People

Associate Professor, Immunobiology

Kristian Doyle earned his PhD from Oregon Health & Science University in 2007, developing novel therapeutics for stroke in the laboratory of Mary Stenzel-Poore. He then trained as a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University under the mentorship of Marion Buckwalter, researching the role of TGFbeta signaling after stroke and developing a model of post-stroke dementia. Kristian Doyle started as an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona in 2013.


Assistant Scientific Investigator

Jen Frye received her Bachelor’s Degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from The University of Arizona. In the Doyle lab, Jen employs her extensive research background to investigate the inflammatory response to stroke in humans as well as different rodent models. In her spare time, Jen enjoys football, wakeboarding, and spending time with her family.


Postdoctoral Research Associate IV

Sanna received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of Kuopio in Finland, she then went on to complete a Master of Science degree in Pharmacy at the University of Eastern Finland. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Eastern Finland researching the regulation of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. She joined the lab in October 2019 and is investigating whether enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis can improve recovery after stroke, and if the presentation of lipid antigens plays a role in driving the chronic inflammatory response to stroke. In her downtime she loves exploring the great outdoors, cooking, and is an incurable dog lover. She also became an official Crazy cat lady of Doyle lab when she ended up adopting four cats who were in need of a forever home.


Research Technician II

Elizabeth received her Bachelor’s Degree in Physiology and Medical Sciences with two minors in Biochemistry and Spanish at the University of Arizona. Her Honors Thesis was on “2-HYDROXYPROPYL-β-CYCLODEXTRIN (HPβCD): DRUG TREATMENT FOR IMPROVING RECOVERY FOLLOWING  EXPERIMENTAL STROKE”. She joined the Doyle Lab in 2021 as a student in the UBRP program and continued as a research technician post-graduation, currently pursuing medical school. Elizabeth enjoys playing video games and cooking in her free time.


Undergraduate Research Assistant

Boaz is an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona studying physiology. He joined the Doyle lab in the summer of 2021 through the SIMI research program. He is currently researching the effects of stroke on Alzheimer's disease. His hobbies include going out on an evening run and working out with his neighbor in his patio gym.


Admin. Assistant

Jennifer relocated to Tucson, Arizona, in June of 2021 from Norman, Oklahoma where she ran her own business. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Park University and is currently pursuing a Master's in Library and Information Science.  Her area of interest is data management and preservation but does enjoy a good book and discussion. When she is not working or studying, she enjoys painting and traveling with her husband and three children.


Research Scientist III

Susie Whitman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a Master of Science degree in Toxicology from the University of Arizona. Not only was she raised in Tucson, AZ, but both her sons were raised in Tucson and currently attend the University of Arizona as well.  Throughout her career, she has contributed her scientific expertise to various labs at UA, focusing on areas such as children's leukemia, heart disease, the bone microenvironment, and currently, stroke research with the Doyle lab. In the Doyle lab, Susie's primary focus is on identifying biomarkers associated with stroke in both human and rodent models. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities, reading a good mystery novel, and spending time with her family


Postdoctoral Research Associate

Danielle Becktel received her BS in Biology from Butler University in 2016, and her PhD in Molecular Medicine – Cell Biology, with a minor in Cancer Biology, at the University of Arizona in 2023. In 2018, she joined the Doyle lab to investigate the chronic production of degradative enzymes in the area of liquefaction following stroke. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys hiking, camping, and playing board games with friends.


Alumni

Kristos E. Johnson
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hwu Dau Rw (Dora) Chen
Research Professional I
Amanda Chung
Master's Student
Megan Irish Hayes
Research/Laboratory Assistant
Omar Hussein
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Maj Krumberger
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Justine Mona
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Kristina Stepanovic
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Alex Urzua
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Brittany Deanna Kurita Gratreak
MD/PhD Student
Kylie Elizabeth Calderon
Research Technician
Erin Doris Chapman
Research Technician
Rachel Hearne Crumpacker
Research Technician
Frankie Garcia
Volunteer
Anna Jaison
Program Aide
Vivian (Thuy-Vi) Nguyen, PhD
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Marco A Tavera-Garcia
Research Specialist, Senior
Jacob Zbesko
Postdoctoral Research Associate