Email: rhk9gh@virginia.edu

Josh grew up in Allentown, New Jersey and graduated from Washington College in 2019 with a B.S. Biology & Psychology. His undergraduate research focused on investigating the roles of aerobic exercise in the treatment and prevention of depression using a rat model of depressive-like symptoms. After college, he spent two years at the National Institute of Mental Health studying neuroimmune and neurovascular mechanisms following chronic-psychosocial defeat. Since joining the Lukens Lab, he has become interested in understanding the contribution of microglial neuroinflammatory mechanisms to Alzheimer’s Disease pathology. He also hopes to develop a gene delivery system and use focused ultrasound to bring his work into the translational space through his co-mentorship with Dr. Richard Price. Outside of the lab, Josh is a youth soccer coach and enjoys playing soccer, trail running, and hiking in the mountains.