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    James Krueger, PhD

    Regents Professor
    Washington State University

    krueger@vetmed.wsu.edu

    Research Interests: biochemical regulation of sleep; sleep and infectious diseases

    WSU Bio

  • Pavlova, Maria, PhD Research Scientist/Engineer IV
    Departmental Staff
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    Maria Pavlova, PhD

    Research Scientist/Engineer IV,
    Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    mpavlova@u.washington.edu

    Research Interests: Maria is a native of Russia and has M.S. in Genetics and Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Moscow State University. Her research interests include applying tools of mouse genetics and transgenesis to the study of fundamental biological processes. Main areas of expertise are molecular biology, neuroscience, and various aspects of small animal research.

    Personal Interests: Outdoors and world cultures. She enjoys hiking, travel, cooking, international cinema, and reading.

  • Ringgold, Kristyn, PhD Research Scientist/Engineer II
    Departmental Staff
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    Kristyn Ringgold, PhD

    Research Scientist/Engineer II,
    Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

    kringgo@uw.edu

    Research Interests: Kristyn hails from California, where she attended the University of California at Davis and graduated with degrees in Biological Psychology (BS) and Physiology (PhD), studying vestibular modulation of circadian rhythms in the lab of Dr. Charles Fuller. After marriage to an Everett high school teacher, Kristyn found herself moving to Seattle and employed by the Opp Lab as a Research Scientist. In this role, Kristyn provides technical support for the lab, both in common bench techniques and in the operation of full experimental protocols.

  • Sutton, Blair, MS Graduate Student
    Graduate Student
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    Blair Sutton, MS

    Neuroscience Graduate Student,
    University of Michigan

    bcsutton@uw.edu

    Research Interests: Blair is a native Michigander who spends her time outside of the laboratory being active and enjoying all the Pacific Northwest has to offer Blair's research focuses on mechanisms of interactions by which pain disrupts sleep and sleep disruption exacerbates pain. She uses a mouse model of musculoskeletal sensitization to emulate muscle symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. Mechanisms of interest include actions of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the brain.

  • Talsma, Ashley, MS Graduate Student
    Graduate Student
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    Ashley Talsma, MS

    Neuroscience Graduate Student,
    University of Michigan

    ashleymt@uw.edu

    Research Interests: Ashley's research aims to determine the relative roles of neurons and gdda (astrocytes) in mediating behavioral responses to immune challenge, which are collectively referred to as sickness behavior. She has engineered novel transgenic mice that express IL-1 R1 or TNF p55 receptors selectively in brain and specifically in neurons or astrocytes.

  • Toth, Linda, DVM, PhD Professor, SIU
    External Collaborator
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    Linda Toth, DVM, PhD

    Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs,
    Professor, Department of Pharmacology
    Southern Illinois University

    ltoth@siumed.edu

    Research Interests: neural-immune interactions, including the mechanisms of communication between the peripheral immune system and the brain, the role of immune response in the regulation of sleep, and genetic modulation of sleep propensity

    SIU Bio