Kristina A. Uban, MA, Ph.D.

Director, Developing Brain Lab (DBL); Founding Member, Institute of Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research (IISBR); Faculty Fellow, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory (CNLM), Associate Professor, Department of Health, Society & Behavior, School of Population & Public Health;

My research interests are focused on early life exposures (primarily maternal substance use during fetal and early postnatal periods) on lasting shifts in neurophysiological systems, particularly endocrine systems and electromagnetic functions of the CNS. I seek to understand how these shifts in neurophysiology relate to functional outcomes, particularly mental health symptomology. My methodological interests are in improving accessibility while reducing invasiveness for collecting biospecimen samples from pediatric and pregnant populations. My moonshot goal is to make the lives of people impacted by prenatal substance exposure easier, as they are already gold metal Olympians in getting through daily life while also frequently navigating their own unique long-standing neurophysiological challenges, while the majority of the world simply does not understand how challenging this can be. I spend much of my professional and personal time in service advocating for upstream supports for people living with FASD, their family members, as well as people navigating their own substance use problem during pregnancy. When I am not conducting research, I enjoy watching my husband act and perform comedy, watching my daughter dance and sing, watching my son at Robotics, gaming and perform stand-up comedy, or being in nature while hiking with my enormous dog, downhill skiing, biking, camping and travel.

Ramius Mai, mairh@uci.edu

I am a 4th-year Public Health Sciences major currently working as a research assistant for the Inequalities in Childhood Life-Course Lead Exposure and Academic Neurodevelopmental (I-CLEAN) study. I am also passionate about organic chemistry and previously worked as an undergraduate researcher with the Dong Research Group at UCI, where I contributed to the total synthesis of the cyclic peptide: Mahafacyclin B, a naturally occurring antimalarial compound. I later transitioned to IISBR, as it aligned with my future goals in dentistry. Salivary bioscience has a synergistic compatibility with dentistry, and I would love to further explore the intersection between these fields during graduate school to foster a collaborative, interprofessional environment while building my career. In my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with my friends and family. I also like watching horror movies, discovering new music, and folding complex origami.

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Sanga Khan, sangak2@uci.edu

My name is Sanga Khan, and I’m a third-year Public Health Sciences major on the pre-med track. As a research assistant in Dr. Uban’s lab, my project focuses on identifying potential biological measures that could be leveraged for biomarker discovery for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). A biomarker for FASD would support early detection and intervention efforts. After graduating from UCI, I plan to serve in the Peace Corps under the health sector, gaining hands-on global health experience before attending medical school. In my free time, I love hiking, baking, and exploring all of the beautiful beaches of Orange County!