Saul Villeda PhD (Principal Investigator)
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Endowed Chair in Biomedical Science at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), and serve as Associate Director of the Bakar Aging Research Institute (BARI). I obtained my B.S. degree from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and my PhD degree in Neuroscience from Stanford University. I first joined the UCSF community as a Sandler Faculty Fellow. At heart, I am a biology of aging researcher and a cellular and behavioral neuroscientist interested in how age-related systemic changes in blood can alter the aging process in the adult brain. Outside of lab, I love snuggling with our American Bully dog Avi (a.k.a. Lab Support Specialist) when at home and eating with friends and family when traveling around the world.
Karishma Pratt (Postdoctoral Scholar)
After growing up in the Bay Area, I completed my bachelor’s degree at UC San Diego in Neuroscience and Physiology. While at UCSD, I investigated the molecular mechanisms behind AMPA receptor localization in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Clark. After college, I worked in the lab of Dr. Deepak Srivastava at Gladstone Institutes as a Research Associate. We researched the epigenetic and transcriptional changes that accompany the reprogramming of fibroblasts to cardiomyocytes, otherwise known as direct cardiac reprogramming, and identified small molecules to improve this process. I also assisted in research that investigated the role of transcription factor cooperativity in congenital heart disease. Now in the Villeda lab, I am excited to explore the epigenetic and transcriptional changes that underlie brain aging and rejuvenation, focusing on the role of Tet2. Outside of lab I enjoy Bollywood dancing and hanging out with friends and family!
Gregor Bieri PhD (Postdoctoral Scholar)
I grew up in Switzerland, where I completed a Bachelor and Master’s degree in Life Sciences and Technology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). During that time, I had a chance to do a one-year long Master’s project in the laboratory of Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray at Stanford. I stayed in the Bay Area and pursued my PhD in Neurosciences in the Lab of Dr Aaron Gitler at Stanford. For my graduate thesis, I investigated the interactions between Parkinson’s risk factors and their effect on the prion-like spreading of alpha-synuclein. I joined the Villeda lab in 2020, where my work is focused on the exercise-induced liver factor Gpld1 and its role in transferring the benefits of exercise on the brain in aging and neurodegeneration. Outside of research, I really enjoy cooking, gardening and discovering the next bingeworthy TV show.
Juliana Sucharov Costa (Graduate Student, BMS Program)
I am originally from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, but grew up in Colorado. There, I attended the University of Colorado, Boulder and received BAs in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Neuroscience. As an undergrad, I investigated factors in the serum of pediatric heart failure patients in the lab of Dr. Shelley Miyamoto. After graduation, I worked as a technician in Dr. Jamie Nichols lab where I studied developmental variation after deleterious mutations in the craniofacial skeleton of zebrafish. I have always been interested in studying the interactions between the immune and nervous systems, and in the Villeda lab I am excited to study the role of the immune system in age-related cognitive decline. Outside of lab I like to hike with my dog, climb, ski, and hang out with friends.
Rhea Misra (Graduate Student, BMS Program)
Originally from Southern California, I attended UC Berkeley where I received my BA in Molecular and cell biology with an emphasis in Neurobiology. While at Berkeley, I investigated how myelination mediates depressive and anxious-like behaviors in early life stress in the laboratory of Dr. Daniela Kaufer. After completing my undergraduate education, I became manager of the laboratory of Dr. Kaoru Saijo where I researched the cellular mechanisms that regulate microglia and astrocytes during neurodevelopment. In the Villeda Lab, I am interested in how systemic interventions can rejuvenate the aging brain. Outside of lab, I enjoy going concerts, watching standup comedy, and cooking.
Amber Philp PhD (Postdoctoral Scholar)
I grew up in Tauranga, New Zealand, but at the age of 16 moved to Valdivia, Chile where I completed my undergraduate in Biochemistry at the Universidad Austral de Chile. I did my undergraduate thesis and worked as a research assistant in the laboratory of Dr Carlos Flores at the Centro de Estudios Cientificos, looking into the role of the ion channel KCa3.1 in asthma and cystic fibrosis. I then enrolled in a PhD in Medical Science at the Universidad Austral de Chile in the laboratory of Dr Francisco Rivera, where I studied the role of platelets in Remyelination. During this time, I collaborated with and spent two years developing my thesis in the labs of Dr Robin Franklin and Dr Cedric Ghevaert at the University of Cambridge. I joined the Villeda lab in 2022 as a postdoctoral researcher to pursue my interests in the immune system, the aging brain, and neurodegeneration. Outside of the lab I enjoy trail running and traveling.
Zach Holmes (Graduate Student, BMS Program)
I am originally from Northern California, but I spent time at UC San Diego where I received my M.S. & B.S. in Biology & Molecular Biology respectively. While in San Diego, I investigated the role of tyrosine phosphatases in disease while working in the lab of Dr. Nunzio Bottini & Dr. Stephanie Stanford. I’m very excited to be back in Northern California, and during my time in the Villeda lab I am looking forward to investigating metabolic drivers of age-related cognitive decline. In my free time, I love cooking, listening to music, and playing all kinds of games with friends.
