Auerbach Lab Members

Principal Investigator

David Auerbach, PhD

Dr. Auerbach is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine-Cardiology at SUNY Upstate Medical University, a member of the Neuroscience Graduate Program, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine-Cardiovascular Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

PhD Students

Veronica Singh

Veronica is a 4th-year PhD candidate in the Pharmacology PhD program. Prior to joining the Auerbach Lab, she earned her BS in Biology from SUNY Oswego in 2019. Veronica is now investigating the underlying mechanisms for the high risk of seizures and sudden death in Long QT Syndrome Type-2, using a novel knock-in rabbit model of LQT2 and epilepsy. Her long-term goal is to map the cascade of multisystem dysfunction leading up to SUDEP.

Laura Wengert

Laura is a graduate student in the Pharmacology PhD program. She earned her BS in Bioprocess Engineering from SUNY ESF in 2018. While working as an engineer, she decided she wanted to pursue a career in academia. She gained research experience as a wet lab technician before joining the PhD program at SUNY Upstate. In the Auerbach Lab, Laura seeks to work at the intersection of her scientific and mathematical interests. Her work is centered around identifying cardiac risk factors of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).

Daria Zaitseva

Daria is an MD/PhD student in the Pharmacology department. Prior to Upstate, she earned her BA in Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania in 2021. She worked as a clinical research coordinator for 2 years focusing on trauma and cardiac arrest, and looks forward to a career in cardiology. After completing her pre-clinical MD coursework, Daria joined the Auerbach Lab. She currently investigates the diversity of data that can be extracted from a patient ECG, including HRV and respiratory waveforms.

Masters Students

Pranitha Anoor

Pranitha is a BS/MD student at Upstate Medical University. She started volunteering at the Auerbach Lab last summer, and is now a full time MS student in the Auerbach Lab. She graduated (with honors) with her BS in Biotechnology from SUNY ESF in December 2024. Pranitha is using our novel knock-in rabbit model of LQT2 to study adverse cardiac effects of anti-seizure medications.

Research Staff

Kyle Wagner

Senior Research Support Specialist

Lab Manager

Kyle is a research support specialist and leads the “wet bench”/animal experiments in the Auerbach Lab. He received his B.S. Ch from Purdue University in biochemistry in 2012. While at Purdue, he spent several years in a protein crystallography lab studying alternative substrate binding sites in bacterial phenylalanine hydroxylase.

Justin M Ryan, PhD

Research Assistant Professor

Justin is an applied mathematician. He grew up in nearby Weedsport, NY, earned his BS, MS, and PhD in Applied Mathematics from Wichita State University, KS, and completed a Post-Doc Fellowship in Mathematics at Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina. Justin leads the Auerbach Lab's clinical studies and computational projects.

Medical Students

Jonathan Mohnkern

Jon is a third-year medical student at Upstate with an interest in cardiology and critical care. Jon earned his bachelor's in biology/psychology from S.U.N.Y. Geneseo in 2021. He has also obtained training as a national-registered paramedic, flight paramedic, community paramedic, neonatal-pediatric transport, and as a military medic in the Army. He currently works as a paramedic locally in Syracuse while attending school.

John Tsoumpelis

John is a second-year medical student at Upstate assisting with EEG clinical case studies. He graduated from Binghamton University in 2022 with a bachelor’s in Biological Sciences. He is from Long Island.

Alumni - MD/MS

Laura Williams

Laura is a third year medical student at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Between her second and third years of Med school, Laura earned a masters degree in the Auerbach Lab. She studied RNA/DNA expression in the lab's rabbit model of Long QT Syndrome Type 2, and helped develop a surgical protocol to implant EEG and ECG electrodes in the rabbits for continuous long-term monitoring.