Meet Our Team
Principal Investigator
Uri Manor, PhD
email: u1manor@ucsd.edu
Research interests: microscopy, cell biology, organelle dynamics, actin cytoskeleton, photo-toxicity, hearing loss, gene therapy, neuro-degenerative diseases, machine learning, image analysis
Staff Researchers
Tomoko (Tommie) Velasquez
Lab Manager
email: t1velasquez@ucsd.edu
Postdocs and Graduate Students
Cara Schiavon, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow
email: caschiavon@ucsd.edu
Research Interests: cell biology, organelle dynamics, mitochondria, neurodegeneration, live-cell imaging, fluorescence imaging
Cayla Miller, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow
email: cayla@ucsd.edu
Research Interests: Light Microscopy, Neuronal cytoskeleton, Deep-learning based imaging analysis
Julien Cicero, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow
email: jucicero@ucsd.edu
Research Interests: Cell engineering, Microscopy, Organelle dynamics
Yasmin Kassim, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow
email: ykassim@ucsd.edu
Research Interests: Biomedical Image Analysis, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Computer Vision
Samprita Das, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow
email: sad011@ucsd.edu
Research Interests: Eps8, Hearing loss, OSKM
Weronika Matysik
PhD Candidate
email: wematysik@ucsd.edu
Research Interests: neurodegeneration, aging, organelle dynamics, mitochondria
Kasie Mays
Post-doctoral Fellow
email: kcmays@ucsd.edu
Research Interests: Translational Sciences, Gene-Therapy, Neuro-degenerative diseases, Aging, Light Microscopy
Visiting Researchers
Elena Rebollo, PhD
Imaging Core Director at the Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona
email: erebollo@ucsd.edu
Research interests: organelle dynamics, super-resolution microscopy, label-free imaging, phototoxicity
Vijay Venu Thiyagarajan
Deep Learning Researcher in the Harris Lab at the University of Texas, Austin
email: vvenu@utexas.edu
Research interests: Deep Learning, Image Segmentation
Cody Carroll, PhD
Assistant Professor at the University of San Francisco
email: cjcarroll@usfca.edu
Research interests: Functional, longitudinal, and high-dimensional data analysis, Nonparametric statistics, Machine learning, Communication through statistics
Student Interns
Abhijeeth Erra
Data Science Intern (Master’s Student) at the University of San Francisco
email: aerra2@dons.usfca.edu
Research interests:
Zhuoling Huang
Undergraduate Intern
email: zhh010@ucsd.edu
Research interests: Deep Learning, Image Analysis
Samer Salim
Undergraduate Intern
email: samer.s334234@gmail.com
Research interests: cell biology, deep learning, biomedical image analysis, microscopy, gene therapy, molecular tracking through fluorescence imaging, and organelle dynamics
Samia Rahman
Undergraduate Intern
email: samiarahman0708@gmail.com
Research interests: deep learning, image analysis
Kevin Huang
Undergraduate Intern
email: keh002@ucsd.edu
Research interests: Deep learning, Cell engineering
Nicole Mkrtytchian
Undergraduate Intern
email: nmkrtytchian@ucsd.edu
Research interests: gene editing, pain, epidemiology, microscopy
Lorin Guo
Undergraduate Intern
email: kuguo@ucsd.edu
Research Interests: phototoxicity, cellular imaging, cell engineering
Alumni
Pauline Wales, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow, 2021
Now at Nikon Instruments
email: pauline4wales at gmail dot com
Alaa A. Latif
USF Intern, 2020
Now at
email:
Zijun (Annette) Lin
USF Intern, 2020
Now at
email:
Chandrish Ambati
USF Intern, 2021
Now at
email:
Fan Li
USF Intern, 2021
Now at
email:
Jasmine Feng
Summer Intern 2019
Now at National Council for Mental Wellbeing
email:
Kathryn Reda
Summer Intern, 2021
Undergraduate at University of Richmond
email: kathryn dot reda at richmond dot edu
Zack Deane
Research Assistant, 2022
Now IACUC coordinator at the Salk Institute
email: zdeane at salk dot edu
Colbie Chinoswky
Post-doctoral Fellow, 2022
Now at ONI microscopy
email:
Yuzuru Ninoyu, PhD
Visiting Post-doc (Freidman Lab @ UCSD), 2023
Now Assistant Professor at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
email:
Arlo Sheridan
Machine Learning Specialist, 2023
Now at E11 Bio
email: arlo at e11 dot bio
Michelle Perales-Panduro
Summer Intern, 2023
Undergraduate at University of Richmond
email:
Yu-Hsin Wang
USF Intern, 2023
Now
email:
Andy Cuzco
Summer Intern, 2023
Undergraduate at Fordham University
email:
Mohana Medisetty
USF Intern, 2023
Now at
email:
Cristian Montero
Lab Manager, 2023
Now
email:
Joseph Rhodenhiser
VIsiting Postbac (Terskikh lab), 2023
email:
David Rosenberg
Research Associate IV 2024
email:
Alma Renero
PhD student, 2024
Now: PhD student at the Reyes lab at UCSD
email: arenero@ucsd.edu
Lauren Sullivan
Research Associate I, 2024
Now: PhD student at Creighton University
email: lms92013@creighton.edu
Aaditya Prasad
