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Alissa Richmond Armstrong, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
She/Her/Hers
Dr. Armstrong is originally from Newport News, Virginia. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia where she majored in Biology and minored in Spanish. An upper level developmental biology lab course sparked her interest in development and basic research science. She pursued this interest as a Master's student in the Department of Biology at the College of William and Mary under the advisement of Dr. Diane C. Shakes. While there, she studied the interaction of sperm and oocyte membranes during fertilization using the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, as a model system. Her phenomenal experience at William and Mary encouraged her to join the graduate program in the Department of Biology at Johns Hopkins University. For her Ph.D., she switched fields completely to study the development of the sympathetic nervous system using embryonic mice as a model under the direction of Dr. Rejji Kuruvilla. During this time, she was also an active member of a graduate student group MInDS, Mentoring to Inspire Diversity in Science, whose goal was to recruit, retain and provide outreach to underrepresented groups at all academic levels, starting in elementary school. Although she stayed in the Baltimore, MD area, she switched fields again for her postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Daniela Drummond-Barbosa in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. There she developed her current research program investigating how nutrient sensing by multiple organs/tissues influences the activity of adult stem cells.
Tancia Bradshaw (she/her/hers)
Biological Sciences Doctoral Student
Tancia was born and raised in Saint Kitts and Nevis, an island federation in the Eastern Caribbean. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the University of the Virgin Islands where she majored in General Biology. She is currently a doctoral graduate student in the lab working on the role of diet-dependent insulin signaling in the adipose tissue in controlling oogenesis.
Chad Simmons (he/him/his)
Biological Sciences Doctoral Student
Chad is a doctoral graduate student in the Biological Sciences program from Rutherfordton, NC. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences and a master's degree in Biomedical Science from the University of South Carolina. He is currently investigating the role of adipocyte amino acid transporters in oogenesis and adipocyte morphology. He is also member of the Gamecock Triathlon Club.
David Duncan (he/him/his)
Biological Sciences Doctoral Student
 David, from Richmond, VA, earned his undergraduate degree in Biology from Bridgewater College. He completed his Master's studies at Delaware State University where he used transcriptomics to investigate genome instability in the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell line. David's current project aims to develop Drosophila as an in vivo model for chronic inflammation associated with diet induced obesity. In his free time, David enjoys playing basketball.
Esha Hegde (she/her/hers)
University of South Carolina Honors College Undergraduate Class of 2023
Esha is majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology on the premed track and minoring in History. Esha started in the lab as a volunteer and is now working on a project to understand how obesity-associated inflammation might be treated with botanical dietary supplements. In her free time, Esha loves to read, watch classic movies, and hang out with her dog.
Rachael Ott (she/her/hers)
University of South Carolina Undergraduate Class of 2022
Rachael is a Biological Sciences major, with minors in Chemistry and Neuroscience. Growing up outside of Washington, D.C., she loves spending time at Arts & Cultural exhibitions with friends on the Georgetown waterfront. Rachael’s project aims at understanding the downstream targets of insulin signaling in adipocytes that are responsible for regulating oogenesis. 
Ivory Bryant (she/her/hers)
University of South Carolina Undergraduate Class of 2025
Ivory is from Charleston, SC, and is a sophomore at UofSC. She is a premed student majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Psychology. Ivory's project in the Armstrong Lab is to help develop the most effective immunostaining protocol to examine adipocytes in adult Drosophila fat tissue. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading and playing her violin.
Josh Lastimoso (he/him/his)
University of South Carolina Undergraduate Class of 2022
Josh is a senior majoring in biology from Sumter, SC.  He is a premed student who is currently studying the morphological effects of high fat/high sugar diets on adipose tissue.  Outside of school, he likes to lift weights, play basketball, and listen to music.  His favorite food is lumpia.

Former Lab Members

Emma Otey (UofSC Class of 2022)
​Megan Glover (UofSC Class of 2022)
Anshel Ross (SC-ADAR Program - 2021)
Jordan Glover (PREP Class of 2021)
Savannah Tucker (UofSC Class of 2021)
Jennifer "Jay" Stanton (UofSC Class of 2020)
Kristin Tolbert (SC-ADAR Program - 2019/2020)
Michael Meyerink (Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's 2020)
Subhshri Sahu, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Trainee)
Alexandra Tamura (U of SC Honors College Class of 2019)
Alondra Villalba (PREP Class of 2019)
​​Brian Haimerl (U of SC Honors College Class of 2019)
Tinea Morris (U of SC Class of 2019)
Lexus Dickson (U of SC Class of 2018)
Shanieka Staley (PREP Class of 2018)
Samuel Lambert (U of SC Class of 2018)
Brooke Stewart (U of SC Class of 2018)
Matthew Herbst (Dutch Fork High Class of 2018)
Jessica Lawton (U of SC Class of 2017)