Dr. Marco Pipoly
President/ Director of External Affairs
Marco completed his Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Iowa, and his B.S. in Psychology at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. His doctoral research focused on the role of early-life education on select brain network functions in older adults performing cognitive control tasks. Broadly, Marco’s research interests fall into two categories: 1) brain health disparities (i.e., environment) and their effect on the trajectory of brain and cognitive aging, and 2) brain network mechanisms underlying change in cognitive function with advancing age. In his spare time Marco likes to spend time with family and explore the DFW area.
Email: Marco.Pipoly@utdallas.edu
Dr. Christopher Brewer
Treasurer
Chris is a postdoctoral researcher studying chemical bath deposition of transition metal chalcogenides by chemical bath deposition. He currently works in the Walker Lab in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Previously, Chris graduated with his BS in Chemistry and Biochemistry from Florida State University in 2014. Chris graduated with his PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Florida in 2021. Prior to moving to UTD, Chris was a postdoc at North Carolina State University for 2 years.
Dr. Jessica Kraft
President/ Director of Internal Affairs
Jessica is a postdoctoral researcher at UTD’s Center for Vital Longevity (CVL). She completed her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Florida in 2023 and her M.A. in Applied Psychological Research at Penn State- Harrisburg in 2016. Her dissertation work focused on a non-invasive brain stimulation and cognitive training intervention to improve cognition in older adults. Her current research focuses on multimodal neuroimaging techniques to identify individuals who may be vulnerable to accelerated cognitive decline in late life. In her free time, Jessica enjoys sleeping, doing jiu jitsu, trying out new restaurants and petting dogs.
Email: Jessica.Kraft@utdallas.edu
Dr. Ovidio Rodriguez Lopez
Administrative Coordinator
Dr. Ovidio Rodriguez Lopez is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at UTD’s Center of Engineering Innovation, working on the research and fabrication of semiconductor devices and the development of flexible electronics for the improvement and manufacturing of biomedical devices. He earned his master’s (2019) and doctorate (2023) in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). He also holds a degree in Mechatronics Engineering from the Instituto Tecnologico de Saltillo (Mexico). Currently, his work focuses on the research and development of neural implants and bioelectronic devices for the treatment of neural diseases.