LAB MEMBERs
Marie Bechler, PI
Dr. Marie Bechler joined the Dept. of Cell and Developmental Biology at SUNY Upstate Medical University as an Assistant Professor in Dec. 2019.
Marie received her B.S. in Biochemistry in 2003 from The University of Wisconsin - Madison. As a graduate student she worked with Dr. William J. Brown, focusing on fundamental questions of cellular organization by examining mechanisms of intracellular trafficking. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology from Cornell University in 2011. Her interest in cellular shape and organization continued in her postdoc with Dr. Charles ffrench-Constant at the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh.
During her postdoc, Marie made the surprising discovery that oligodendrocytes only require physical cues to create myelin sheaths with equivalent architecture to myelin sheaths in vivo, challenging the predominant view that myelin sheath formation is solely initiated by biochemical cues. This established a role for oligodendrocytes in self-control of myelin sheath formation. The goal of her lab is to define the mechanosensitive and developmentally programmed signals that allow oligodendrocytes generate myelin sheaths reflecting their in vivo origin. The overarching aim is to gain insight into nervous system function and inform strategies to treat neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.
Out of the lab, Marie loves hiking & enjoying the outdoors, cooking, traveling, seeking out new food & drinks, and spending time with her partner & two little girls.
Current Members
PhD Candidate
Cell & Dev. Biology Graduate Program
Amanda Young
Prior to joining the graduate program here at Upstate, Amanda earned her BS from SUNY Geneseo in 2019. As part of the team, her interests are in the mechanisms that locally control CNS myelin sheath growth.
Avipsha Datta
Prior to joining our research team, she completed her BS in Microbiology (Hons) from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, India and her MS in Biophysics and Molecular Biology from University of Calcutta,
India. She is interested in studying neurodevelopmental mechanisms and disorders. Here, she is focusing the cues to form myelin sheaths and to promote their elongation in response to axon diameter. Outside lab, you can find her either traveling, painting or cooking!
Enakshi Das
Enakshi joined our team in March 2025. She is interested in understanding the cellular mechanisms that regulate myelin sheath length, contributing to a deeper understanding of the
process of myelination. She earned her BS in Zoology (Honors) from the University of Burdwan, India. She later obtained her MS in Bioinformatics from Pondicherry University, India, before working as a Research Assistant at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India. Outside the lab, she enjoys traveling, writing, cooking, and watching mystery thrillers.
Research Support Specialist
Jacob Reyngoudt
Prior to joining the research team, Jacob earned his BS in biomedical engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2023. Jacob develops and generates bioengineered synthetic axon scaffolds for the team, as well as helping across multiple lab projects and maintaining key lab resources.
Past Members
Ana Candia Flores
Post Baccalaureate Trainee 2022 - 2023
Now: PhD program at
Stony Brook University
Emily VanDeValk
Undergraduate SURF Trainee
2022
Now: Histotogy technician in a dermatology clinic
Ryan Lewis
Research Assistant
2021 - 2023
Now: Medical Science Liaison with Emblation
Lab Photos
