The Ward Lab Team | Emory School of Medicine

Patricia Jillian Ward, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology
Emory University School of Medicine

MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS

Jill is a member of the National Neurotrauma Society, American Association of Anatomy, and the Society for Neuroscience as well as a council member for the Atlanta Chapter of Society for Neuroscience. She is affiliated with the Emory Laney Graduate School through the Neuroscience Graduate Program.

EDUCATION

Jill is a first-generation college graduate and received her Bachelor's degree in Animal Sciences from Auburn University, where she was a Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Fellow and graduated summa cum laude. Jill then earned a Ph.D. in Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology from the University of Louisville where she was supported by an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA, F31 predoctoral fellowship) to study the effects of treadmill locomotor training on locomotion, urogenital function, and pain following spinal cord injury in rats. Jill’s post-doctoral training at Emory University was supported by an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA, F32 postdoctoral fellowship) focused on enhancing peripheral axon regeneration via neuronal activity in various forms, including running exercise, optogenetics, and electrical stimulation, and the role of hormones and sex differences on the effectiveness of these experimental treatments in transgenic mouse models. Jill is the recipient of an Early Career Research Award from the National Center for Medical Rehabilitative Research (NIH/NICHD) and the R.R. Bensley Early-Career Investigator Award in Cell Biology from the American Association of Anatomy.

Tina Tian
MD/PhD Candidate

Tina Tian graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a BS in Neuroscience and is a G1 in Emory’s Medical Scientist Training Program. She is studying sympathetic axonal regeneration after peripheral nerve injury. In her free time, she enjoys painting, playing piano and violin, and playing tennis.

Jordan Owyoung
PhD Candidate

Jordan graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Genetics and Genomics and a B.A. in Linguistics in 2018 (go Ags!). She is currently a 3rd year GMB graduate student in the Ward Lab researching the effects of exercise on the sympathetic nervous system. Outside of lab, Jordan enjoys off-roading in her Jeep, hiking, and lifting weights.

Alumni

Kendall Campbell

Kendall graduated (May 2020) with a major in Neurobiology and Behavior. She joined the lab in August 2018 where she learned immunohistochemistry. Kendall plans to pursue medical school.

Barbara Marin

Barbara joined the lab in August 2019. Barbara was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Gates Millennial Scholarship and the Unsung Hero award from Emory's Women of Excellence organization. She successfully competed for independent funding and travel awards through Emory's Undergraduate Research Programs. She presented her research at the 2019 American Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) meeting in Anaheim, CA. Barbara went on to study spinal cord injury and pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Miami.

Alden Brown

Alden was a scholar for the NIH's Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) program at Morehouse College. Alden joined the Ward lab at Emory in May 2019. Alden presented his findings on axon regeneration at the 2019 American Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) meeting in Anaheim, CA. He also co-authored a manuscript. Alden went on to pursue a Master's in Medical Science from Morehouse School of Medicine.

Supriya S. Wariyar, Alden D. Brown, and Patricia J. Ward. Exercise enhances axon regeneration in nerves repaired with fibrin glue exhibiting greater vascularization. (Under Review). 2020.

Zeyad Hassan

Zeyad joined the lab in October 2018 and learned cell culture techniques. He presented his findings on axon regeneration at the 2019 Society for Neuroscience conference in Chicago, IL. Zeyad also enjoyed cross country running, soccer, and was a member of the Muslim Student Association. Zeyad plans to pursue medical school.