Abba J. Kastin, M.D., Professor and Endowed Chair, Principal investigator, abba.kastin@pbrc.edu Dr. Kastin is not only an avid researcher but continues his activities of swimming, viola playing, and collecting New Guinea (and Melanesian) art; he also serves on the advisory board of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Visual Arts Visiting Committe of Loyola University, Board of Directors of the Baton Rouge Symphony, Board of Directors of Opera Louisiane, and the advisory committee of the Harvard Club of Louisiana. He has been editor-in-chief of the international journal Peptides for about 30 years and has  published the 1600 page, 213 chapter Handbook of Biologically Active Peptides with Elsevier. When he left his hometown of Cleveland, OH to go to college and medical school at Harvard, he never imagined that after his training at NIH he would end up in the deep south. Now he feels that living in this subtropical climate is one the best things he ever did.
	Weihong Pan, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Principal investigator, weihong.pan@pbrc.edu Dr. Pan grew up in Zhejiang Province in southeast China, and is a graduate from Shanghai Medical University (MD, 1990) and Tulane University of Lousiana (PhD, 1997). She is an ABPN-certified neurologist and will soon be boarded in Sleep Medicine. It is a pleasure for her to work with a senior partner who has over 29,000 citations (H index 77) and looks after her, and with a lab crew who are intelligent, hardworking, productive, and kind-hearted. [travel BLOG]
	Hung Hsuchou, M.S. Lab Manager, Research Associate 3, hung.hsuchou@pbrc.edu No one else has 27 papers in the first three years of stay in the lab except Hung. Hung acquired his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the National Taiwan University and an additional one from the University of Cologne in Germany. His background is neuroscience and bioinformatics. He grasps the concepts, challenges experimental designs, sets up new techniques, and always produces accurate and reliable results. Modest and honest, he actually grows the most beautiful orchids, knows much about ancient Chinese history and arts, and is good at Chinese seal-carving and scuba diving. He enjoys traveling around the world, doing garden design for his friends, and good food as long as it is not vegetarian. It is hard to believe that he is now on Facebook. [web exercise]
	Kirsten Prufer-Stone, Ph.D., Faculty Project Manager Kirsten got both her master’s degree (1986) and her Ph.D. (1995) in Jena, Germany. After a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Julia Barsony at NIH (1998-2003), she held a faculty position at the department of Biological Sciences at LSU from 2003-2009. Throughout the years she introduced more than 30 students to the magic of scientific research and taught undergraduates cell biology and histology. As a cell biologist she previously studied the role of intracellular trafficking, protein-protein-interactions, and posttranslational modifications in regulating the functions of nuclear receptors. She is happy to have returned to neuroscience and will apply all her expertise to uncover mechanisms by which cells of the nervous system work to perform its amazing functions.  In addition to her passion for science, she loves to bicycle, and hike the world’s mountains with her husband. At home, she aims to satisfy the needs of her family for fruits and vegetables from growing them herself, and to be the best grandmother in the world to little Galina.
	Michael Cash, BS, Research Associate cashms@pbrc.edu   Mike graduated from Louisiana State University December of 2009 with a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry. He is originally from Houston, TX, but finds Louisiana as a second home. His main focus is immunohistochemical cell staining and maintaining the mouse breeding colony. Future plans include pursuing a master’s degree and/or pursuing the medical field. Mike's hobbies and interests include playing guitar, photography, and anything related to the great outdoors.
	Xiaojun Wu, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Associate, xiaojun.wu@pbrc.edu Xiaojun Wu obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Nanjing University, Master’s degree from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ph.D. from Louisiana State University (2006). His previous research field includes quality control and improvement of medicinal plants by molecular manipulation, medicinal components isolation and analysis from herbs and new drug screening through animal and cell models. And now he is interested in neuroscience and is developing a new career in this area. He is an easy-going, warm-hearted and optimistic young man. Hhis philosophy: life is short, be happy everyday and faraway from sadness.
	News from past lab members Emily Markadakis is now a graduate student in Biochemistry in University of Oklahoma P Brad Fossier is a first year medical student at LSU Reas Sulaimankutty Khan landed on his second postdoc post at Univ of Pennsylvenia Laura Feuft is about to finish dental school, whereas David Hirsch and Ruth Yamane will be called medical doctors soon Courtney Cain provides excellent core facility support in histology and imaging Yueming Ding is a faculty teaching biology in Hangzhou and a proud mother
	Sarah Waters, the high school teacher The H2Os blog <https://thewaters.wordpress.com/>
	Hong Tu, MD, PhD, Professor Hong finally decided to resign her faculty appointment at PBRC since Shanghai is so attractive that she cannot leave it easily. She is professor at Shanghai Cancer Institute. Our lab benefited a lot from her. The good tradition of the Hong Tu legacy continues. [Xiang's BLOG] [Shanghai Lab]
	Jasmine (Chuanhui) Yu is now an instructor at UC-Irvine
	Yi He is now an assistant professor at Beijing Capital University