Principal Investigator
Ron received his PhD in Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at UNC Chapel Hill, he worked in the lab of Dr. Kate Reissner, investigating structural and functional changes in nucleus accumbens astrocytes following abstinence from cocaine self-administration. He then did his postdoc at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) with Drs. David Talmage and Lorna Role. During his postdoc, he discovered two distinct populations of ventral pallidal cholinergic neurons which are differentially engaged in approach vs. avoidance behaviors. He started his own lab in the department of Cellular Biology at UGA in the fall of 2025. He is particularly interested in how astrocytes and cholinergic signaling interact to mediate motivated behaviors.
Lab Manager
Taylor Muir, B.S.
Taylor is from Gaithersburg, MD. She received her bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park. After, Taylor worked as a lab technician and then study manager at an oncology CRO, working with patient-derived xenograft tumor models and pre-clinical drug therapies in immunodeficient mice. Most recently, she worked as an Animal Biologist for Drs. David Talmage and Lorna Role at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, managing the lab’s mouse colony. While there her interest in systems neuroscience was sparked as she worked on a project with Drs. Mala Ananth and Ron Kim, examining how CRD-Nrg1 affects basal forebrain cholinergic neuron resilience and vulnerability across the lifespan. Taylor is excited to support the Kim lab’s research and operational needs, and to explore more of Georgia with her husband and sons!
Research Assistant
Margo recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S. in Biomedical Physiology. She joined the Kim Lab as a research assistant and is interested in exploring the role of astrocytes in neural circuits and behavior, particularly stress-related changes within the prefrontal cortex. Outside of the lab, Margo volunteers in healthcare settings and plans to pursue a career in medicine.
Margo Werner, B.S.
Graduate Students
Interested in cellular and molecular neuroscience or behavioral neuroscience? This could be you!
Undergraduate Students
Lucy is an undergraduate student at UGA majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Spanish. Lucy joined the lab in the spring of 2026. In the future, she is interested in studying neuro-oncology.
Lucy Snaith
Haley is a second-year undergrad student from Grayson, Georgia studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology on the pre-med track at UGA. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, going on long walks, and watching movies.
Haley Lindsay