Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor

Nickname: Will Last Name Pronunciation: jar-Dee-no Pronouns: he/him/his

Will is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Principal Investigator of the Giardino Laboratory, and faculty member of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences, Bio-X, and Maternal Child and Health Research Institute at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He earned a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Washington, a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Oregon Health & Science University, and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford.

Will serves as an academic and research mentor for numerous undergraduate, graduate level, and postdoctoral trainees, and is active in teaching neuroscience coursework at Stanford. Outside of the lab, he enjoys skiing, hiking, and playing the drums.

[Stanford profile]

[Google scholar]

Postdoctoral fellow

Nickname: Yi First name pronunciation: Yee-her Pronouns: she/her/hers

Yihe received her Ph.D. degree in Physiology in 2020 from University of Wisconsin-Madison, under the supervision of Dr. Meyer Jackson. Her thesis work focused on interrogating hippocampal microcircuits with a hybrid genetically-encoded voltage indicator. In 2021, Yihe joined the Giardino lab as a postdoctoral scholar under the co-mentorship of Dr. William Giardino and Dr. Julie Kauer. At the Giardino lab, Yihe aims to leverage imaging techniques and slice electrophysiology to investigate the underlying mechanism of addiction and sleep disorders in the BNST neuropeptide circuits.

Postdoctoral fellow

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Brittany earned her B.S. in Biology from Savannah State University in 2015, her M.S. in Biomedical Research in 2017, and her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences and M.S. in Clinical Research dual degree in 2023, all from Morehouse School of Medicine. Her dissertation investigated the mechanisms in which sleep regulation alter behavioral responses to social stress and the role of biological sex in this interaction under the direction of Dr. Christopher Ehlen.

Brittany joined the Giardino Lab in July 2023 and aims to study sex differences in the neurocircuitry of the amygdala and BNST involved in interactions between sleep regulation, addiction, and stress response. Additionally, she aims to investigate the interaction of addiction, mental illness, and sleep disruption in human models. When she’s not in the lab, Brittany enjoys sleeping, dancing, painting, skating, nature hikes, and serving her community.

Lab manager & research assistant

First name pronunciation: haa-nee-yah Pronouns: she/her/hers

Haniyyah graduated with her B.Sc. in Neural Science from New York University in 2020. She joined the Giardino lab as a lab manager and research assistant in March 2021. She hopes to learn more about the neural underpinnings of sleep/wake cycles and stress. Outside of the lab, Haniyyah enjoys going on hikes and exploring the Bay area. 

Neurosciences PhD student

Allison graduated with her B.Sc. in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester in 2019. As an undergraduate student, she worked at the UR Medical Center, as well as spent two summers working at UCSF. Following her graduation, she spent a year working at the DZNE site in Munich, Germany as a 2019-2020 Fulbright Study/Research Scholar. Allison joined the Stanford Neurosciences IDP in September 2020 and joined the Giardino Lab in June 2022. At Stanford, Allison has served as a Student Admissions Representative for the Neurosciences IDP and participates in the Science Pen Pals program. Within the lab, Allison is interested in how early life stress and adversity contributes to substance use and sleep disorders in adulthood, with a particular focus on the impact to BNST neuropeptide circuitry. Outside of the lab, Allison loves exploring parks and nature preserves throughout northern California, turning puzzles into art, and making her own coffee blends.

Life Science Research Professional

Pronouns: he/him

Ethan earned his B.S. in Biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2023. As an undergraduate and later as a research technician, he worked with the Ikuko Smith Laboratory using two-photon in-vivo microscopy to explore the functional interactions among inhibitory and excitatory neurons underlying sensory modulation in the mouse visual cortex.

He joined the Giardino Lab in October 2023 and is excited to investigate the neural pathways related to addiction, stress, and sleep/wakefulness regulation within the BNST. When not researching, he enjoys hiking, reading in coffee shops, and perambulating bookstores.

Undergraduate researcher

Isaac is currently a senior majoring in biology with a concentration in neurosciences. His research interests include understanding the neural circuitry underlying stress, addiction and circadian rhythms with an emphasis on the clinical applications in psychiatry. Outside of academics, Isaac enjoys playing tennis, baking and volunteering as an EMT.

Undergraduate researcher

Max Benabou is a freshman at Stanford University from the Bay Area studying neuroscience and Spanish. As a new member of the Giardino Lab, he is excited to learn more about the biological basis behind the psychiatric conditions of substance use, stress, and sleep disturbances. While Max's career goals are still undecided, he knows that he wants to pursue something related to neuroscience. In his free time, Max enjoys distance running and playing trumpet with the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band.

Undergraduate researcher

Angeline Yu is an undergraduate at Stanford University from Sammamish, Washington interested in human biology, neuroscience, and health equity and policy. She finds her calling at the intersection of science and service, and is particularly interested in understanding the fundamental behavioral mechanisms that spark human connection and exploring neural pathways that lead to reward and addiction. Outside of the Giardino Lab, Angeline is involved in Stanford’s Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, Stanford in Government, the Haas Center for Public Service, and rides Western for the Stanford Equestrian Team.

Undergraduate researcher

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Irene is an undergraduate at Stanford University studying Data Science and Psychology. Her interests in research include investigating the neural mechanisms underlying learned behaviors and the effects of early life exposure to neglect and stress on developmental processes such as stress management and emotion regulation.

Outside of research, Irene enjoys spending her free time discovering new coffee shops, writing, and volunteering.