Former Members
About our alumni
Bitan Lab alumni are in many countries, industries, and professions. Some of our former lab members continued their studies, others became teachers, and others went into management positions. Some lab alumni found positions in healthcare as doctors, researchers, and scientists. Others are supporting healthcare from the tech side as product owners, project managers, and software engineers. We've even had a few alumni become lawyers.
List of former lab members
| Name | Position | Research Project | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brenda Abarca, M.D. | Undergraduate Researcher | Cell culture | Psychiatry Resident at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center |
| Ryan Saleh Atlasi, D.M.D. | Undergraduate Researcher | Characterization of anti-SOD1 antibodies | Dentist, Rochester, MN |
| Aida Attar, Ph.D. | Graduate Student | Investigation of molecular tweezers in vivo | Associate Director, New Product Commercialization, Neurocrine Biosciences, San Diego |
| Reena Bakshi, M.D. | Undergraduate Researcher | Investigation of molecular tweezers in vitro | General Surgery Specialist, Charleston, SC |
| Shweta (Balakrishnan) Joshi, M.P.H. | Undergraduate Researcher | Characterization of anti-oligomer antibodies | Director of Operations, Citystock Health |
| Karl Biggs, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher, Lab Assistant | Structure-activity studies of α-synuclein, development of novel assays for phosphorykated α-synuclein | Graduate student at Dartmouth University |
| Danielle Bouquio, B.S. | Graduate Student | Characterization of a mouse model of multieple system atrophy, pharmacokinetics of molecular tweezers | ChemBio Diagnostics, Inc., Medford, NY |
| Jackie (Bucher) Brogan, M.D. | Undergraduate Researcher | Characterization of anti-Aβ aptamers | Dermatologist, Coronado, CA |
| Elaine Ann Cara, M.M.P. | Undergraduate Researcher | Cell culture | |
| Lea Chamoun | Undergraduate Researcher | Biomarkers in CNS-originating EVs | UCLA student |
| Wai-Ting (Coco) Chan | Visiting Undergraduate Researcher from Peninsula College of Medicine & DentistryUniversities of Exeter and Plymouth, United Kingdom | Pharmacology of molecular tweezers | Personal trainer, Social Media Coordinator, Hong Kong |
| Sueksitt (Prem) Chantanapumma | Undergraduate Researcher | Structural studies of α-synuclein and its interaction with molecular tweezers | Medical student at Chulalongkorn University |
| Esha Chawla | Undergraduate Researcher | Tau seeding in biosensor cells | Emergency Department Technician, Stanford Hospital |
| David Cho | Undergraduate Researcher | Investigation of C-terminal fragments of Aβ42 in vitro | |
| Christian Corrales, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Studies of SOD1 activity and self-assembly | MSTP (MD/PhD) student, UCLA |
| Jing Di, M.D., Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Investigation of the effect of molecular tweezers on tau in vitro and in vivo | Resident Physician, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington |
| Suman Dutta, Ph.D. | Assistant Project Scientist | Biomarkers in CNS-originating exosomes | Research Scientist, University of Oxford, United Kingdom |
| Nour Elabed | Undergraduate Researcher | Biomarkers in CNS-originating exosomes – database management | |
| Andrew Fithian, B.S. | Research Associate | Methionine-sulfoxide in familial Alzheimer’s disease | Research Associate at Prometheus Laboratories |
| Christine Fontanilla, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Investigation of molecular tweezers in an ALS mouse model | |
| Jane Hayes, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Biochemical analysis molecular tweezers in vivo | Revenue Operations Lead, Rose Rocket, Toronto |
| Helia Hosseini, M.S. | Masters Student | Biomarkers for spinocerebellar ataxia | Medical student, Yale University |
| Kathryn Howe, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Database and biorepository manager for biomarker studies | Attractions Host, Disney World, FL |
| Ian Hurst, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Effect of assembly inhibitors on Aβ aggregation in the presence of Zn2+ | Associate, Proskauer LLP |
| Ella Ishaaya, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Transthyretin Oligomerization | Internist, Harbor-UCLA |
| Juka Kim, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Development of an inhibitor screening method using PICUP | Medical Student, UCLA |
| Adira Kruayatidee, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Development of an inhibitor screening method using PICUP | Medical Scribe, Roxbury Clinic & Surgery Center, Beverly Hills |
| Pei-Yi Kuo, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Investigation of C-terminal fragments of Aβ42 in cell culture | |
| Otmane Lahgui, MBA, CAPM | Research Associate | Brain biomarkers measurement in serum and plasma | Portfolio Program & Project Management Consultant | Sales Lead, Theron, Luxembourg |
| KaiChyuan Lei | Undergraduate Researcher | Characterization of molecular tweezers biological activity | Board certified dentist in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry, Los Angeles |
| Huiyuan Li, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Synthesis and characterization of Aβ42 C-terminal fragments in vitro and in cell culture | Principal Scientist, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrence, NJ |
| Tina Li, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Development of methods for immunoprecipitation of specific CNS exosome groups | Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine |
| Xingyi Li, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Analysis of oxidative stress in human brain | |
| Zizheng Li, M.S. | Visiting Graduate Researcher | Investigation of molecular tweezers and their interaction with tau | Graduate Student, UC San Francisco |
| Jessica Liu, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Investigation of molecular tweezers in cell culture | |
| Tanya Liu, B.A., M.S. | Research Associate | Investigation of molecular tweezers in vivo | Director – Global Value Access & Strategy, Vertex, Boston, MA |
| Devin Loewenstein, M.D. | Undergraduate Researcher | Characterization of anti-Aβ aptamers | Clinical Cardiologist, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL |
| Dahabada Lopes, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow, Assistant Researcher | Investigation of molecular tweezers in vitro and in cell culture | Research Scientist at Brain Mapping Foundation and Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics, Topanga , CA |
| Katherine Maina, B.A. | Lab Assistant | Biomarkers in CNS-originating exosomes | Project Manager at Brain Aging and Dementia (BAnD) Lab, Massachusetts General Hospital, Somerville, MA |
| Panchanan Maiti, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Structure–activity studies of Aβ | Associate Professor, Central Michigan University |
| Ravinder Malik, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Drug and biomarker development for ALS | Assistant Project Scientist, UCLA |
| Ghattas Malki, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Immunohistochemical analysis of molecular tweezers in a mouse model of tauopathy | Medical student, UC San Diego |
| Ashley Mason, B.S. | Research Associate | Inhibition and enhancement of Aβ toxicity | Graduate student, University of Virginia |
| Kylie McCauley | Undergraduate Researcher | Microbiome impact on amyloid plaques in mice | Research Associate, UCLA |
| Roy McReynolds III, B.S. | Graduate Student | The role of astrocytes in early-stage Alzheimer’s disease | Graduate student, Hinman Lab, UCLA |
| Helen (Lin Hui) Meng. B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Immunohistochemistry in ALS and tauopathy mouse models | Resident Physician, John Muir Health, San Ramon, CA |
| Alanna Morris | Research Assistant Volunteer | Biomarkers in CNS-originating EVs | Research Assistant, UCLA |
| Kirsten (McDaniel) Nau, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Investigation of molecular tweezers in vitro | |
| Shivina Mittal, MBA | Undergraduate Researcher, Research Associate | Investigation of molecular tweezers in cell culture | Technical Program Manager Manager, Practice Fusion, San Francisco |
| Bernhard Monien, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Synthesis and characterization of Aβ42 C-terminal fragments in vitro | Senior Scientist, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Dept. of Food Safety, Berlin, Germany |
| Kazuma Murakami, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Generation and characterization of anti-Aβ aptamers | Associate Professor, Kyoto University |
| Gayatri Nair, M.S. | Research Associate | Investigation of molecular tweezers in cell culture | Staff Research Associate, UCLA |
| Maggie (Amelia) Navarro | Undergraduate Researcher | Aggregation of α-synuclein variants | |
| Mona Nejad, DDS | Undergraduate Researcher | Behavioral analysis of a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease | Dentist, Torrance, CA |
| Angela Nguyen | Undergraduate Researcher | Mehionine oxidation in Alzheimer’s disease | Clinical Research Assistant II, Yale University |
| Jennifer Portillo, B.S. | Lab Assistant | Tau postrtranlational modification and self-assembly | Graduate Student, Washington University, St. Louis |
| Farid Rahimi, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Generation and characterization of anti-Aβ aptamers | Divisional Senior Technical Officer, Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Australian National University, Canberra |
| Brian Safaie, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Analysis of α-synuclein oligomers in vitro | Middle School Science Teacher, Pueblo Academy, Pueblo, CO |
| Nihal Satyadev, B.A., M.P.H. | Undergraduate Researcher | Investigation of molecular tweezers in an ALS mouse model | Neurology Resident, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL |
| Niki Sepanj, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | ALS and ataxia research | Founder and CEO, Blow Balloons |
| Sneha Shaha, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Characterization of Aβ42 C-terminal fragments in cell culture | Internal Medicine Physician, Loma Linda University Health |
| Hedieh Shahpasand-Kroner, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Investigation of posttranslational modifications and oligomerization of tau | Senior Scientist, Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA |
| Akila Shanmugam, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Characterization of molecular tweezers in vitro | Chemistry teacher, Lovejoy High School, Lucas, TX |
| Sharmistha Sinha, Ph.D. | Postdoctoral Fellow | Characterization of molecular tweezers in vitro and in cell culture | Professor, Scientist-F, Dean of Academics, Institute of NanoScience and Technology, Mohali, India |
| Jamie (Summers) Sprague, B.S., J.D. | Undergraduate Researcher | Characterization of anti-Aβ aptamers | Senior Counsel, Cox Castle law firm |
| Master’s student | Biomarkers in CNS-originating EVs | ||
| Saumya Tawakley, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Analysis of exophers in SH-SY5Y cells | |
| Sally Tu, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Studies of the effect of molecular tweezers in a mouse model of tauopathy | Medical Student, California Northstate University, College of Medicine |
| Anika Vaishampayan, M.S. | Research Assistant Volunteer | Exopher analysis | UX Designer, HCMpoint |
| Jessica Vo, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Cell culture | |
| Keith Wong, M.D., M.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Characterization of anti-oligomer antibodies | Physician, County of Santa Clara Health System |
| Austin Wang, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Effect of molecular tweezers on tau oligomers in a tauopathy mouse model | |
| Fatemah Yacoub, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Structure activity relationships of α-synuclein | |
| Robert Yuan, B.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Effect of molecular tweezers on α-synuclein in a mouse model of MSA | Medical student, University of Massachusetts, Worcester |
| Christine Zang | Undergraduate Researcher | Analysis of exophers in a neuronal cell line | Research and Content Intern, Transamerica Institute |
| Yareeve Zemel, M.S. | Undergraduate Researcher | Characterization of Aβ42 C-terminal fragments in cell culture | Senior Software Engineer, Abbott |
| Joanna Zhao | Undergraduate Researcher | Exopher analysis |