Master’s student, 2024
Now: PhD student at MIT
email:
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As a person born with severe-to-profound hearing loss, Uri has always been fascinated by the biological mechanisms of health and disease. As a beneficiary of hearing aids, without which his life would be entirely different, Uri has a deep-seated gratitude and enthusiasm for the power of technology to treat disease and make the world a better place for everyone. Uri’s research is thus perhaps unsurprisingly focused on the development and application of new technologies that facilitate a better understanding of how biological systems work in health and disease, and the treatment thereof. Major areas of focus are deep learning-based imaging methods, the cytoskeleton, and organelle dynamics in neurodegeneration, hearing loss, and cancer. In his free time, Uri enjoys spending time with his family, listening to stand- up comedy, long bike rides, running on the beach, playing guitar, and photography.
Elena received her undergraduate degree in Physiology and her Master’s degree in Molecular Neuroscience at the University of Bristol, UK. She completed her Ph.D. in Auditory Neuroscience at the University College London Ear Institute in the Daudet Lab. Her Ph.D. research involved visualizing the dynamics of the Notch signaling pathway and investigating the role of Notch ligand Delta-like 1 during the development of the chick inner ear sensory epithelia. Elena completed a post-doctoral fellowship at John’s Hopkins University in the Doetzlhofer Lab where she investigated the roles of Notch ligand, Jagged1, during supporting cell development in the mouse inner ear. Elena joined the Hertzano Lab at the University of Maryland to expand her knowledge of genomics and bioinformatics and to contribute to the development of two multi-omic data portals, gEAR, for the ear and NEMO- AD for Alzheimer’s disease. Elena joined as a Research Assistant for the Manor Lab at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in 2021 to further advance her career in the inner ear field and contribute to potential therapeutic developments for hearing loss. In her free time, Elena enjoys dancing salsa and bachata.
David’s passion for hearing research is personal: in his sophomore year at Cornell, he was diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma. After studying medicine at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, he spent two years in the lab of Artur Indzhykulian, MD, PhD at The Massachusetts Eye and Ear working with viral vectors in vivo and helping to develop a machine learning algorithm for data analysis. This led to industry, where he spearheaded in vivo studies for a candidate GJB2 gene therapy. In the Manor Lab, David hopes to continue research on novel gene therapies for hearing loss and to expand his surgical and imaging skills. In his free time, David can usually be found collecting and listening to records, riding his 80’s randonneuring bicycle around Mission Bay, rock climbing, or skiing in the San Juan Mountains.
Lauren received her bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from California State University of San Marcos in 2020. After graduating, she worked with Johnson and Johnson in their discovery biology department. She joined the Salk Institute in 2022 as a research assistant to pursue a career in academia. In the Manor lab, she works to explore the dynamic physiology of the inner ear. Laurens projects focus on the effects various compounds or diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, have on hearing and inner hair cell function. To study these effects, she utilizes Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) tests, microdissection techniques, and high-resolution confocal microscopy. She plans to pursue her PhD in cell biology in the upcoming academic year. In her free time, Lauren enjoys hiking, binging Hulu, and spending time with her pets and family.
Yuning Wang is a Research Assistant in the Manor Lab. She graduated from UCSD with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a master’s degree in biology. During her contiguous BS/MS program, she was introduced to confocal microscopy and membrane structure segmentation in electron microscopy images. Now in the Manor Lab, she is interested in visualizing and analyzing organelle dynamics in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease models with Cara and also in neuronal models with promoted neural plasticity. Inspired by her previous and current research work, she is very keen to learn about deep learning and how it can be applied to enhance data analysis (including the experience) associated with various imaging techniques. When not working, she enjoys playing fetch with her dog, reading & watching sci-fi / fantasy related books & shows and learning new pieces on her guitar.
