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.
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.
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.
Ioana obtained her PhD from York University, Toronto studying bird singing behavior specifically the ecological correlates and hormonal basis of song. Her postdoctoral studies at UCLA and University of Liege (Belgium) further delved into the neural basis of song and led to work on neurogenesis. In Dr. Elizabeth Head's lab, she is contributing to various projects focused on neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome and particularly looking at cerebrovascular pathology. In her spare time, Ioana loves the outdoors, hiking, bird watching and exploring SoCal.
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.
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.
Kenny is an undergraduate student at UC Irvine majoring in Biological Sciences. As a recent community college transfer, he wanted to not only explore his growing interests in neuroscience, but contribute to the critical efforts in research that improve our understanding of Alzheimer's disease. In the Head Lab, he is helping to investigate protein overexpression involved in neuroinflammation that influence Alzheimer's disease in individuals with Down syndrome. In his free time, Kenny enjoys photography, playing basketball, and hanging out with his two dogs.
Zeynep is currently an undergrad at UC Irvine, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. She joined Head lab during her junior year of high school due to her burning interest to explore the field of neuroscience deeper than articles online could provide and has been continuing ever since. She loves watching philosophical movies and discussing them for hours afterwards. Outside of the labs, she runs a podcast called "Figure It Out", sharing the success stories of accomplished individuals to inspire young adults and to Figure It Out.
Claire Nelson is a UC Irvine alumna, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies. In 2021, Claire returned to UCI to work at the UCI Alzheimer Disease Research Center, and then joined CFAR-DS in the summer of 2022. In her role, she serves as the center administrator, managing the operations of the CFAR-DS, and executive assistant to Co-Director Dr. Elizabeth Head. In 2024, Claire earned a master’s degree in Gerontology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and two fur babies.
Isabel Rivera earned her BS in Human Biology from UC San Diego, an MS in Biology from California State University, Los Angeles, and a PhD in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine. Isabel joined the Head lab in 2025 to study the association between Down syndrome mosaicism and Alzheimer’s disease. Outside the lab, you can find her by the ocean, listening to podcasts on the metaphysical, and enjoying time with family and friends.
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.
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.
Evgueni graduated from medical university in Moscow, Russia and has been doing research since then in different fields of medicine and biology: biomarkers in male infertility, endocytosis and apoptosis in fruit fly, and some others. In Dr. Head’s lab he is assisting graduate students and postdocs with their various projects. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Andrew was 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.
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.
Simren is an undergraduate student at UCI in the Public Health Sciences honors program. She joined the Head lab in Winter 2025 because she has an interest in understanding the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. Along with the Head lab, she is doing her honors thesis on a public health approach to Alzheimer's disease. Outside of research, Simren loves to figure skate, volunteer at a wildlife rescue, and learn to snowboard.
Alicia is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Irvine, majoring in Biological Sciences. She joined the Head Lab out of a strong interest in Alzheimer’s disease and a desire to better understand its progression. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing tennis, discovering new açaí spots, and spending time with her dog.
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.
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.
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.
Jillian received her BS in Neuroscience from Northwestern University. She previously worked as a Junior Research Specialist in the Mapstone Lab and as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Head and Xu labs at UC Irvine. Her past research included work on the National BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network’s UM1 project (BICAN UM1), which aimed to characterize individual brain cells’ molecular features and develop a comprehensive brain cell atlas. Her current research focuses on understanding the physiological changes that occur in individuals with Down syndrome that impair the brain’s ability to clear beta amyloid plaques after age 30. In addition, her interests also include how racial differences influence biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases. In her free time, she loves to dance, paint, go to art museums, and spend time with friends and family.
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.
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.
Ian is an undergraduate Biological Sciences major at the University of California, Irvine. He joined the Head Lab to pursue his passion for researching the brain and understanding disease pathology. He is currently looking at how sex differences affect the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. In his free time, Ian enjoys bouldering, playing video games, and thrifting.
Sharlene is an undergraduate student at UC Irvine who is majoring in Biological Sciences. She joined the Head lab in Spring 2025 to gain more experience in the laboratory setting while also diving into a new found interest in Neurobiology. In her free time, Sharlene enjoys tending to her plants, sewing, and painting.
Reyna is an undergraduate student at UC Irvine majoring in Biological Sciences. She joined the Head Lab after becoming involved in Alzheimer’s disease outreach on campus and wanting to deepen her understanding of the pathology and progression of the disease in a laboratory setting. In her free time, she enjoys exploring brunch restaurants and coffee shops, going to concerts, and fashion.
