Doctoral student studies the human brain and how those studies make it to the lab

Doctoral student studies the human brain and how those studies make it to the lab

Learning how research works has broadened career possibilities for Ohio native

Even after decades of research, the human brain holds many mysteries about how it functions, controls physiology and copes with injuries.

Hana Schwierling, a pharmaceutical sciences doctoral student at the University of Cincinnati's James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, has always been interested in unlocking these mysteries. She has followed that interest to places she didn't expect, like a stage in Milwaukee in June, when she presented her research to thousands of experts in the field of neurotrauma.

Schwierling's research focusing on how traumatic brain injuries (TBI) affect serotonin neurons was recognized as a top 20 submitted poster at the 2026 Annual Symposium of the National Neurotrauma Society, and she additionally received a travel award to present the research at the 2026 American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics annual meeting.

What is the research focus?

Working in Matthew Robson's lab, Schwierling and her colleagues study how TBI alters molecular signaling that leads to changes in neuronal signaling and behaviors and neuropsychiatric comorbidities like depression, anxiety and social withdrawal.

By studying how each different cell type in the brain is impacted by injuries, the goal is to unlock insights into how to treat these injuries and address the lingering consequences of them.

"Hana's research is the first that has begun to piece together what happens to serotonin neuron populations after mild forms of injury that affect millions every year in the U.S. and beyond," said Robson, PhD, an associate professor in the Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences in UC's College of Pharmacy. "Serotonin neurons are vitally important for the regulation of psychological, physiological processes and behavioral states, and knowing how they are affected by injuries may provide information for the development of treatments for TBI."

"There's currently a Band-Aid approach, where you can take SSRIs or something similar for anxiety, which is common after a concussion, but there's nothing really to target the injury itself," Schwierling added. "The currently available treatments we have do not tend to work very well, and by figuring out how serotonin neurons are affected by TBI, we can see if there are any specific types of those neurons that we can go after with some kind of targeted treatment."

Schwierling presented her research at two conferences this past summer. Photo provided.

How did Schwierling choose the pharmaceutical sciences program at UC?

Originally from Ripley, Ohio, Schwierling began her undergraduate career at UC as a health sciences major, eventually graduating with a bachelor's degree in neuroscience.

Surveying all of her options led Schwierling to her current role as a pharmaceutical sciences doctoral candidate in the Robson lab, and she is additionally pursuing certificates in clinical trial management and global regulatory affairs.

Schwierling said she got some surface-level lab experience as an undergraduate student, but her time working in the lab with Robson as a mentor has given her a full picture of high-quality, high-impact laboratory research.

Under the mentorship of Robson, left, Schwierling, right, said she has a variety of paths her career can go after earning her doctorate.

"I have learned a lot from Dr. Robson about how science is done, but also some of the behind-the-scenes considerations," she said. "This is how you design and run the experiment, but this is how I get the materials and the money to do it. It's things that I would never really think about."

Robson called Schwierling "the embodiment of a great graduate student" who has worked hard to learn how the field of research works and to become familiar with various techniques she had no prior experience in when she began her work in the lab.

"She has developed into an early-career researcher who is inquisitive, diligent, and works extraordinarily hard to answer questions and hypotheses that she now generates," Robson said. "In my time knowing Hana, she has always been remarkably intelligent and curious about scientific problems, and she has developed the amazing ability to leverage these traits into action in addressing scientific questions. She has also contributed greatly in bringing new technologies and techniques to the laboratory itself."

What are the next steps?

Schwierling and the team are working to finalize the data analysis and submit the serotonin neuron research for publication in an academic journal.

"Future work that will be extended from her work will be an in-depth understanding of how different types of serotonin neurons are impacted by injuries and what signaling mechanisms these cells use that may be altered over time following TBI," Robson said.

Schwierling recalled Robson telling her, "You don't have to study neuroscience within the confines of a laboratory to contribute to the area of neuroscience," early in her time in the program. With her current training opening up many career possibilities, she plans to continue to follow her interests wherever they may lead.

"I'm interested in maybe working in clinical trials as a manager, maybe a postdoctoral fellowship continuing research, pursuing academia and teaching and mentoring students in my own lab," Schwierling said. "I'm not sure yet, but there are a lot of different paths I can go down with the work I'm doing now."

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Featured photo at top of Schwierling working in the lab. All laboratory photos/Jenna Adkins-Manuel/UC Marketing + Brand.

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