Lab Updates & Fun!

Oct 2025 – The lab celebrates Dr. Otero’s last day AND the lab’s first NIH R01 grant!

Left to right, top row: Rafa, Arnav, Teddy, Izan, Jason, Fernando | bottom row: Dr. Antonson, Ashley, Robby

Sept 2025 – Ashley defends her PhD! Congratulations Dr. Otero!

Drs. Otero & Antonson pose in front of Ashley’s defense presentation.

Aug 2025 – Past and present lab members gather to launch the Fall semester!

Left to right: Alexander, Arnav, Sanjana, Izan, Rebecca, Fernando, Vara, Nico, Kate, Ari, Rafa.
Welcome to the newest undergraduates: Noreen, Karen, Vincent (not pictured) and Rebecca!

Aug 2025 – Arnav presents at the annual UIUC MCB Retreat

Arnav at their poster
Arnav presenting their poster
The lab supporting Arnav at their poster at the UIUC I-Hotel Conference Center
Left to right: Noreen, Izan, Rafa, Dr. Antonson, Arnav, Fernando, Jason, Ashley, Alexander

July-Aug 2025 – Jason & Dr. A go to Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) in D.C.

Jason presenting his poster
Jason & Dr. A at the closing ceremony
Posing with Dr. Yang
UIUC (current & alums) dinner for Dr. Bahr
Dr. A and Jason at his poster

June 2025 – Izan & Dr. A go to PNIRS Bordeaux, France!

PhD student Izan presenting his poster
The labs enjoy the PNIRS opening ceremony in Bordeaux! Left to right: Dr. Antonson, PhD student Izan, Research Scientist Elisa (with daughter Camila and husband Bruno), Dr. Allen
Dr. Antonson and Dr. Allen at the closing banquet at PNIRS Bordeaux
UIUC current and alum faculty

May 2025 – The lab celebrates the end of the Spring semester (& graduation)

Left to right: Vara, Bella, Arnav, Ari, Fernando, Izan, Jason, Dr. A, Rafa, Ashley, Nico, Sanjana, Alexander
Gotta take a silly one, too! My, how the lab has grown!
Congratulations to graduating seniors: Bella, Ari, Nico & Shivya!

May 2025 – Ashley wins the Prosser Award!

PhD student Ashley wins the prestigious C. Ladd Prosser award through the UIUC Neuroscience Program for “the best scientific achievement with the broadest significance in the discipline of neuroscience”. 

April 2025 – Students present at the UIUC Undergraduate Research Symposium

Vara
Bella
Nico
Shivya
Sanjana
Alexander
Arianna

Dec 2024 – Holiday lunch

The lab enjoys a lunch with family and friends at the Courier Cafe

Dec 2024 – Neuroscience Holiday Party

PhD students Arnav, Rafa, Ashley and Izan, along with Dr. A, enjoy the Neuroscience holiday event

Oct 2024 – Society for Neuroscience (SfN) in Chicago

PhD student Rafa
PhD student Izan
Rafa at his poster
PhD student Ashley was selected for an oral presentation – well done!
PhD student Izan was selected for an oral presentation – well done!
The lab out to dinner at Lou Malnatis pizza in Chicago
Welcome to the newest member of the lab, PhD student Arnav!
Left to right: PhD student Arnav, Dr. Antonson, PhD students Ashley, Izan, Rafa

Oct 2024 – Jason presents at the Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science (UMSRS)

PhD student Jason (Hao-Chun) presenting his poster at the UIUC I-Hotel Conference Center

Sept 2024 – Dr. Antonson gives a talk at the ReThink Neuroimmunology Symposium at WashU

Dr. Antonson presenting the lab’s work on maternofetal transplacental tracer transfer
Dr. Antonson at the podium presenting the lab’s work

Aug 2024 – Welcome PhD students Jason and Fernando!

Everyone during a weekly lab meeting when we realized we all incidentally wore navy!
Left to right: PhD students Rafa, Jason, Izan, Fernando, Ashley, and Dr. A.
In Spring 2024, we welcomed the two newest members of the lab, Jason and Fernando!

June 2024 – PNIRS in Halifax, Canada

PhD student Ashley presenting her poster at PNIRS Halifax
PhD student Ashley presenting her poster blitz talk at PNIRS Halifax – well done!
Ivan (student in the Allen lab), Dr. Antonson, and PhD student Ashley on a cruise at PNIRS Halifax

April 2024 – Students presenting at the UIUC Undergraduate Research Symposium

Emma
Jiewen
Kate
Nico

April 2024 – Izan awarded the Baker Fellowship!

