San Francisco, California, United States
Cellular and molecular neuroscientist with expertise in stem cell biology, glial function, and computational approaches including single-cell and bulk transcriptomics. My research spans aging biology, neurological disorders, and cellular stress responses, with a strong publication record built through cross-functional collaboration. Equally passionate about science communication, education, and mentorship—I specialize in translating complex biomedical concepts into clear, compelling visuals.
Deployment of in vitro, in vivo, and computational approaches to study cellular stress responses in tissue and organismal homeostasis, as well as their dysregulation in disease and aging. • Combine genetic mouse models and pharmacological tools with multimodal strategies (single cell RNAseq, biochemistry, lipidomics, metabolomics, histology, and motor behavior) to contextualize stress pathway activation across cell types and tissues • Investigate therapeutic potential of pharmacological modulators of these pathways in pre-clinical disease models
Advisor: Dr. Gilbert Di Paolo Investigation of lipid metabolism pathways in glial cells (primary, iPSC-derived, and in vivo) that underlie neurodegenerative disease. • Utilized a cuprizone-induced demyelination model in conjunction FACS-based isolation of CNS cell types to demonstrate the involvement of Trem2 and Apoe in microglial cholesterol metabolism • Cell type-specific lipidomic and transcriptomic interrogation of mouse neurodegeneration models, and statistical analyses of these high dimensional data with R/Bioconductor
Instructor- Laboratory in Survey of Human Physiology
PhD Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Saul Villeda Discovery and characterization of a novel, non-immune role for major histocompatibility molecules in regulating neural stem cell function and cognitive processes. • Characterized genetic mouse models and developed viral RNAi based methods in primary neural stem cells to elucidate the roles of H2-K1 and H2-D1 in hippocampal neurogenesis • Utilized skills in rodent surgical procedures such as stereotaxic injections and heterochronic parabiosis to study aging biology • Established and optimized a battery of animal cognitive behavioral assays in the lab
Supervisor: Dr. Alasdair Barr Characterization of the effects of exercise on the metabolic side effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs