Fellows

I am a postdoctoral scholar in the Anastassiou Lab studying the effects of electrical stimulation on neuron activity. I received my BSc in physics and my MSc and PhD in electronics engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. At Cedars-Sinai, I am investigating how neuron activity is affected by electrical stimulation, through bio-realistic neuron and network computational models. My current project attempts to develop more potent and selective protocols for electrical stimulation, relevant for human application in a range of brain disorders. We are also testing the developed protocols with in vitro and in vivo experiments in rodents and humans.

I am a postdoctoral scholar in the Karumanchi Lab studying preeclampsia and related adverse outcomes. I received my MD at the Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. After my residency and clinical fellowship in Japan, I earned my doctorate in nephrology at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. I discovered the importance of NAD, a metabolite coenzyme linked with longevity, ameliorated kidney fibrosis in mouse models. I started my postdoctoral career in 2021 at Karumanchi Lab at Cedars-Sinai, and my current research aims to characterize the neurocognitive phenotypes in mouse models of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a systemic syndrome of pregnancy-associated hypertension that affects vasculature throughout the body including brain vessels. I am studying the effects of long-term effects of preeclampsia, employing a battery of behavioral tests and imaging studies in mouse models of preeclampsia to investigate the mechanisms by which preeclampsia leads to vascular dementia.

I am a postdoctoral scientist in the Golden Lab at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where my research focuses on developmental neuroscience and epilepsy. Specifically, I investigate the role of poly-alanine tracts in brain development and their potential contribution to epilepsy-related pathogenesis, using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Before joining Cedars-Sinai, I earned my PhD at Kumamoto University in Japan, exploring neurodevelopmental diseases with a particular focus on neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). My work in mouse models of NF1 revealed how altered neuronal morphology and disrupted cortical circuit formation contribute to cognitive impairments, providing valuable insights into the disease mechanisms. With expertise in molecular biology, neurodevelopment, and neurodegeneration, my research aims to identify novel therapeutic targets to advance the treatment of brain disorders. In addition to my scientific work, I am an active mentor and a dedicated member of the Cedars-Sinai Group Postdoc Society, where I promote scientific collaboration and career development within the neuroscience community.

I am a postdoctoral scholar in the Silm Lab studying the regulation of neurotransmitter release across different neuronal subpopulations. I received my BSc and MSc in neuroscience and PhD in biology at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland, where I studied circadian rhythms in the brain and their alterations in a diet-induced obesity model. At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, I am focusing on dopaminergic cells and mechanisms responsible not only for dopamine release and uptake, but also for maintaining the homeostasis of the presynapse, known to be the site of the onset of several forms of neurodegeneration. My current project addresses a presynaptic chaperone protein called cysteine-string protein alpha and its role in dopamine release, as well as interaction with alpha synuclein, aggregation of which is observed in the development of Parkinson’s disease.

I am a postdoctoral scholar in the Rutishauser Lab studying the neural mechanisms of memory. I received my PhD in Neuroscience from Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, where I studied reward and emotion processing in patients with depression using human intracranial recordings. In 2024, I joined the Rutishauser Lab at Cedars-Sinai as a postdoctoral researcher. My current research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms of memory encoding states. I am investigating the single-neuron correlates of memory encoding, exploring how reward anticipation modulates this process, and aiming to establish a causal link between encoding states and memory performance.