LAB MEMBERS
ANNA KULINICH
Research Specialist
Anna studies effects of developmental acoustic intervention in Fmr1 KO mice (a mouse model of FXS)
SAMANTHA SUTLEY
Graduate Student - Biomedical Science
Samantha's thesis work investigates the role of astrocytic ephrin-B1 in inhibitory circuit development in the CA1 hippocampus.
VICTORIA WAGNER
Graduate Student - Neuroscience
Tori's work focuses on the role of cholesterol in the pathogenesis of Fragile X Syndrome.
LAB PETS
Professional and Pawficient
MOLLY
Project Supervisor
CHARLIE
Research Adviser
COSMOS
Post-Doctoral Fellow
PESTO
Data Analyst
CATERINA
Technician
PAST LAB MEMBERS
Graduate Students
MAHAM RAIS
2016-2021
Thesis Title: Cellular, Molecular, and Circuit Mechanisms of Pathophysiology in Mouse Models of Fragile X Syndrome
Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Seattle Children's Research Institute, WA
AMANDA NGUYEN
2014-2019
Thesis Title: Regulation of Hippocampal Synapse Formation and Function by Astrocytic Ephrin-B1: From Early Postnatal Development to Adulthood
Current Position: Scientist, AbbVie, Irvine, CA
JORDAN KOEPPEN
2013-2018
Thesis title: The role of astrocyte specific regulation of ephrin-B1 in refining hippocampal circuits during memory formation
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Glia Biology
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Belgium
TERESA WEN
2012-2018
Thesis title: Development of Structural and Functional Abnormalities Underlying Auditory Hypersensitivity in a Mouse Model of Fragile X Syndrome
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California San Diego, CA
SFN 2019
ATENA ZAHEDI
2011-2016
Thesis title: New optogenetic probes to prevent beta amyloid (Aβ)-induced synaptic loss in hippocampal neurons by regulating the activity of actin-binding proteins.
Current position: KL-2 Fellow at UCI Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, CA
Awards: NSF IGERT Fellowship in Video Bioinformatics
HARPREET SIDHU
2008-2013
Thesis title: Studying Fragile X using induced pluripotent stem cells and the mouse model of FXS.
Current position: Scientist I at Rinati Skin LLC, CA
SLAWOMIR SLONIOWSKI
2006-2011
Thesis title: Effects of systemic inflammation on synaptogenesis in developing mouse hippocampus
Current position: Grant writing Specialist, Rocky Mountain Grants, LLC, Denver, CO
LORRAINE DANSIE
2006-2011
Project title: Enhanced Activity of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Contributes to the Pathology of Fragile X Syndrome and can be Ameliorated with Minocycline Treatment
Current position: Medical Science Liaison at Akili Interactive, CA
CRYSTAL PONTRELLO
2005-2010
Project title: The regulation of cofilin-mediated dendritic spine remodeling by synaptic activity and EphB receptor signaling
Current position: Research Scientists, Age-related Metabolic Changes in Alzheimer’s Neurons, University of California, Irvine, CA
KAI-TI LIN
2003-2008
Thesis title: Matrix metalloproteinase-mediated cleavage of EphB2 tiggers ephrin-B2 induced cell repulsion
Current position: Faculty position at Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan
NAI-YING YANG
2002-2007
Thesis title: “The Role of EphB Receptors in the Progression of Melanoma”
Current position: Senior Research Associate, Genentech/Roche, Research Intensive, CA
YANG SHI
2002-2007
Thesis title: The Roles of Integrins, EphB Receptors and Focal Adhesion Kinase in Synaptogenesis and Synaptic Plasticity in Hippocampal Neurons
Current position: Pathologist, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City
Postdoctoral Researchers
PATRICIA PIRBHOY
TINA BILOUSOVA
MICHAEL MOELLER
CRYSTAL PONTRELLO
SONIA AFROZ
Associate Specialist
ANGELIKI NIKOLAKOPOULOU
Lab Assistants
KELLY PHOMMAHAXAY
SIMA MORTAZAVI
ARNOLD PALACIOS
Medical Students
2022 Derek Breiner, Summer research internship
2022 Jasmin Regalado, Summer research internship
2021 Mohamed Hussein, Summer research internship
2021 Kimberly Contreras, Summer research internship
2020 Austin Nguy, Summer research internship
2020 Joey Abadilla, Summer research internship
2020 Keon Hessamian, Summer research internship
2019 Leo Estrada, Summer research internship
2019 Ashwin Sharma, Summer research internship
Undergraduates
2021 – present Nadia Farooq
2019 – present Rashid Syed
2019 – present Jasmine Jimenez, CNAS Scholars Research in Science and
Engineering (RISE) Program
2019 – 2021 Walker Woodard, CNAS Scholars Research in Science
and Engineering (RISE) Program
2019 – 2020 Sydney Ford, MARC U STAR research program
2019 – 2020 Tara Hejazi Hashemi, CNAS Scholars Research in Science and
Engineering (RISE) Program
2019 – 2020 Ivy Kim
2019 – 2020 Karen Mina
2018 - 2019 Mark Makar
2017 - 2019 Dushan Rakic
2017 - 2019 Steven Bishay, Capstone project, Honors Thesis and RISE Summer
Internship
2017 - 2019 Maria Tarin, MARC U Summer Internship
2016 - 2019 Alekya Vengala
2016 - 2019 Steven Xinghao Shuai
2016 – 2018 Yasmien Hanania, MARC U Summer Internship
2016 – 2017 Zoe Figueroa
2015 – 2017 Kasim Pendi
2015 – 2019 Simone Woodruff, Honors Thesis, UCR Chancellor’s Research
Fellowship (CRF) and a prestigious Austin and Helen Riesen
Psychobiology Award in Neuroscience Research
2015 – 2017 Katherine Espinoza, Capstone project, Honors Thesis
2015 – 2017 Sandy Hanna, Capstone project, Honors Thesis
2014 – 2016 Kendal Tapia
2013 – 2015 Michael Garcia, Mentoring Summer Research Internship Program
(MSIRP), Honors Thesis
2012 – 2012 Mohamed Mohamed, Mentoring Summer Research Internship
(MSIRP)
2011 – 2012 Joshua Leish
2011 – 2012 Devan Pandya, Mentoring Summer Research Internship Program
(MSRIP)
2010 – 2011 Jessica Uwadia
2010 – 2011 Mike Huang
2009 – 2010 Adrian Gamez, Summer Research Internship Program sponsored by
NSF
2009 – 2010 Sadaf Sherzai
2008 – 2011 Ayodeji Okusanya, California Alliance for Minority Participation
(CAMP) Research Program
2008 – 2009 Kelly Phommahaxay
2007 – 2008 Jennifer Aye