Kim Dore, PhD

Yixing Du MD, PhD

January 2023 - present

Yixing worked as a Neurologist at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University in China after obtaining her MD and Ph.D. degrees. In 2013, she pursued her passion for neuroscience research and joined Dr. Min Zhou’s lab at the Ohio State University as an electrophysiologist. In his lab, her research focused on the electrophysiological characteristics of astrocytes, especially the astrocyte syncytium. She also explored how astrocyte syncytial coupling changed in neurological disease models, including epileptiform discharges, chronic stress, and Alzheimer's disease. Her interest in disease-related research has motivated her to join Dr. Dore’s lab in 2023. She is eager to apply her expertise to Alzheimer's disease research regarding how astrocyte syncytial coupling function is affected and how this could change neuronal circuit function through neuro-glia network crosstalk. 

Angela Snyder, PhD

January 2024-present

Angela is a neuroscientist interested in the brain changes involved in neurological disorders. She earned her BA in psychology and BS in neuroscience from Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania where she got her start in scientific research. After graduation, she worked as a lab technician at UNC-Chapel Hill in the lab of Dr. Lisa Tarantino studying genetics associated with cocaine addiction. Later, she went on to earn her PhD in neuroscience from Penn State College of Medicine and completed her thesis work in Dr. Yuval Silberman’s lab. At Penn State she studied the effects of stress and alcohol exposure on neurocircuitry to better understand stress-related relapse in drug and alcohol use disorders. Most recently Angela worked as a Scientist at a contract research organization, where she designed and carried out neuroscience-based electrophysiological assays to serve clients’ drug discovery programs. Currently, Angela is a member of Dr. Dore's lab where she is continuing to apply and develop her electrophysiology expertise to study the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease. She is also learning other techniques such as primary hippocampal cell culture, organotypic hippocampal slice culture, and fluorescence lifetime imaging. When not in the lab, Angela enjoys playing Mario games and volunteering at the Fleet Science Center and scientific outreach events.

Haritha Karthikeyan

October 2022-present

Haritha is a Master’s student in the BS/MS program at UCSD. She joined the Dore Lab in the Fall of 2022 as an Undergraduate Research Volunteer to gain research experience in the field of neuroscience and further her research interests. She hopes to gain industry experience and apply to PhD programs in the future. Her thesis project aims to investigate the knockdown of ABHD17a, a depalmitoylating enzyme of PSD-95, as a potential target for effective gene therapy and treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease. Outside of research, Haritha loves going on food adventures and spending time outdoors.

Maureen Dinata

September 2023-present

Maureen is a graduate student in the BS/MS program at UCSD. She joined the lab in Fall 2023 as a volunteer research assistant to gain research experience. Currently she is investigating the interactions between different postsynaptic proteins with PKCa and how it relates to synaptic loss in Alzheimer’s disease through fluorescence lifetime imaging in primary hippocampal cell culture. Outside the lab, she enjoys exploring San Diego and trying new food places.

Celeste Morales

September 2023-present

Celeste is a third year transfer student majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. She joined the Dore Lab in Fall 2023 and is looking forward to studying PSD-95 palmitoylation in the context of Alzheimer's Disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and being in nature. Celeste is also a member of the 2023 STARTneuro cohort.

Nicole Castro

April 2024-present

Nicole is a 4th year transfer student majoring in Biochemistry. She joined the Dore lab in April 2024 to gain research experience and explore biochemical approaches to neuroscience. In the lab, she uses biochemical assays and Western Blotting to detect and quantify PSD-95 palmitoylation. Nicole intends to pursue a career in research or medicine, and outside of the lab she enjoys reading, drawing, and spending time with family.

Amber Lawrence

June 2024-present

Amber is an undergraduate student majoring in Neurobiology. She joined the Dore lab in Summer 2024. Prior to Dore Lab, she studied Parkinson's disease and the gut-brain axis through neural cell differentiation and co-culturing techniques. Now, she is learning electrophysiology techniques and working on projects involving immunohistochemistry. Following her undergraduate degree, she hopes to continue in the field of neurodegenerative disease research and pursue a PhD in neurobiology. Outside the lab, Amber is a resident advisor and enjoys spending time with her pet bearded dragon.

Nessa Jamalian

June 2024-present

Nessa is an undergraduate student at California State University San Marcos majoring in psychology with a minor in biology. Currently she has been working on a project for the Dore lab which investigates the interactions between ABHD17a and PSD-95. She is a current member of the STARS program at UCSD. Outside the lab she enjoys spending time with her dog and family.

Kate Wilkie

October 2024 - present

Kate is a second-year undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in neurobiology. She joined the Dore lab in Fall of 2024 as an Undergraduate Research Volunteer looking for research experience in neuroscience and Alzheimer's. In the lab, she’s been working on PCR and is looking forward to beginning behavioral research. Outside of the lab she works as a wilderness guide and loves running, rock climbing, and backpacking.

Divya Sood

Fall 2024 - present

Divya is a volunteer researcher and joined the Dore Lab in Fall 2024. She graduated from UCLA with a BS in Neuroscience and is interested in the physiology of neurodegenerative diseases. She enjoys learning about microscopy and currently uses fluorescent lifetime imaging to visualize hippocampal neurons. In her free time, Divya enjoys hiking, pottery, and reading.