Our Team
We are collaborative and close-knit, and our research is elevated
by our diversity of experiences, talents, and curiosity.
David Ehrlich, Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Contact: dehrlich@wisc.edu
Publications on PubMed. Mentors on NeuroTree.
David studied neuroscience at Brown University before earning his PhD researching neural development at Emory University. As a fellow at New York University, Columbia University, and the Hospital for Sick Children, he studied how neural circuits encode learning and control behaviors like balancing, foraging, and swimming. His neuroscience lab is in the Integrative Biology Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tom Fothergill, Bio-Optical Engineer
Contact: tfothergill@wisc.edu
Tom earned a PhD at the University of Queensland focusing on virology before fellowships in neuroscience at Queensland and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he cultivated his passion for microscopy. Through subsequent roles in microscope technical development and field service at Bruker Nano, Tom found a knack for making seemingly impossible imaging experiments run smoothly. As a returning academic, now he dreams up the experiments too. Tom is a generous teacher in the lab and also shares his expertise through his consulting business, Forward Scientific.
Ruohong (Chris) Wang, PhD Student
Contact: rwang434@wisc.edu
Chris grew up in Beijing, China, and completed her undergraduate degrees at UW-Madison in Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, and Psychology. Her PhD research focuses on state modulation of sensorimotor function. During her free time, she likes to make delicious food, walk around Madison, and chat with family and friends.
Nick Milicic, PhD Student
Contact: nmilicic@wisc.edu
Nick is a graduate of UW-Madison, where he studied Molecular Biology and Music. Between long hours studying and practicing euphonium, he is an avid video gamer and musicophile. Nick is interested in the origins of complex behavior and his PhD research focuses on sensorimotor systems biomechanics underlying 3D navigation.
Ruth Meier, PhD Student
Jake Dengler, PhD Student
Lydia Steger-Wilson, PhD Student
Lydia completed her undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Northeastern University. She moved to Madison for her PhD, and her interest in building new chemical biology tools led her to join the Ehrlich lab as a joint student with chemist, Dr. Andrew Buller. The Buller lab recently moved to the UK and Lydia is advancing her project from abroad.
Michael Wu, Master’s Student
Contact: mwu259@wisc.edu
Michael joined the lab as an undergraduate studying Neurobiology and Piano Performance in the College of Letters and Science Honors Program. An aspiring physician, Michael is investigating the maturation of sensorimotor programs for hunting and predator avoidance. Outside of academics, Michael enjoys traveling, working out, and eating out at Chipotle.
Lateef Saheed, Undergraduate Researcher
Lateef is studying Biochemistry with a certificate in African Studies at UW-Madison. In the lab, he studies the development of predator strike evasion. Outside of the lab, he is an aspiring physician, is a fan of playing and listening to music, enjoys weightlifting, and is an amateur bird watcher.
Adina Shaikh, Undergraduate Researcher
Julia Mercer, Undergraduate Researcher
Mathom Johnson, Undergraduate Researcher
Bella Ninivaggi, Undergraduate Researcher
Coleman Klapheke, Undergraduate Researcher
Jay Nink, Undergraduate Researcher
Lab Alumni
Abby Cichocki, Undergraduate Researcher
Kartar Vig, Undergraduate Researcher
Sania Jain, Technician
Allia Lin, Undergraduate Researcher
Fei Zuo, Undergraduate Researcher
Anne Weerda, PhD Student
Katelyn Young, Undergraduate Researcher
Julia DiSano, Undergraduate Researcher
Vincent Chen, Undergraduate Research (now a Master’s student at U. Michigan)
Efrén Álvarez Salvado, Staff Scientist
Kamila Mizerska, Staff Scientist
Rodrigo Zúñiga Mouret, Technician (now a PhD student at MIT-WHOI)
Olivia O’Brien, Undergraduate Researcher
Isaac Krahn, Undergraduate Researcher (now at Wisconsin School of Business)
Harshee Sai Yarlagadda, Undergraduate Researcher
Ronak Dua, Undergraduate Researcher