Giulio Maria Pasinetti, M.D., Ph.D.
The Saunders Family Chair and Professor of Neurology
Laboratory Director
Giulio Maria Pasinetti is the Chief of the Brain Institute Center of Excellence for Novel Approaches to Neurodiagnostics and Neurotherapeutics and is the Saunders Family Chair and Professor in Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Pasinetti also serves as the Director of the Basic and Biomedical Research and Training, Geriatric Education and Clinical at the Bronx VA Medical Center. Dr. Pasinetti’s research on lifestyle factors and metabolic co-morbidities, including diabetes, influencing clinical dementia, neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease has made him a top expert in his field. Dr. Pasinetti is the recipient of several academic awards, including the Zenith and Temple awards from the Alzheimer’s Association, the Nathan W. and Margaret T. Shock Aging Research Foundation Award of the Gerontological Society of America, and the Foundation Queen Sofia of Spain Research Center Award on Alzheimer’s Disease. Most recently, Dr. Pasinetti received The Faculty Council Award for academic excellence at Mount Sinai and The Charles Dana Alliance for Brain Research Award from the Dana Foundation, recognizing productivity and worldwide leadership in his field.
Susan Gursahai, B.A.
Research Program Coordinator
Ms. Gursahai has more than ten years of experience in the Department of Finance as a Funds Manager and over seven years of experience as a Project Manager for Research Grants in the Research Centers at Mount Sinai directed by Dr. Pasinetti. Ms. Gursahai has extensive experience in fiscal management of large NIH grants and is well trained in managing administrative and fiscal issues relating to grants. Ms. Gursahai has also been very instrumental in the renewal of several NIH and privately funded grants in our Center.
Mdal Rahim, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Rahim completed his Ph.D. in Pharmacological Sciences at Tohoku University in Japan, and has completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Mississippi and Johns Hopkins University. Over the past 10 years his research has centered on experimental neuroscience and neuropharmacology, including neurodegeneration in models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In particular, Dr. Rahim is an expert in the field of familial AD (FAD) as emphasized in a recent study in which he reported presenilin 1 (PS1)-dependent mechanism underlying intrinsic vulnerability of the brain in human and experimental FAD. Based on his evidence that NMDA receptor synaptic functions are altered by PS1 mutations in FAD mouse model, he wants to continue exploring novel targets in early onset AD expressing mutant PS1.
Chad Smith, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Smith is trained in molecular biology and received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2015. His field of research was to investigate the role of molecular chaperones such as heat shock proteins in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s Disease, and their potential to suppress proteinopathic stress. He is particularly interested in how early synaptic deficiencies modulate memory and cognitive impairments. Dr. Smith works to establish optogenetic models to study how diverse polyphenols alter gene expression, signaling pathways, and synaptic plasticity involved in physiological resilience against stress.
Elizabeth Griggs, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Griggs completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences at Louisiana State University. She is a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow with an aim to build on her current strengths of pathobiology. Her goal is to bring her current background to the field of Neurology in order to add a new skillset to this field, addressing a critical need to understand the relationship of pathogens on cognitive function. Dr. Griggs has gained an expert understanding of bacteriology by working with a diverse array of bacterial pathogens such as Bacillus anthracis, Rickettsia rickettsii, and Edwardsiella ictaluri, which has led to the development of skills required to address questions related to immunology, pathogenesis, molecular biology and genetics; requiring extensive work with in vitro and ex vivo culture, in vivo animal use which included blood and tissue collection, flow cytometry, immunoblot, nucleic acid extraction and detection, and microscopy. Additionally, her doctoral work has allowed her to develop molecular and immune related skillsets, and has fueled her interest in pathogenesis as it relates to cognitive deterioration.
Eun-Jeong Yang, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Yang completed her Ph.D. research at Seoul National University Medical School, where she studied the pathogenesis and development of therapeutic strategies for neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). She is currently researching the role of FOXP3-specific deletion in neuropsychological impairments and is also interested in understanding the role of neuroinflammation induced by peripheral immune system in age-related diseases.