Yasuhiro Fuseya MD, PhD (Postdoctoral Scholar)
I was born and raised in Japan. I received my M.D. from Kyoto University and worked as a neurologist for several years. To get basic research training, I entered the Graduate School of Medicine at Kyoto University and was involved in the analysis of the regulatory mechanism of LUBAC ubiquitin ligase, which is an important factor in the activation of immune cells. I discovered the brand-new regulation of LUBAC, and I received my Ph.D. from Kyoto University in 2020. In addition, I found that hyperactivation of LUBAC is involved in the pathogenesis of human autoimmune diseases. To investigate new therapeutic agents for age-related neurodegenerative disorders, I joined the Villeda lab in May 2024 where I am interested in investigating mechanisms of cellular aging in brain border regions. Outside of the lab, I enjoy walking around SF, watching movies, and playing with my kids.
Rebecca Chu (Graduate Student, BMS Program)
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and stayed in the area for my undergraduate degree at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where I earned my bachelors in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology. There, I was in the lab of Dr. Donald Kohn where I broadly worked on developing novel hematopoietic stem cell gene therapies for primary immunodeficiency diseases. Following graduation, I joined Dr. John Tisdale’s lab at the National Institutes of Health, where I investigated new strategies for delivering gene-modifying tools to hematopoietic stem cells to treat hemoglobinopathies. In the Villeda Lab, I'm interested in studying the intersection between hematopoietic stem cells and aging-related cognitive decline. Beyond research, I enjoy eating, traveling, and dog sitting.
Karla Foncesca-Valencia (Graduate Student, PSPG Program)
I graduated from San Jose State University with a B.S. in Biochemistry. Before grad school, I worked at BioMarin Pharmaceutical as a research associate in formulation development, where I worked on several gene and enzyme replacement therapies. In the Villeda lab, I am interested in drug repurposing to enhance cognition in the aging brain. Outside of lab I enjoy walking my dog, Archie, watching trash reality TV and ice skating.
Shir Mandelboum PhD (Postdoctoral Scholar)
I grew up in Israel and completed a bachelor's degree in dual program in Biology and Pyschology, with a focus on neuroscience at the Sagol School of Neuroscience Tel Aviv University. I then pursued a direct PhD track in Neuroscience in the lab of Prof. Orna Elroy-Stein. My PhD research focused on gene expression strategies in primary astrocytes, specifically investigating the regulation of protein synthesis. I joined the Villeda lab in 2024, where I am studying how social interventions can rejuvenate the aging brain. Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time with my family, hiking, trying new food, and watching Netflix.
Hyunbin Huh PhD (Postdoctoral Scholar)
I was born and raised in South Korea, where I earned my B.S. in Biology from Yonsei University in Seoul. Following this, I completed my M.S. in Dr. Boyoun Park's lab at Yonsei, where I delved into innate immune signaling, with a particular focus on how the scaffold protein STRAP regulates Toll-like receptor pathways. My growing interest in cancer research led me to pursue a PhD in Biochemistry under Dr. Hyun Woo Park, where my research primarily centered on reprogramming the anchorage dependency, or cell-matrix interactions, between adherent and suspension cell types. In 2024, I joined the Villeda lab, driven by my interest in how sex differences and cancer contribute to brain aging. Outside the lab, I enjoy walking, spending time in cafes, and visiting art exhibitions.
Gabriel Avillion PhD (Graduate Student, DSCB Program)
I grew up in Pennsylvania before moving to San Diego to study Biochemistry and Cell Biology at UC San Diego. While in San Diego, I worked with Dr. Deborah Yelon studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac development. I stayed in the Yelon lab to complete my master’s degree and then moved to the Scripps Research Institute in the lab of Dennis Burton, where I studied the development of vaccines against complex pathogens such as HIV. Now at UCSF in the Villeda lab, I am excited about using computational biology and machine-learning approaches to investigate the mechanisms regulating age-related cognitive decline and interventions for cognitive rejuvenation. Outside of the lab, I love spending time outside, live music, and cooking at home with my cats.
Arianna Doss (Administrative Officer)
I graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.S. in Public Health. I joined the Villeda Lab in 2023 as a Faculty Assistant for the UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute (BARI). Outside of the lab I enjoy cooking, reading and finding new ways to stay active.
Avi Villieri (Support Specialist)
I graduated from Marine Humane with an Obedience degree after getting all fixed up at the UC Davis fracture program for rescue animals. I joined the Villeda Lab in 2019 as a Support Specialist. Outside of the lab I enjoy car rides, belly rubs and endless amounts of doggie treats!