Dore Lab Team

Principal Investigator

Kim Dore, PhD

After her graduate studies in Biophysics, Dr. Dore decided to apply her expertise in fluorescence to image signaling proteins in neurons at the CERVO research center in the laboratory of Paul De Koninck. She then left Canada to work with Roberto Malinow in the Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior at UCSD. Using fluorescence lifetime imaging, she demonstrated that the NMDA receptor intracellular domain could move in response to neurotransmitter binding to induce ion-flux independent synaptic depression. The Dore lab officially started in May 2021 when Dr. Dore was awarded a R01 grant to study protection of synapses in the context of Alzheimer's disease by the scaffolding protein PSD-95. Her research is focused on molecular mechanisms underlying NMDA receptor dependent plasticity and how it relates to synaptic loss during Alzheimer’s disease as well as investigating the potential of increasing protein palmitoylation as a novel neuroprotection approach. When she is not engaged in research, Kim loves hanging out with her husband and two kids, roller-skating and electronic music.

Scientist 

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.

Lab Assistant

Katie Prinkey, BS: June 2023-present

Katie graduated from UCSD in Spring 2022 with a degree in neurobiology. She enjoys reading and playing with her cat in her free time. In the lab she is studying the palmitoylation of proteins in relation to Alzheimer’s Disease, and takes care of lab administrative duties. She wants to pursue a PhD in neuroscience in the future. Undergraduate volunteer: July 2022 - May 2023

Undergraduate Volunteers 

Haritha Karthikeyan: October 2022-present 

Haritha is an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in General Biology and minoring in Cognitive Science. She joined the Dore Lab in the Fall of 2022 as an Undergraduate Research Volunteer in order to gain research experience in the field of neuroscience and further her research interests. She hopes to continue pursuing research after graduating in June 2024 by participating in the BS/MS program at UCSD while in the Dore Lab. Currently, she has been helping with the maintenance of cell cultures and working on projects involving Western blotting and PCR. Outside of research, Haritha is also the President of Muir Environmental Corps on campus and enjoys spending time outdoors.  

Shayne Mayo: February 2023-present

Shayne is a 3rd year transfer student majoring in Cognitive Science with a Specialization in Neuroscience. Additionally, Shayne is a husband, father of four, a USMC combat veteran, and formerly worked in Homeland Security. A current member of UCSD's STARTneuro program, he hopes to continue his education at UCSD in their Neuroscience PhD program and secure a productive career in research.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily Thompson October 2023-present

Emily is a third year undergraduate Neurobiology major at UCSD, with plans on getting her masters degree before applying to medical school. She hopes to take the research experience into Alzheimer’s Disease at the Dore Lab with her as she works toward her goals in neurology. During her free time, she likes taking nature walks, reading classic literature, and hanging out with her cat, Kissy. 

Tania Cid (September 2023-present)

Tania is a 5th undergraduate student majoring in Neurobiology. She joined the Dore Lab in September of 2023 after a long-time interest in neuroscience research and hopes to remain pursuing research after graduation. Her current interests in the lab include brain slice preparation, data analysis, and especially learning the ins and outs of electrophysiology. Outside of the lab, Tania enjoys making trinkets, sewing, and live music.

Maureen Dinata (September 2023-present)

Maureen is an undergraduate student at UCSD majoring in Neurobiology and minoring in Psychology. She joined the lab in Fall 2023 as a volunteer research assistant and is primarily working on analysis of mEPSC and is learning FRET-FLIM imaging. Outside the lab she enjoys spending time outside reading and exploring San Diego trying new foods.

Alumni 

Andrew Pham: Staff Research Associate (May 2021 - June 2023)

Mehreen Manikkoth: Lab assistant (October 2022 - June 2023); Undergraduate volunteer (August 2021 - October 2022)

Kate Merritt: Undergraduate volunteer (April 2021 - June 2022)

Jenna Dohner, Summer Intern from UC Davis (June 2022 - September 2022)

Sara Wahabzada: Undergraduate volunteer (November 2021- June 2022)

Kathryn Philhower: Undergraduate volunteer (June 2021 - September 2023)

Vishnu Vijayakumar: Undergraduate volunteer (March 2023 - September 2023)

Ian Baick: Undergraduate volunteer (January 2023 - December 2023)

Dina Kianiazar: Undergraduate volunteer (October 2022 - December 2023)

Dr. Hemanth Kumar Boyina: SERB-SIRE Visiting Scholar (September 2023 - March 2024)