Eleni Gourgou (hx3540)

Biological Sciences

Eleni joined the Department of Biological Sciences as an Assistant Professor in August 2024. Her lab seeks to understand the neuronal basis of behavior, and how sensory input, an organism’s physiological state (aging, food intake), and genetic background affect the functional dynamics of neurons and neuronal circuits, and ultimately shape learning, memory, and locomotion. Eleni received her B.S. in Biology from the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece and earned her Ph.D. in Animal Cell Physiology in 2011, also from NKUA, working on MAPKs pathways in the marine bivalve Mytilus galloprovicialis. She joined the University of Michigan in 2011 as a postdoctoral fellow, and in 2016 she was hired as a research faculty (non-tenure track) at the University of Michigan Mechanical Engineering Department, where she stayed until 2024. She was the recipient of a NIH-NIA K01 Career Development & Training Award (2028-2023), and of the Aspire, Advance and Achieve Award, from UM Women in Science and Engineering – WISE (2021), which recognizes individuals who have served as an outstanding mentor to students.

• Neurobiology of learning and decision making, emphasis on spatial learning and aging-driven decline
• Behavioral neurogenetics and neuronal basis of behavior
• Mathematical models, technology, and engineering applications on experimental neurobiology

• Ph.D. in Animal Cell Physiology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
• B.S. in Biology from the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece

• Google Scholar