Sean X. Naughton, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Naughton received his PhD in pharmacology in 2019 from the Medical College of Georgia and completed his BS in neuroscience at Temple University. Dr. Naughton has done extensive research in neurotoxicology and behavioral neuroscience. He previously studied organophosphate models of chemical weapons exposure. Using live-imaging techniques he performed phenotypic screening assays to identify compounds which could reverse organophosphate induced axonal transport deficits. Dr. Naughton’s current research in the lab is focused primarily on environmental factors which can induce neurological injury. Specifically, he is studying inflammatory priming in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness as well as psychiatric symptoms implicated with post-Covid syndrome.
Ruth Iban-Arias, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Iban-Arias obtained her PhD in Experimental Medicine in 2018 from the University of Crete in Greece. She characterized the pharmacological profile of two novel microneurotrophins for the prevention and arrest of retinal neurodegeneration and inflammation in a STZ-model of Diabetic Retinopathy. In her first postdoc in NYC, she worked on the effect of Oxygen-Glucose deprivation (OGD) on the phosphorylation state of Tau protein and differential location in the neuron in aged mouse brain. She briefly studied the role of the endothelial cells mutants for presenilin1 (m146v) in the ability to rescue cortical neurons after OGD. Her main research interests rely on the understanding of neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory mechanisms in neuronal diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the gene expression and disease phenotype.
Mahadi Hasan Ma Shahed, D.V.M.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Shahed is a veterinarian having completed his DVM from Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Bangladesh, he has also earned an MPH from Dhaka University in Bangladesh. Dr. Shahed has been working with the neurobiology of cognition since 2015. Over these time his research was mainly centered on neuron-glia interaction on cognition in normal and different diseased conditions such as chronic neuropathic pain and chronic visceral pain. In particular, his research focused on the mechanism of brain myelination related to optimal synchrony of spike‑time arrival which is fundamental of schema-like learning, consolidation, and memory retrieval. He also worked on astrocyte coupling in large spatial domains and determining how astrocytic L-lactate signaling facilitates remyelination in the mPFC, HPC, and cognition.
Currently, Dr. Shahed is working on the mitigation of neuropathic pain through modulation of the subset of glutamatergic neurons in the mid prefrontal cortex following exposure to standardized music patterns.
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Tal Askenazy-Frolinger, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Frolinger is trained in behavioral neuroscience with educational and research background ranging from physiological sciences to behavioral sciences, psychopharmacology and neuroscience. Her main research area over the last few years is novel animal models for affective and neurodegenerative disorders. In that context, Dr. Frolinger was successful in developing and using appropriate animal models to link basic physiological and molecular findings in this field to behavioral outcomes and her work is a part in collaborative efforts that are exemplary for biological psychiatry research. Most recently, Dr. Frolinger’s investigations have required the development of a novel psychological stress model- chronic variable unpredictable stress- and establishment of the model in genetically designed mice line that allows cell-specific RNA-sequencing technique termed translating ribosomal affinity purification (TRAP) in order to investigate how stress-induced activation and priming of microglia may elicit both central and peripheral inflammatory responses, which may be responsible for the susceptibility for anxiety or depressive-like behaviors.
Susan Westfall, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Westfall is an expert in gut-brain-axis research with extensive experience studying the interaction of the gut microbiota with plant-derived prebiotics and their synergistic effect on neurological disorders. At Mount Sinai, Dr. Westfall is continuing this line of research using cutting-edge technology to develop novel synbiotic formulations to maximize the production of grape-derived polyphenols towards the promotion of cognitive resilience against neuropsychiatric disorders. Before coming to Mount Sinai, Dr. Westfall completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from McGill University in 2018 where her major contribution was identifying a unique synbiotic formulation that promoted longevity and prevented the onset and progress of Alzheimer’s disease in Drosophila melanogaster. Dr. Westfall also completed her BSc in Biochemistry and MSc in Neuroscience from McGill University giving her a diverse array of skillsets.
Aurelian Radu, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Aurelian is working to develop a cell culture system for evaluation of drug effects and for new drug discovery for (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. In the initial phase we will generate human microglia cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from patients who have ALS -predisposing mutations. In these cells, we will test the effects of anti-inflammatory drugs discovered by Dr. Valverde to have beneficial effects in mouse cells on pathways relevant for ALS. The purpose is to investigate mechanisms of action of the drugs and to validate the system for future drug discovery. In a second phase, a more complex system will be developed, which consists of microglial cells, neurons and vascular endothelial, assembled as 3D spheroids in culture. This system will allow studies that reflect better the in vivo drug effects, including the ability of drug candidates, delivered i.v. or orally, to reach the target cells in the brain.
