Aaron Silverstein

Aaron Silverstein is an MD/PhD student, beginning his 2nd year of PhD training after successfully passing his PhD qualifying exam in July 2022 and completing two years of medical school. He hails from Paducah, KY, where he was homeschooled until beginning his post-secondary studies at the University of Kentucky. While an undergraduate, Aaron was a member of Dr. Warren Alilain's lab in the Department of Neuroscience, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, studying therapeutics to restore breathing motor function after cervical spinal cord injury. After graduating with dual degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology (including a minor in Violin Performance), Aaron completed a research rotation in Dr. Brandon Miller's lab, also within SCoBIRC, in the department of Neurosurgery, studying inflammation and white matter damage using microglia and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in vitro. Aaron is now a graduate student in the Alilain lab, working on projects focused on SCI, intermittent hypoxia therapy treatment and ethanol psychology. Aaron and his wife, Kelsey, welcomed a baby girl, Noah Joy, in August of 2022 and enjoy cooking, bicycling, watching MMA (and to a lesser degree, practicing it), camping, and hiking.