Members — Herman Lab

Dr. Melissa Herman

She/her

Associate Professor, PH.D.

Melissa began her research career as an undergraduate at Boston University studying lichen before turning her attention to the brain and graduating with a B.S. in Human Physiology in 2001. Melissa went on to work as a research technician in the laboratory of Catherine Rivier at the Salk Institute where she first developed an appreciation for the complexities of stress and the brain. Entering graduate school at Georgetown University, Melissa received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2010 for her thesis investigating “GABA Signaling in the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius (NTS): Central Control of Gastric Motility and Modulation by Endogenous Opioids" under the guidance of her advisor Dr. Richard Gillis. Melissa went on to postdoctoral work in the lab of Marisa Roberto at the Scripps Research Institute which cemented her love of physiology and alcohol research. The Herman Lab opened in the Department of Pharmacology and Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies at UNC in the summer of 2016 and integrates research spanning the effects of alcohol and pharmacological compounds on defined brain circuit activity and behavior. Outside of the lab, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and taking walks in the woods with her dog.

Dr. Julia Mitchell

She/her

Postdoctoral Fellow, PHD

Julia received her B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience from Colby College. In between undergrad and grad school she spent two years in the Lake Tahoe region as a snowboard instructor and outdoor guide, before becoming a research tech at the University of British Columbia. She received her PhD from Northeastern University in 2024, where she worked with Dr. Becca Shansky investigating the neural circuits involved in conditioned fear responses and the role of pain in those responses. In her free time, she can be found playing outside, running, or spending time with her fat cat, Muffin.

Sarah Mott

She/her

Pharmacology Graduate Student

Sarah Mott graduated from the University of South Carolina Honors College with a B.S. in Psychology in 2022. She is currently a graduate student in the Pharmacology department at the University of North Carolina and an NSF GRFP fellow. In the Herman lab, she studies the neural circuitry underlying social dominance behavior and social rank. When she is not in lab, Sarah can be found skateboarding, reading, or attempting wheel throwing.

Mia Keller

She/her

Lab technician

Mia graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2024 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Psychology and a minor in Chemistry. At UNC, she studied the neuroimmune effects of MDMA under Dr. Shveta Parekh, as well as online-based treatments for first episode psychosis under Dr. David Penn. Outside of lab, Mia enjoys looking for birds, watching reality TV, and co-parenting her friend’s cat, Bea.