The Team
The Cummings lab is eager to welcome prospective members with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.
Prospective PhD students can apply to the Graduate Biomedical Science Program, the Psychology PhD program, or the Neuroengineering PhD program. PhD students interested in a lab rotation should email Dr. Cummings with a description of their research interests.
​
Prospective postdoctoral fellows should email Dr. Cummings with a description of their research interests and curriculum vitae.
.jpg)
Kirstie A Cummings, PhD
Assistant Professor & Principal Investigator
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Email: kac3 [at] uab.edu
Dr. Cummings received a BA in Music and a BS in Cell & Molecular Biology from SUNY Binghamton University in 2011. She then earned her PhD in ion channel biophysics in the Department of Biochemistry at SUNY University at Buffalo. After graduating in 2016, she pursued her postdoctoral training in systems neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Cummings joined the faculty of the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2022. Outside of the lab, Dr. Cummings enjoys listening to and playing music, baking, and playing with her dogs.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: coming soon
Tamiris Prizon, PhD
Mahdi Eskandarian Boroujeni, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: meskanda [at] uab.edu
Dr. Eskandarian Boroujeni graduated with a master's degree in Applied Genetics. After receiving a Ph.D. scholarship, he pursued his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), where his research focused on developing gene and cell therapy approaches for neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. Through this work, he recognized the critical role of neuro-inflammation in these diseases, which inspired him to further investigate the inflammatory response at the molecular level. To deepen his understanding, he joined Bluyssen’s lab as a postdoctoral fellow, studying how transcriptional changes, epigenetic modifications, and chromatin interactions regulate inflammation. Building on this foundation, he later joined the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, at the University of Kentucky as a computational biologist to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving immune responses. Currently, in Dr. Cummings’ lab at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he is investigating neuroinflammatory dysregulation associated with addiction. Outside the lab, he enjoys traveling and learning about different people, cultures, cuisines, and histories.
Tamiris earned her PhD in Neuroscience from the Ribeirão Preto Medical School at the University of São Paulo (USP) (2018–2024) and her Master’s degree in Psychobiology from the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto at the same university (2016–2018). She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (2009–2014). Throughout her scientific career, Tamiris has focused on epilepsy research. Early on, she investigated synthetic compounds developed from Parawixia bistriata spider venom as potential neuroprotective, anticonvulsant, and antiepileptogenic treatments in experimental models of seizures and anxiety. Her interest in epilepsy expanded during her PhD, when she studied mechanisms underlying seizures and their psychiatric comorbidities using experimental models. As a complementary behavioral investigation, with a particular focus on behaviors shared across psychosis and autism spectrum disorders, she was awarded a Brazilian fellowship to train in calcium imaging, prefrontal cortex function, and social behavior at UCLA under the supervision of Dr. Peyman Golshani. In 2025, Tamiris became a Professor of Neuroscience and Behavior and Basic Psychological Processes. In 2026, she began her postdoctoral training in the Cummings Lab, where she investigates how adaptive and maladaptive behaviors are governed by prefrontal GABAergic circuits, with a focus on drug-seeking behaviors.
Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time in nature, hiking, being with her family, and listening to Brazilian Popular Music (MPB).
Brianna Fitzgerald, BS
PhD student
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Email: bfitzger [at] uab.edu
Zephyr Desa, BS
PhD student
Pronouns: He/him/his
Email: zdesa [at] uab.edu
Zephyr is a Neuroscience PhD student in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He received his BS in biology and psychology in May of 2022 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After graduating, he joined the Cummings Lab as a research technician before entering the PhD program in summer of 2023. Zephyr is interested in synaptic plasticity and the circuitry underlying fear memory. Outside of the lab Zephyr loves to play soccer, go camping, and collect music.
Brianna Fitzgerald is a Neuroscience PhD student in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She received her BS in Biology from North Carolina A&T State University in May of 2021. After graduating, she completed an NIH Post-Baccalaureate Reseach Program at UAB studying Endosomal Trafficking on Neuronal Viability and Synaptic Stability, where she developed an interest in cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurological disorders. Brianna joined the Cummings lab in March 2023 with the intention of studying the circuitry and cell-type- specific mechanisms of fear memory encoding within the medial PFC. Outside of the lab, Brianna likes to paint, listen to music, and play with her dog.
.jpeg)
Rebekah Fowler, BS
Postbaccalaureate Scholar
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Email: fowlerr [at] uab.edu
Rebekah earned her BS as a double major in Biology/Health and Psychology from Grove City College in May of 2025. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research in pediatric infectious disease and microbiology labs at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh, respectively. She joined the Cummings Lab in July of 2025 as a research associate to support projects in neurobiology. Her research interests focus on the genetic expression of addiction mechanisms, particularly those underlying opioid use disorder. In her free time, Rebekah enjoys volunteering at local animal shelters and exploring her new city of Birmingham.
Alumni
PhD student
Pronouns: He/him/his
Email: htfranks [at] uab.edu
Hunter Franks, BA
Hunter is a Neuroscience PhD student in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He received a BA in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience from the University of Memphis in May 2020. After his undergraduate degree, he was hired as a researcher at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital where he studied the Locus Coeruleus-Orbital Frontal Cortex circuitry and the effects of manipulating this circuit in reward memory and reversal learning. Hunter joined the Cummings Lab in January 2024. His interests are in mapping and studying circuits related to phenotypes of addiction and reward learning. In his free time, Hunter enjoys lifting weights, playing video games, and spending time with his dog.
-
Rodrigo Campos Cardoso, PhD - Postdoc from 2022-2026, currently Assistant Professor of Physiology, Federal University of Alfenas, Brazil.
-
Victoria Landar - Undergraduate student from 2022-2025, currently MD student at UAB
-
Faith Brown - 2025 Blazer BRAIN summer undergraduate student, University of Southern Mississippi
-
Jace Duhon - Undergraduate student from 2022-2025, currently applying for medical school
-
Tashana Hawkins - 2024 Blazer BRAIN summer undergraduate research fellow, Miles College
-
Kenya Barnes - Undergraduate student from 2022-2024, currently in the NIH PREP Program at NIMH
-
Alana Moore - 2023 Blazer BRAIN summer undergraduate research fellow, Tuskegee University
Current undergraduates
-
Zion Brown
-
Devin Davey
-
Yejin Han
-
Shae Kennedy
-
Talal Musaed
-
Noelle Potter