PhD student Izan receives the David and Norraine Baker Graduate Fellowship

March 2024 – Lab gathering with alums Selena & Emma

Left to right, Top row: New PhD student Jason, undergraduates Nico and Kate, PI Antonson, Med student Annie, PhD student Rafa
Bottom row: Alum Emma, PhD students Izan and Ashley, undergraduate Jeiwen, Alum Selena

Dec 2023 – Joint Lab Holiday Party

Students and family from the Loman, Hernandez-Saavedra, Allen, and Antonson labs at Riggs Brewing!

Nov 2023 – Society for Neuroscience (SfN) in D.C.

PhD student Ashley presents her poster at the annual SfN meeting in Washington, DC

Oct 2023 – Lab alum Selena visits us!

Left to right: Dr. A, PhD student Izan, lab alum Selena (now an MD/PhD student at Indiana), PhD students Ashley and Rafa

Aug 2023 – Dr. Antonson goes to Brazil to represent PNIRS Ibero-America

Left to right: Dr. Jacob Allen, Dr. Keith Kelley, Dr. Ruth Barrientos, Dr. Antonson at dinner in Buzios, Brazil during the FASEB meeting.
Dr. Allen and Dr. Antonson tried out some scuba diving while in Brazil!

June 2023 – The lab goes to PNIRS Boulder!

Left to right: PhD student Mikaela, postdoc Elisa, Dr. Jacob Allen (Allen Lab), Dr. Antonson, PhD students Rafa & Izan (Antonson Lab)
Dr. Antonson presenting on the lab’s work at PNIRS member sponsored symposia “Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms in Immune-Mediated Neurodevelopmental Disorders“

May-June 2023 – Izan, Dr. Antonson, & Dr. Allen go to Ecuador for Gastronauts meeting!

Dr. Allen, Dr. Antonson, and Izan in his hometown of Quito, Ecuador
PhD student Izan presenting a poster at the Gastronauts meeting (https://thinkgastronauts.com/) in the Galapagos Islands!

Jan 2023 – The lab celebrates the first big grant!

PhD students Rafa, Ashley, and Izan celebrate with Dr. A for the lab’s first big grant! Thanks to the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust!

Dec 2022 – Lab Holiday Party

PhD student Rafa, Uni High student Emma, PI Antonson, PhD students Ashley and Izan

Sept 22, 2022 – Plant shopping at Prairie Gardens

PhD students Rafa, Ashley, and Izan show off their new office plants.

June 15-18, 2022 – The Lab takes on Zurich, Switzerland for the PsychoNeuroImmunology Research Society (PNIRS) annual meeting

On the way to dinner with past and future PNIRS presidents and UIUC scientists.
Many of the past and future presidents of PNIRS, along with THREE generations of UIUC scientists enjoying a fabulous Italian dinner!
Lab Manager Selena at her poster titled “The effect of IL-17A on fetal neurodevelopment in germ-free mice”.
PhD student Izan at his poster titled “Measuring fetal neuroarchitecture in germ free mice in response to maternal IL-17A administration”.
PhD student Rafa at his poster titled “Maternally derived molecules accumulate in the fetal brain during viral infection”.
PhD student Ashley at her poster titled “Murine influenza A virus disrupts immune profiles in the maternal gut and placenta in a dose-dependent manner”.
PhD student Meghan at her poster titled “Assessing the impact of live influenza A virus infection during pregnancy on glial transcripts in the fetal brain”.
The whole University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign group at the closing banquet. A fabulous time was had by all!

April 28, 2022 – Undergraduate Research Assistants present at the UIUC Undergraduate Research Symposium!

Sora Ogawa presenting her poster entitled “The Effect of Maternal Immune Activation on Splenic Weight and Gene Expression.”
Emma Donnini presenting her poster entitled “The Effect of Maternal Immune Activation on Placental Integrity.”

April 25-26, 2022 – The Lab takes on St. Louis for the Washington University Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG) Symposium!

PhD students Ashley Otero and Meghan Connolly at Ashley’s poster.
PhD student Rafa Gonzalez Ricon presenting his poster.
We were able to go inside the arch, 630 feet high!
Rafa, Selena, Ashley, and Meghan visit the Arch Gateway National Park!

August 31, 2021 – Lab group photos!

Sometimes you have to take a fun one…
…or a serious one. You can’t tell that we are trying hard not to smile, right?

July 19, 2021 – Antonson/Allen Lab Joint Dinner & Drinks!

Warm welcome to new PhD students Meghan Connolly and Rafa Gonzalez Ricon!

June 18, 2021 – Lab Birthday Celebration!

Happy birthday to PhD student Ashley!
Happy birthday to Lab Manager Selena!

When the PI makes brownies, you are not obligated to complement them.