MIGUEL Á. LUJÁN, PHD
Assistant Professor and PI
Dr. Luján grew up in Valencia (Spain), in the town of Sagunto. Miguel obtained his BSc in Psychology from University Jaume I, Castellon, Spain in 2014. He later completed an MSc in Neuroscience at Dr. Olga Valverde’s group in the University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona in 2016. There, he was awarded with a Research and Docent Staff (FPU) scholarship by the Spanish Ministry of Education to develop his PhD studies in Biomedicine. In 2020, Miguel obtained his PhD, centered on the potential of CBD as a therapeutical strategy to reduce cocaine consumption. He then joined Dr. Joseph Cheer’s lab at the University of Maryland as a postdoctoral fellow. There, he investigated the interplay between the dopamine and endocannabinoid mesolimbic systems. In 2023, he was awarded a K99/R00 pathway to independence award from the NIDA/NIH to start his own lab.
In 2025, Dr. Luján joined the University of Illinois Chicago as a tenure-track Assistant Professor with an appointment in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology (College of Medicine). His lab continues to explore the neurobiological mechanisms underlying motivation, learning, and addiction.
Grace A. Crespo
Research Assistant
Grace graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences with two minors: Psychology and Chinese from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2024. After graduating Grace worked as an hourly research specialist in the department of Pharmacology where she learned valuable histological techniques. In the next two years, Grace plans to further her education and pursue a PhD in Neuroscience. Grace is interested in researching the underlying mechanisms of motivation.
Marie Galindo Gutierrez
Research Assistant
Marie joined the Luján lab as a lab tech in 2025 after graduating from the UIC with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Biology. She started working in neuroscience related labs during her sophomore year of undergrad, working as an animal and facility caretaker to lab specialists and since then she had continued to grow her passion and interest for it. Since then, she has developed a strong interest in the neurobiology of addiction, chronic drug exposure, and behavioral analysis, and she is eager to continue expanding her research expertise in these areas. With the goal of pursuing a PhD in the future, Marie is always excited to learn new techniques and lend a hand to her colleagues.
Zarlish Anis
Undergraduate volunteer
Zarlish is a 3rd year student and will be graduating with her Bachelor’s in Biology with a concentration in Molecular, Cellular and Organismal biology in 2026 and will continue research here at the Luján Lab. After graduation, she will be furthering her education by pursuing a career in medicine.
Jeet H. Patel
Undergraduate volunteer
Jeet is an undergraduate at the University of Illinois Chicago, pursuing a double major in Statistics and Economics with a minor in Computer Science, and is expected to graduate in Spring 2026. He works as a Peer Learning Assistant for BIO 110 at the MSLC and has experience in data analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning, including work with an OMOP dataset. After graduating, he hopes to pursue a career in data analysis within the pharmaceutical industry.
Maricarmen S. Carreto
Rotation student
Maricarmen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology with a chemistry minor from Roosevelt University in 2024. After graduating, she joined the UIC PBRC-PREP program, where she worked under the mentorship of Dr. Justin Richner on research projects related to West-Nile Virus and neurodegeneration. In 2025, Maricarmen was accepted into the UIC GEMS program and is currently rotating in the Luján lab.
Grace Phillips
Rotation student
Grace graduated from Agnes Scott College in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. During her undergraduate years, she worked in Dr. Jesse Schank’s lab at the University of Georgia to research the roles of neuropeptides and stress on the voluntary consumption of alcohol. After graduation, she joined the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at UIC, where she is interested in studying substance use disorders, how they develop, and how they intersect with psychiatric conditions. Grace is excited to be rotating in the Lujan Lab for the Spring 2026 semester!