Jason C. O’Connor, PhD
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor
I am interested in understanding the complex interactions between the immune system and the brain, with an emphasis on inflammation-induced neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental diseases. We have identified the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism as an important mediator of the effects of proinflammatory factors in the brain, including microglial activity, neuronal architecture, behavior and cognition. Currently, projects in the lab are exploring the (1) effects of neurotoxic kynurenine metabolites on depressive behaviors and cognitive function (2) the neurodevelopmental consequences of prenatal inflammation (3) and the role of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor in regulating neuroinflammation.
View publications
Natalia R. Kuhn-Sandoval, BS, MPH
Senior Research Assistant
I have a BS in Genetics from Texas A&M University and an MPH from Texas A&M University School of Rural Public Health. I have many years of experience collecting, maintaining and analyzing large data sets and a comprehensive background with planning, scheduling, executing, analyzing, troubleshooting, and reporting results for scientific research projects. I have worked with different animal models including American buffalo, baboon, rhesus macaque, mice, and even humans. I enjoy learning new laboratory skills and technologies as needed to accomplish research goals. Lastly, I really love meeting all of the brilliant and talented people in this field and cultivating positive and productive working relationships with everyone I meet.
View publications
Danielle Santana Coelho, Msc, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Education: Ph.D., Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
M.Sc., Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Para
B.S., Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Para
Research Interests: My research interests are focused on elucidating how genetic susceptibility and environmental insults during the perinatal period result in the development of brain disorders. One of the lines of research that I work with aims to understand how inflammation during gestation disrupts neurodevelopment processes leading to behavioral deficits.
View publications
Miguel (Mike) de la Flor, PhD, CMI
Researcher
I study how the brain transforms molecular signals into behavior. My research examines the neural and biochemical mechanisms that shape cognition, including learning, memory, decision-making, and perception, and how these processes fail with age and disease.
At UTHSCSA, I investigate how metabolites of the kynurenine pathway affect brain function, focusing on kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) inhibition as a strategy to preserve neuronal health in aging, neurodegeneration, and stroke.
I also integrate AI into research workflows, developing human-in-the-loop systems that use large language models to accelerate hypothesis generation, data analysis, and scientific writing. These efforts aim to strengthen clarity, efficiency, and reproducibility while opening new paths for translational discovery.
View publications
Mustafa Mithaiwala, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Former Lab Member
Mustafa Mithaiwala completed his PhD in 2022, having been a doctoral student in Dr. O’Connor’s lab from 2016 to 2022. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Ashley Acheson’s Neurodevelopmental Risk and Resilience program within the Psychiatric Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.