Current Lab Members
Dr. Head studied at the University of Toronto, Canada where she obtained her BSc, MA, and PhD in neuroscience in 1997 before moving to the University of California, Irvine and completing postdoctoral training in MIND. Until 2009, Dr. Head served as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Brain Tissue Repository for the UCI Alzheimer disease research center at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Head then became a Professor and Associate Director of Education at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders Brown Center on Aging where she established a Down syndrome aging and Alzheimer disease research study. In 2019, Dr. Head returned to the University of California, Irvine and resumed her position as Director of the Brain Tissue Repository and now also serves as a Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. In her free time, she enjoys video games, cooking and being with friends.
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Dr. Flores Aguilar received her BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UAEM in Mexico. She pursued her PhD at McGill University in Canada, where she studied preclinical neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. After finishing her PhD, she worked as Bioanalytical Principal Investigator in the Biomarker Team of a CRO. Following her passion for science, Lisi joined the Head lab in 2022 to study cerebrovascular contributions to Alzheimer’s disease in Down syndrome and aging. In her free time, Lisi enjoys travelling, music festivals, camping, hiking, and stand-up paddling. She likes being with family, friends, her cat Jazz and learning watercolor painting.
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Cherie Anne Stringer graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2018 with a BSc in Cell and Developmental Biology. She then worked as a research technician at UCI until she joined the UCI INP PhD program in 2020. Cherie is interested in studying the relationship between ion channel migration and astrocytic amyloid plaque clearance in Alzheimer’s Disease in people with Down Syndrome. When not in the lab, Cherie can be found outdoors paddle boarding or kayaking with friends, running, or cycling. She also enjoys the movies, anything music and craft-related, and dying her hair every color of the rainbow.
Zoe received her BA in Psychology from Hampton University. Currently, she is a graduate student in the Head Lab at UC Irvine where she studies Alzheimer’s disease in Down syndrome and canine models. Her research interests include neurodegenerative disorders and therapeutic development. In her free time, Zoe enjoys spending time outside, playing with her cat, Mitsy and doing yoga.
Halyma joined the Head Lab as an undergraduate at UCI majoring in Human Biology. She initially joined the lab to explore her interests in research and learn more about Alzheimer’s Disease and Down Syndrome. After graduating in 2023, she continued as a research volunteer because of the amazing and welcoming environment fostered at Head Lab. Outside of lab, Halyma enjoys going out with friends, playing video games, and online shopping.
Ally Yuen is an undergraduate student at UC Irvine majoring in Biological Sciences. She joined the Head Lab to further her interest in the connection between Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease. In her free time, she enjoys trying new food and matcha spots, spending time at the beach, and hanging out with her friends.
Iris is an undergraduate majoring in Public Health Sciences at UCI. She joined the Head lab to learn more about resilience in individuals with Down Syndrome against Alzheimer's Disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading contemporary fiction, going to farmers' markets, and journaling.
Elizabeth graduated from UCI with a BS in Neurobiology. She joined the lab as an undergraduate researcher and transitioned to Lab Assistant, before becoming a graduate student. When she is not poking brains or studying, she enjoys reading, creative writing, and going out to get good food with good friends. Also, if drinking coffee can be considered a hobby, then she’s an expert.
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Jacob Dohl graduated from UMBC in 2016 with a BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Following graduation, he worked as a research assistant at the USU Consortium for Health and Military Performance. While there, his work focused on bioenergetics and mitochondrial dynamics in heat stroke, PTSD, glucose intolerance, and nutrient deficiency. He joined UCI as a graduate student in 2020, working to validate the mitochondrial aspects of an in vitro cytoplasmic hybrid model of age-related macular degeneration. After completing that project, Jacob joined the Head lab to investigate the role of calcineurin in Down’s Syndrome and determine metabolite frequency shifts during aging. Outside of the lab, Jacob enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding, and woodworking.
Freddy Gonzalez is a Human Biology major at the University of California, Irvine, with a strong academic foundation and research experience. He recently completed a research internship at The University of Chicago. His passion for medicine was solidified through clinical shadowing, and he is dedicated to advancing scientific understanding in the biomedical field. He joined the Head Lab to further understand the role of sex differences in the progression and development of Alzheimer's disease. In his free time, Freddy enjoys bouldering, playing pickleball, and exploring different fragrances.
Samantha is an undergraduate student at UC Irvine majoring in Biological Sciences. Joining the Head Lab gave her the opportunity to not only strengthen her laboratory skills but also expand on her knowledge of Alzheimer's Disease and Down Syndrome. In her spare time, Samantha loves going to the gym, playing basketball, cooking, and hanging out with family and friends.
Andrew is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Irvine, majoring in Biological Sciences. He joined the Head Lab to build his research experience and explore Alzheimer’s Disease, focusing on its pathology and connection to Down Syndrome. When he doesn’t want to study, Andrew enjoys playing the piano, spending time with his dog, hiking, and cooking.
Gabriel graduated from UC Irvine in 1988 with a BS in Biological Sciences and a BA in Psychology, and has received a MPh in Neural Science from New York University in 1997. He has spent 40 years doing scientific research. He was with Norman M Weinberger making rats smarter, Joseph E LeDoux trying to scare rats, Magdalene J Seiler making blind rats see, and Ron Frostig fortifying rats from the effects of stroke. Now he is with Elizabeth Head, who has nothing to do with rats…but he sees dead people. When not in the lab, Gabriel tries to get his 4 kids off their electronic devices so that they can travel to areas where he can do landscape photography. He relaxes by reading over 100 books every year in the genres of cozy mysteries, science fiction, fantasy and biographies.
Jillian received her BA in Neuroscience from Northwestern University. She currently works as a Junior Research Specialist in the Mapstone Lab and Clinical Research Coordinator in the Head Lab at UC Irvine. Her research interests include the impact of racial differences in biomarkers of different neurodegenerative diseases. She is currently working on the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network’s UM1 project which aims to characterize individual brain cell’s molecular features and develop a comprehensive brain cell atlas.
Justine graduate from Buffalo State University in 2019 with a BS in Forensic Chemistry and a BA in Biotechnology. She went on to work as a brain donation coordinator for UCI MIND, where she simultaneously earned her post-baccalaureate certificate in Psychological Science in 2022. In her free time, Justine enjoys watching and playing sports, exploring SoCal with friends, and spending time with her Corgi named Kaia.
Nazek began her research journey as an undergraduate research assistant where she first sparked interest in investigating Alzheimer's disease in individuals with Down syndrome. She earned her BA in psychology in 2019 from UCI. Nazek later joined the UCI School of Medicine as a Research Specialist, where she contributed to a project aimed at enhancing the reproducibility of publicly available brainimaging data. In the fall of 2021, Nazek started her graduate studies, with her current research exploring the mechanisms of tau spread in individuals with Down syndrome. Outside the lab, Nazek enjoys being in nature, biking, charcoal drawing, watching sunsets, and spending time with her pet parrots.
Amisha is an undergraduate student at USC majoring in Neuroscience. She joined the Head Lab in 2019 after assisting with the clinical portion of the ABC-DS study. During her free time, Amisha enjoys reading books, practicing Taekwondo, and spending time with family and friends.
Ashley is an undergraduate student at UC Irvine majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences. She joined the Head Lab to strengthen her research skills and explore her interests in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome. During her spare time, Ashley likes to play video games, try new food and boba shops, and hang out with her friends.
Krina is an undergraduate at UCI majoring in Biological Sciences. She joined Head Lab to learn more about the impact genetic conditions, such as Down Syndrome, have on Alzheimer Disease progression. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, reading, doing calisthenics, and frequenting cafes.
