CNEN

Lawrence A. Hansen received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature in 1974 from North Central College in Naperville IL. He was granted a Medical Degree in 1977 from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, IL. Following an internship in Psychiatry at Loyola in Maywood, Dr. Hansen spent 4 years in combined Anatomic and Clinical pathology training, also at Loyola. He followed this with 3 years of Neuropathology residency at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and then went to UCSD for a two-year fellowship in Geriatric Neuropathology and Dementia. After an additional year of surgical pathology fellowship at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, Dr. Hansen joined the faculty at UCSD School of Medicine in the Departments of Neurosciences and Pathology in 1988.

Dr. Hansen teaches first and second year students in major core courses in basic neurology, histology and human disease, and is deeply involved in the education of residents in pathology, neurology and neurosurgery. He teaches all aspects of neuromuscular pathology and is equally involved in teaching general and systemic pathology in core courses in the schools of Medicine and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He has enjoyed particular recognition through the many teaching awards he has received, most notably the Kaiser Permanente Teaching Award from second year medical students which he has received ten times. In addition, his teaching has been recognized by other groups including the residents in Neurology, Neurosurgery and Pathology all of whom value his teaching for its succinctness and clarity. Dr. Hansen truly enjoys teaching and excels at teaching in many areas of anatomic pathology as well as the nervous system.

Jeff Metcalf is involved in research with Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease Dementias. He is also the Safety Officer and Tissue Bank Manager. Importantly he is the organizer of the Lab Happy Hours and fun time!!

Graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology, I entered the field of Neuroscience as a post-baccalaureate at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in NIH.  The research focused on Parkinson’s Disease and the “wearing off” effect of L-dopa.  I furthered my interest in Neuroscience at University of California Irvine, which brought me into the filed of Alzheimer’s disease.  At UC Irvine, I was able to build on my molecular biology trade as a research associate and contribute to multiple publications.  A move to UC San Diego, has placed me in the same community with the top Neuroscience scientist in the world.  I am pleased to be in The Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Neuropathology (CNEN), and part of the research team of Dr. Robert Rissman to continue the strive for research excellence.

Natalie Abu Hamdan is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology. She has been working in the Rissman lab since 2016 and handles clinical sample processing and manages the snack drawer. Her interests include neuroscience and pharmacology. Outside of work, she enjoys karaoke, running, and roller skating.

Sara Abdel-Latif if is a graduate of the Ohio State University with a Bachelors of Science in Molecular Genetics and Psychology. She has been a research assistant in the Rissman lab since 2016 and handles clinical sample processing as well as mass spectroscopy and a variety of immunoassays. Her interests include Neuroscience and Public Health. Outside of work she enjoys running, reading, gardening, and photography.

Anthony Adame was born on July 31st, 1980 in the southern most city of California know as San Diego. Nobody could have predicted that out of this sleepy, military, surfer town a child would be born that would eventually go on to dedicate 17 years (and counting) to The Department of Neuroscience at UCSD.

After attending both Grossmont and West Hills High School he had a thirst for knowledge that catapulted him up to Sacramento California where he attended American River College to study horticulture. It was here he turned the microscope away from plants and looked within himself. He realized the lab is what he loved, not just the plants. His journey of knowledge took him to the small island of Guam where he studied Marine Biology. His love for the ocean matched with his desire to work in a laboratory seemed a perfect fit. He quickly learned after returning to San Diego full of aspirations to contribute to the marine biology field that he suffers from serious motion sickness. Instead of working at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, he took a job working for the Experimental Neuropatholgy Laboratory at UCSD. Under the very close watch and guide of Dr. Masliah, he was groomed to become the great Neuropathology/Histology expert he is today. With ground beneath his feet & over 100 publications under his belt, Anthony still continues his life long journey of knowledge and science he started so many years ago today working for Dr. Rissmans laboratory focusing on the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) Biomarker Core and the Neuropathology/Brain Bank for the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC).

Olga is a Ph. D candidate in the UCSD Biomedical Sciences program. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Neuroscience from UCLA. In 2013, Olga joined the Wagner and Rissman labs to test the efficacy of a novel combination therapy on behavioral and pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease.  Her skills include animal handling, behavioral testing, data analysis, cell culture, western blots, ELISA and immunohistochemistry. She hopes to contribute to the field of neurodegenerative disease research and provide novel approaches to thus far untreatable and devastating disorders.

Olga's passions include running, reading, painting, playing video games and consuming incredible amounts of tea.

My name is Kevin Nguyen, a 4th year Biochemistry and Cell Biology major. The project that I am working on focuses on Alzheimer's disease (AD), utilizing an AD mice model. Together with my research team, we will target the Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling pathway to provide a potential preventative and disease-modifying therapy for AD patients. With the critical thinking and scientific skills developed in the Rissman lab, I plan to pursue a career as a physician.

Maya Ellisman is a PhD student in Robert Rissman's lab who is interested in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms and exploring the potential therapeutic targets for neuropsychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, she focuses on attempting to create a more inclusive and accessible scientific community.

Specifically, individuals with stress related disorders (such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression) have a higher risk for developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Corticotrophin Releasing-Factor (CRF) increases AD neuropathology through the CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1). To better understand AD and how stress increases neurobiological dysregulation, she wishes to further detail the mechanism of action that CRF works on to increase in AD neuropathology and explore potential translational targets.

Jasmine Patanapirom is a master student working on the relationship between Alzheimer’s and stress (long term and short term). She is focusing on pathology changes in the brain of stressed induced transgenic and wild type mice. Her research may contribute to understanding the association between Alzheimer’s and PTSD in veterans.  Besides lab, Jasmine is an avid photographer and is a first aid volunteer with National Ski Patrol.

I’m a graduating senior majoring in biochemistry/cell biology. I joined the Rissman lab in the summer of 2017 and so far, it has been a very rewarding experience! My interests are binge watching Netflix, cooking, and playing basketball. My future goals include going to medical school and becoming a physician.

As a UCSD undergrad with a double major in Biochemistry/Cell Biology and Cognitive Science, Rachel has been active with multiple CNEN Cores and is trained in histology, ELISAs, mouse behavior studies, and animal colony maintenance. After graduating in June of 2018, Adams intends to pursue a career in biomedical research or genomics.

Jennifer is currently a senior at UCSD, majoring in Physiology and Neuroscience, who is interested in neuroscience, public health, and health policy. At the lab, she works with Dr. Ngolab on studies related to neurodegenerative diseases and the formation of plaques in the retina. Outside the lab, she can often be found doing the things she likes best: reading, cooking, listening to classical music, and hanging out with her favorite four-legged friends.

I am an undergraduate student right now. I transferred to UCSD from Santa Monica College and am majoring in Molecular Biology. This quarter is my second quarter at UCSD. I am in Sixth College and love researching because I have the opportunity to learn from graduate students who have a lot of experience.

As a student employee, I get the opportunity to help out in a variety of ways in the lab. I’ve been a part of helping out in animal husbandry, and the ADCS Biomarker core. Primarily, I help the most in the ADCS Biomarker with aliquoting plasma, processing whole blood, and Freezer inventory. At the Rissman lab I get to learn new things all the time, all while working alongside some of the best people.