Kyle Trageser, B.S.
Research Associate
Mr. Trageser is an alumnus of Virginia Tech with a degree in Biological Sciences. He is currently investigating the nexus of innate immunity and neurodegeneration in the context of C9orf72 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / frontotemporal dementia (c9ALS/FTD). Via in vivo and in vitro models, he is working to identify key immune pathways contributing to the pathogenesis of the disease. Furthermore, he is testing novel, preclinical therapeutics aimed to attenuate c9ALS/FTD disease pathology. Mr. Trageser’s plans include future research to further investigate the contributions of specific immune pathways in the pathogenesis of c9ALS/FTD and the translation of these discoveries to human, with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Additionally, he plans on pursuing further education in the field of neurobiology.
Urdhva Raval, M.S.
Research Associate
Mr. Raval graduated with an M.S. in Molecular & Cell Biology from Long Island University – Brooklyn in May 2019. He studied the identification and role of Wolbachia in Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and its relationship to tick-borne pathogens to evaluate the potential of Wolbachia as a biocontrol for ticks and tick-borne pathogens.
Joshua Palmieri, LMSW
Research Associate
Mr. Palmieri comes to the lab with a background in clinical mental health care. After graduating with a master’s degree in clinical social work from Florida International University, Mr. Palmieri spent his time working with several populations, from adolescents to older individuals, in addiction, dual-diagnosis, and dementia treatment settings. Mr. Palmieri’s current interests lie in better understanding the biological mechanisms that underly the disorders he has treated from a psycho-social perspective and increasing his knowledge of study design and grant application processes. In the future, Mr. Palmieri hopes to continue to his education to further his knowledge of the bio-psycho-social mechanisms that contribute to maladaptive cognitive and behavioral functioning.
Ariana Soares Dias Portela, M.Sc.
Research Associate
ariana.soaresdiasportela@mssm.edu
Ms. Soares Dias Portela graduated with distinction from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK with a MSc in Applied Bioscience and also earned a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Porto, Portugal. Ms. Soares Dias Portela is extremely motivated and always keen to learn about her greatest passion- Neuroscience, specifically Alzheimer’s disease. Prior to joining the lab, her main project focused on the use of Transthyretin as a potential neuroprotector for Alzheimer’s disease in in vitro and in vivo models. Ms. Soares Dias Portela is currently pursuing her dreams in Alzheimer’s disease research and is currently involved in several projects in the lab targeting potential therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. In the future, she would like to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience and contribute to further understanding the biological mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Vasily Tchaikovsky, M.D., Ph.D.
Lab Fellow
Tatsunori Oguchi, M.D., Ph.D.
Research Scholar
Dr. Oguchi received his PhD in pharmacology from Showa University in Japan. During his studies, Dr. Oguchi investigated the neurotoxicity and pathogenesis of amyloid-β protein in Alzheimer’s disease and novel therapeutic agents in vitro. He has great interests in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’ s disease and tauopathies. His current work aims to investigate the effect of C77 on Amyloid beta in vitro, and learning more technical skills in this lab.
Lise Perez
Research Associate
Lab Alumni
Hanna Redding, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Shrishailam Yemul, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Maria Sebastian Valverde, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Justin Brathwaite
Research Associate
Francesca Caracci
Research Associate
Umar Iqbal
Research Associate
Sherry Simkovic
Research Associate
Jerina Carmona
Lab Fellow
Regina Shepherd
Lab Fellow
Prema T. Tareque
Lab Fellow
Catherine Ye
Giuseppe Evangelista, Visiting Medical Student
Research Scholar
Joyce Harary, B.A.
Research Associate
Henry Wu
Research Associate
Libby Ward
Research Associate
Risham Singh
Research Associate
Breanna Valcarel
Research Associate
Samara Levine
Research Associate
Amanda Biliski
Research Associate
Shimul Begun
Medical Student
Lauren Dubner
Research Associate