Kurt Fraser
Principal Investigator | CV
Kurt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota. He received his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan where he trained with Dr. Shelly Flagel. He completed his Ph.D. in 2021 under the direction of Dr. Patricia Janak at Johns Hopkins University. He then pursued postdoctoral training as a BRAIN Initiative Fellow at the University of California Berkeley with Dr. Stephan Lammel. Outside of work Kurt is an avid watcher of the Real Housewives, an amateur weightlifter, and spends a lot of time with his dog Levi.
Interested in a postdoctoral position? Contact Kurt!
Serena Miller
Researcher 2
Serena is a research technician who graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato in May of 2020. Her bachelors degree in Psychology and mentorship from Dr. Adam Steiner and Dr. Bradley Arsznov fostered a passion for research and neuroscience. Serena first became acquainted with neuroscience research in the Translational Neuroengineering Lab at UMN under the direction of Dr. Alik Widge. Serena is excited to contribute to the Fraser lab and continue to gain experience relevant to her eventual goal of a PhD in Neuroscience. In her personal life, Serena enjoys Thai food, martial arts, and horror movies.
Gabrielle Russell
Elle is a first-year PhD student in Psychology, specializing in cognitive and brain sciences. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Northern Michigan University in 2024. Through working with Dr. Josh Carlson and Dr. Amber LaCrosse, Elle developed a strong interest in reward processing, motivation, and behavior. Outside of research, she enjoys rock climbing, and traveling.
Tommy DeGeus
Major: Neuroscience, Minor: Psychology
Class of 2027
Hometown: Bemidji, MN
UROP awardee and Directed Research
Sharlyn Donoza
Major: Biology
Class of 2027
Hometown: Diamond Bar, CA
Honors student, MARC Fellow
Umay Pankratz
Major: Psychology, B.S.
Class of 2027
Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota
Honors student
Jasmine Raja
Major: Neuroscience, Minor: Health Psychology
Class of 2028
Hometown: Blaine, MN
Dean’s Research Program
Gabriel Smith
Major: Psychology, Minor: Neuroscience
Class of 2027
Hometown: Springboro, OH
Liv Ye
Major: Psychology, Computer Science
Class of 2027
Hometown: Jinhua, China
Honors student, UROP awardee
Aaron Amen
Major: Psychology B.S
Class of 2027
Suha Ibrahim
Major: Human Physiology
Class of 2027
Sundy Nguyen
Major: Psychology
Graduated Spring 2025
Anoma Yang
Major Psychology, Minor Social Justice
Graduated Spring 2025