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Kristen Zuloaga, PhD
Associate Professor Director, Graduate Studies, DNET co-Director, Postdoctoral Development Program Kristen joined the Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics (DNET) at Albany Medical College in February 2017. Kristen obtained her PhD in Biomedical Sciences in 2011 and has been trained by leaders in the fields of neuroendocrinology (Dr. Robert Handa), cerebral vascular physiology and cerebral ischemia (Dr. Nabil Alkayed and Dr. Rayna Gonzales), aging and neurogenesis (MacArthur Fellow Dr. Sally Tempe). She serves as both Council member and Education co-Chair for the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences and on the Editorial Board for Biology of Sex Differences, Scientific Advisory Board for the Albert Research Institute for White Matter and Cognition, and is a standing member of the Chronic Dysfunction & Neurodegeneration (CDIN) study section for NIH. She is deeply committed to mentorship and is Co-Founder/Co-Director of the NY Capital Region Postdoctoral Development Program and Director of Graduate Studies in DNET. She has received funding at every stage of her career including her current NINDS R01, NIA U01, Alzheimer's Association AARG, and 11 other current or previous grants (NIH and multiple foundations). |
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Charly Abi Ghanem, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow Charly joined the Zuloaga Lab in August 2019. He received his PhD in Neuroscience from University of Paris-Saclay in France where he studied the role of the androgen receptor in sexual dimorphism and repair of myelin. Charly's current work focuses on the effects of menopause (in females) or androgen loss (in males) on white matter damage and inflammation in various forms of dementia. In 2021, he received a travel award from the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences and is an invited speaker for the Alzheimer's Association Vascular PIA Scientific Session of 2021. |
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Olivia Gannon
Graduate Student Olivia joined the Zuloaga Lab in January 2018. Prior to joining the lab, Olivia was a technician in the Molecular and Cellular Physiology Dept at AMC. Olivia's main project focuses on determining the effect of menopause on VCID and assessing the therapeutic potential of brain-specific estrogen. Olivia's work is funded by an NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship. Olivia has received numerous other awards including a predoctoral fellowship from American Heart Association, a professional development award from Society for Neuroscience, travel awards (American Physiological Society, Alzheimer's Association, and Organization for the Study of Sex Differences) and awards from AMC including Excellence in Poster Presentations (2020, 2021) and the Dean's Certificate and Prize for Excellence in Extramural Research Activities (2020, 2021), and the Graduate Student Florence Hasteline Best Poster Award at from the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences. |
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Abby Salinero
Graduate Student Abby and Kristen have been working together since 2016, and started the lab together at AMC in 2017. She transitioned from lab manager to PhD in Fall 2019. Abby's main project focuses on the effect of menopause on cognitive impairment caused my metabolic disease. Abby is also a talented artist and has created beautiful images for our publications. In 2021, she received a Graduate Student Florence Hasteline Best Poster Award from the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences. |
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Daniel Kelly Lab Manager Daniel joined our lab in July 2020. His current research focuses on how identifying neurovascular interactions of Alzheimer's disease risk genes. |
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Janvie Naik Medical Degree with Distinction in Research (MDDR) Student Janvie is in her 3rd year at RPI as part of the AMC/RPI MDDR program. She joined the lab in August 2019. Janvie's main project focuses on the effect of menopause on white matter damage in vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia. |
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David Kordit Medical Degree with Distinction in Research (MDDR) Student David is in his 3rd year at RPI as part of the AMC/RPI MDDR program. He joined the lab in September 2019. David's main project focuses on sex differences in white matter damage and neuroinflammation in mouse models of dementia. In 2020, he received a Medical School Investigation Day Award from AMC. |
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Febronia Mansour Technician Febronia, an undergrad at Albany College of Pharmacy, joined the Zuloaga lab in February 2019 as an intern. She is examining sex differences in cerebral blood flow and underlying vascular pathology (microbleeds) in several mouse models of dementia. |
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Harini Venkataganesh Medical Degree with Distinction in Research (MDDR) Student Harini joined the lab in August 2020. Her project focuses on examining changes in neuroinflammation in response to menopause or high fat diet in females. |
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Avi Sura Medical Degree with Distinction in Research (MDDR) Student Avi joined the lab in Sept 2020. His project focuses on examining changes in episodic memory in response to loss of estrogen with menopause (females) or androgens (in males). |
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Matthew Wang Medical Degree with Distinction in Research (MDDR) Student Matthew joined the lab in Sept 2020. His project focuses on examining changes in spatial memory in response to loss of estrogen (females) or androgens (in males) in a mouse model of multi-etiology dementia. |
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Nyi-Rein Kyaw Medical Degree with Distinction in Research (MDDR) Student Nyi-Rein joined the lab in Oct 2020. Nyi-rein is examing the effects of sex hormones on vascular and metabolic contributions to dementia. |
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Alvira Tyagi Student, Shaker High School Alvira, a student at Shaker High School, joined the Zuloaga lab in February 2019. She is assisting in experiments examining sex differences in neurogenesis and dementia. Alvira is a 2020 Albany Brain Bee Champion and has been accepted to Harvard University for Fall 2021. |
Lab Alumni
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Lisa Robison, PhD
Collaborator/Tenure-track Assistant Professor, Nova Southeastern Univ Lisa joined the Zuloaga Lab as a postdoc in August 2017. She received her PhD in Neuroscience from Stonybrook University where she studied how lifestyle factors, such as exercise, affect Alzheimer's disease progression. In 2020, Lisa became an Assistant Professor at Stetson University but continues to be a close collaborator with the Zuloaga Lab. Lisa's current work focuses on sex differences in the effect of chronic high fat diet in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and mixed dementia. Lisa has been an invited speaker at numerous conferences, such as the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences and Alzheimer's Association International Conferences. In 2020, she won the prestigious Elizabeth Young New Investigator Award from the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences. She was recently recruited to Nova Southeastern University as a tenure-track Assistant Professor, where she opened her own lab in Fall 2021. |
Medical Students:
Nathan Albert - Distinction in Research, Medical School Investigation Day Award,
Lauren Camargo
Amanda Custozzo -
Melissa Thomas - Distinction in research, Medical School Investigation Day Award, Best Poster - Eastern Atlantic Student Research Forum, Alpha Omega Alpha Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship.
Postbac:
Brian Anderson, MS - Technician
Alya Tyson - Intern (post-bac)
Undergraduates
Carly Connor
Alyssa Galloway - Excellence in Research Award
Katherine Melchionni
Dhanisha Nandigama
David Riccio
Allegra Wu
Highschool:
Maueve Janecka
Mishal Razi