Jeannie Chin, phD Principal Investigator Jeannie.Chin@bcm.edu

BS Biology, BA Zoology, University of Texas Austin PhD Neuroscience, University of Texas Houston Health Science Center Postdoc, Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease and UCSF

Jeannie’s longstanding interests have been in mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and memory, and diseases that affect them. She joined Wyeth Research (later Pfizer) to work on therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases before returning to academia. She started her lab at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, prior to moving to Baylor College of Medicine in 2015. She loves being back home in Texas, particularly because of the vibrant and collaborative atmosphere of the Texas Medical Center!

Joseph campbell, MS graduate student, Neuroscience program joseph.campbell@bcm.edu

BS Psychology, University of Houston Clear-Lake MS Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Houston Clear-Lake

Joseph is investigating the contributions that glial cells have in generating thalamocortical network dysfunctions associated with sleep disturbances observed in preclinical manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease. Outside of the lab he enjoys cooking for friends, a good beer (or cocktail), dabbling in music and watching cheesy horror flicks.

PEI-yun chuang, MS Graduate student, Neuroscience program Pei-Yun.Chuang@bcm.edu

BS Biology, National Taiwan University MS Cell and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University

Pei-Yun is interested in the underlying mechanisms of disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). She is recently working on investigating the genetic differences that lead to differential susceptibility using an AD mouse model. When she’s not in the lab, Pei-Yun loves playing volleyball, trying out nice food, and binge-watching drama series and movies.

Chia-hsuan (Annie) Fu, PhD Postdoctoral fellow ChiaHsuan.Fu@bcm.edu

BA Biological Basis of Behavior, University of Pennsylvania PhD Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine

Annie’s research focuses on understanding how and why neurogenesis becomes dysregulated in AD and in epilepsy, from both the molecular and circuit level perspectives. She’s also interested in understanding the basis for why some individuals (mice or human) have higher susceptibility to developing disease or developing more severe disease. When she’s not in the lab, she likes to try new restaurants around town!

Yoshitaka Furuta graduate student, Development, disease models, and therapeutics graduate program yfuruta@bcm.edu

PharmD, Kanazawa University, Japan

Yoshi studied neuron death in C. elegans during undergrad, and now he is very interested in neurogenesis. In our laboratory, he investigates how neural stem cells behave in disease contexts, using Alzheimer’s disease mouse models. He likes writing. Outside of the lab, he writes Japanese web articles and electronic books about his PhD program!

Rohan Jagirdar, PhD Instructor Rohan.Jagirdar@bcm.edu

BS Biotechnology, University of Pune, India MS Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Germany PhD Neuroscience, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria Postdoc, Baylor College of Medicine

Rohan’s research primarily focuses on thalamocortical mechanisms in the regulation of sleep in Alzheimer’s disease. He has demonstrated that chemogenetic manipulation of thalamic reticular nucleus activity rescues sleep fragmentation and reduces amyloid β plaque load in Alzheimer’s disease mice. Outside of the lab, he is actively involved in exploring the diverse culture of Houston and visiting local breweries.

Minjung Lee, PhD Senior research associate minjung.lee@bcm.edu

MS Neuroscience, College of Korean Medicine, University of Daegu Haany, Korea PhD Molecular Neurobiology, College of Korean Medicine, University of Kyounghee, Korea

Minjung studied neuroimmunology (multiple sclerosis) and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. She conducted research to develop treatments for brain diseases using oriental medicine and drugs discovered from natural herbs. She likes research to find new mechanisms and develop treatments for neurological diseases that are difficult to treat. Although she is a working mom and doesn’t have much time to enjoy hobbies, she enjoys taking care of her adorable young boy and traveling with her family.

Jin Park, MS Research Associate Jin.Park@bcm.edu

BS Pharmacology and Toxicology, SUNY Buffalo MS Biotechnology, SUNY Buffalo

Jin’s research focuses on in vivo strategies to assess brain function, including chronic video-recorded EEG, intrahippocampal injections of viral vectors, and behavioral analyses of memory. Jin likes to eat Korean food such as kimchi stew, tofu stew, Korean barbecue, spicy rice cake, and Korean noodle. He likes to eat at all the different Korean restaurants here in Houston!

Tom punnen underGraduate student (Rice University) tgp3@rice.edu

BA Neuroscience (class of 2025)

Tom is interested in the relationship between Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy and the mechanisms involved in resisting cognitive decline. Outside of the lab, Tom enjoys playing the cello, biking in local trails, and being involved in his community.

Manuel Silva-Perez, PhD Postdoctoral Associate Msilva7@us.es

BS Biology, University of Seville, Spain MS Physiology and Neuroscience, University of Seville, Spain PhD Neuroscience, University of Seville, Spain

Manu’s research has focused on sleep and its relationship with brain activity and motor systems. He believes that understanding sleep (which remains a mystery in many ways) is key to a better comprehension of animal life, both in health and in disease. Manu is experienced in the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of electroencephalographic and electromyographic signals in rodents, and in the recording of eye movements. Manu likes plants and butterflies, and enjoys cooking, reading and getting in touch with nature.

corey St. Romain Medical student Corey.St.Romain@bcm.edu

BS Biological Sciences, BS Chemistry, Louisiana State University

Corey's research currently focuses on the similarities and differences in epigenetic regulation between epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease. He primarily uses bioinformatics and bench-top confirmation in this research. Corey hopes to practice medicine and perform research throughout his career!

Nikki Yost, DVM Resident Veterinarian, Laboratory Animal medicine and Science Nikki.YosT@bcm.edu

BS Biology, Stanford University MS Laboratory Animal Science, Stanford University DVM, University of California, Davis

Nikki is investigating the mechanisms involved in the occurrence of epileptiform activity in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Outside of the lab, Nikki enjoys playing board games, baking, and playing sports like volleyball, kickball, and pickleball.

WAngjie Yu, MD, PhD Staff Scientist Wangjie.yu@bcm.edu

MD, Fourth Military Medical University, China PhD, Saitama Medical School, Japan

Wangjie is interested in molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Outside work, Wangjie likes gardening in his backyard and watching Chinese comedy shows, dramas, and Go games on Youtube.