Minions
Delfina Larrea
Associate Research Scientist
Delfi received MS/PhD in Molecular Biology at University of Cantabria in Spain studying the molecular mechanism of DNA transfer by bacterial conjugation. During her postdoc with Dr. Eric Schon at Columbia University, she investigated how mutations in Mitofusin 2, which cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a peripheral neuropathy affect mitochondrial behavior and MAM functionality. In Dr. Area-Gomez lab, she currently extended her studies on the role of MAM but now in the context of Amyotrophic trophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). She is trying to decipher how MAM domain is related to mitochondrial abnormalities already seen in this pathology and how these two hits contribute to the disease progression.
Jorge Montesinos
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Jorge studied Biotechnology at the Universitat Politècnica de València and he carried out his Master’s degree and PhD thesis with Dr. Consuelo Guerri at Principe Felipe Research Center (Valencia, Spain). He joined Dr. Area-Gomez’s lab in 2017 where his main research interest is to understand the role of mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAM) in the overall lipid homeostasis in neurons.
Patricia Morcillo
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Patricia got her Ph.D. degree and the best doctorate Award 2016 at the University of Murcia in Spain studying the toxicity caused by metal in teleost. For her first Postdoc research, she studied defective mitochondrial dynamics under manganese-induced neurotoxicity at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. As one of her major achievements, her image on mitochondrial communication was selected for the 10th Anniversary of Targeting Mitochondria Congress. Later she join Dr. Eric Schon and Dr. Area-Gomez lab to understand the role of MAM in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. Outside of the lab, she loves hiking, painting, yoga, and photography. Whenever she has a chance, she would go to nature to observe animals. Central Park is her second home.
Kirstin Tamucci
PhD Student
Kirstin is a PhD student in the Nutritional and Metabolic Biology program under the co-mentorship of Estela Area-Gomez and Richard Deckelbaum.
Khushbu Kabra
PhD Student
Khushbu is a PhD. student in the Nutritional and Metabolic Biology program and is working on understanding cholesterol metabolism in ALS. She received an Honors Bsc. in Biochemistry from University College London, followed by a masters from UC Berkeley and UCSF in a joint program in Translational Medicine. After working in industry for a couple of years, Khushbu decided to go back to basic research and apply her scientific curiosity and interest in mitochondria and neurodegenerative disease at Dr. Area-Gomez lab. When not doing experiments in the lab, she is usually snacking or dreaming about California.
Kevin Velasco
Lab Manager
In his spare time, he loves solo travel, 3D printing, camel husbandry, grant writing, and knitting. Also he plays drum for the avant-garde band Corpse Meditation.
Danny Y.
Webmaster, Lab Photographer
One can often find him walking around in different parts of the City with his camera taking random pictures. Once in a blue moon, you may actually see him taking pictures of cell for living. Usually works as final gatekeeper for Dr. Area-Gomez spending free time playing lipid tetris till next victim arrives.
HONORARY MINIONS
Cristina Guardia-Laguarta
Associate Research Scientist
Cristina received her PhD in Neurosciences at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain). As a postdoctoral research scientist in Dr. Przedborski’s lab her research work has been centered in understanding the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration in the context of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) pathogenesis. Mutations in proteins that cause PD are related to mitochondrial malfunction. Her studies are centered in the analysis of these proteins and how they affect mitochondrial function which may cause this neurodegeneration .
Irina Stavrovskaya
Associate Research Scientist
Irina got her PhD in the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics in Puschino, Russia. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Burke Medical Research Institute, and further held a position as Instructor in the Dpts. of Neurosurgery at BWH/HMS. She has a background in physiology with special training and expertise in mitochondrial biochemistry and lipidomics. Her early work and publications focused on the development of novel therapeutic approaches to treat mitochondrial dysfunction in acute and chronic neurologic injuries. She was also involved in the development of the application of lipidomics to problems at the interface of diet and cellular and system-level energetics in Dr. Bruce Kristal’s laboratory from BWH/HMS. She joined Drs. Eric Schon and Estela Area-Gomes group and is currently working on developing and validating an early diagnostic assays for Alzheimer’s disease.
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Rishi Agrawal
PhD Student
Rishi is a PhD student in the Nutritional and Metabolic Biology program co-mentored by Estela Area-Gomez and Richard Deckelbaum. His thesis project focuses on characterizing MAM upregulation in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury, hoping to eventually find a molecular pathway by which brain injury leads to Alzheimer's Disease. His second project aims to determine whether MAM domains regulate the signaling pathway of Akt, a protein kinase critical in cellular growth, metabolism and survival, in cell culture models. Outside of lab, Rishi's interests include trying new restaurants with friends, traveling, playing tennis and watching political satire.
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