The Team

Born and raised in Hòa Bình, Việt Nam, Tùng came to Wabash College, IN in 2015 and eventually earned a Bachelor’s degree in Experimental Psychology in 2018. For the following three years, he assumed employment positions in psychology and neuroscience laboratories at UPenn, Stanford, and UC Davis Med. Fall of 2022, Tùng commenced his PhD journey at the arboreous Virginia Tech. His interests include monoamine-driven reward behaviors in mice, neurodegeneration, ballroom dance, and the opera.

tungb@vt.edu

Asia is from Waldorf, Maryland and earned her B.S. degree in Psychology at St. Mary's College of Maryland in 2021. They started their PhD in the School of Neuroscience at Virginia Tech in the fall of 2021 and started their research in the Howe Lab in the Winter of 2022. Asia's focus during her PhD is on sex differences in food preference.

aadofat@vt.edu

Born and raised in the midwest (MPLS, MN), Alec found himself in the mountains of southwest Virginia where he first earned an associates degree at New River Community College and then his B.S in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience at Virginia Tech. He started his PhD at Virginia Tech in the fall of 2021. Alec's work focuses on how food modulates reward circuitry from the gut to the brain.

aleceh@vt.edu

Originally from Ashburn, Virginia, Kelly moved to Blacksburg in 2014 for her undergraduate degree. She received her B.S. in Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychology. After graduating, she worked as Project Manager in a Developmental Psychology lab before starting her PhD in the Howe Lab in the fall of 2021. Kelly's work seeks to understand the biology behind important executive functions like attention and impulsivity. 

ker96@vt.edu

Kyra is from Vienna, Virginia, and graduated from Virginia Tech with her bachelor's degree in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience in 2024. During college, she participated in undergraduate research in a different neuroscience lab at Tech. While working in the Howe Lab, she plans to gain more research experience in preparation for graduate school applications. She’s interested in learning and memory and hopes to continue her education in neuroscience at the doctorate level. 

kyra20@vt.edu

Brandon is originally from Richmond, Virginia. He joined the Howe Lab in 2025 as a lab technician after completing his undergraduate degree in Clinical Neuroscience. He is currently applying to M.D. programs and is seeking to gain a deeper understanding of how medical knowledge is generated, and learn to assess scientific literature throughout his career.

brandonc02@vt.edu