Yasmin is a multi-talented Senior Data Scientist and Machine Learning Engineer who recently joined the Cell and Developmental Biology department at UCSD as a Postdoctoral Employee, focusing on leveraging AI in cochlear analysis and auditory science. Her extensive expertise spans biomedical image processing, machine learning, deep learning, and computer vision. Proficient in a broad spectrum of programming languages and libraries, Yasmin excels in manipulating various image modalities and has been instrumental in significantly enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of medical image analyses. She earned both her Ph.D. and ME degrees with an impeccable GPA of 4.00/4.00 from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her professional journey has taken her from a fellowship at the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications under NIH to her latest role at Akoya Biosciences. There, she was deeply involved in several impactful projects before her transition to UCSD. With an impressive array of publications and strong leadership credentials, including nine years in teaching and administrative capacities, Yasmin has garnered numerous awards and honors that underscore her position as a leading innovator in her field.
Cara Schiavon is a Postdoctoral Fellow residing in both the Manor and Shadel labs. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Cell Science from the University of Florida and later completed her PhD studies at Emory University where she studied the role of small GTPases and their effectors in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics. Cara’s expertise is in various cell culture techniques and a wide variety of fluorescence imaging modalities with a current focus on live-cell imaging. Presently, she is studying how the actin cytoskeleton regulates organellar dynamics with a focus on disruptions of organelle dynamics in the context of neurodegenerative diseases such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
Cayla received her BS in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University, where she worked with Dr. Jeetain Mittal to study the transient structures of disordered peptides using molecular dynamics simulations. Cayla then went on to earn her PhD from Stanford University, working in the lab of Dr. Alex Dunn. There she worked on several projects developing analysis tools and pipelines to quantify subcellular structure and motion from 3D and 4D microscopy data. Cayla’s current interests include both the continued improvement of traditional image analysis pipelines to make these robust and accessible, and the use of deep learning to extract traditionally difficult-to-measure quantities from microscopy data.
Julien obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Cell Biology and Physiology from the University of Lille, France, and then followed a Master’s degree in Health Biology. He went on to pursue a PhD at the ONCOLille institute in France, where he researched the intricate link between cancer and neuroscience, with a specific focus on breast-to-brain metastases. His research investigated the molecular landscape and uncovered the crucial functions of tyrosine kinase receptors and neurotrophins in this pathological context. Julien has a range of proficiencies in cell culture techniques and fluorescence microscopy. He pursued further studies at the Ikeuchi Lab, the University of Tokyo, Japan, specializing in iPS cell engineering. Julien will begin working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Manor Lab in early 2024, where he will study how the actin cytoskeleton affects organelle dynamics. This research holds particular significance in the context of neurodegenerative diseases such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. In his free time, Julien enjoys traveling, photography, and playing ice hockey.
Aaditya is a second year data science masters student comentored by Dr. Talmo Pereira at the Salk Institute. He is working on developing a deep learning-based multiple object tracking system for biological timelapses including live-cell imaging and behavioral videos. Aaditya is interested in the synergy between computational neuroscience and deep learning – how deep learning can be used to elucidate the structures and functions of the brain through both modeling and tool development as well how the brain’s underlying computations and decision making abilities can become the basis for new deep learning architectures. Upon graduating from UCSD, he hopes to do a phd in computational neuroscience focusing on computational neuroscience as well as neuromorphic AI and eventually become a professor at a research institution. Outside of the lab, Aaditya loves to spend his time watching anime, gaming, reading books, or with his friends.
Alma attended El Camino Community College and eventually transferred to UC San Diego where she completed her B.S degree in Molecular and Cell Biology. After graduating she worked as a research assistant at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute where she worked in skeletal muscle stem cells, regeneration and aging. She then worked as a research associate at Avidity Biosciences where she worked in the discovery biology team exploring new targets for rare diseases. She is currently in the Biological Sciences PhD program. She joined the Manor lab in 2023 and her research focuses on the role of Eps8 in stereocilia formation and AAV gene therapy for hearing loss. In her free time, Alma enjoys traveling, hiking, camping and watching movies.
Weronika holds a B.S. and Master’s degree in Biotechnology from the University of Wroclaw, Poland. She worked with histone-like protein Lsr2 in Mycobacterium smegmatis. During her Master’s studies, she did a research internship at the Physico-Chemical Biology Institute in Paris, France where she worked on small non-coding RNAs. After graduating, she completed a 2-year study at the University of Virginia working on an animal model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. She then started working at UCSD as a research assistant. Weronika is a graduate student in the Biological Sciences PhD program and joined Manor Lab in April 2024. Her project centers on investigating organelle trafficking in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells. By utilizing both in vivo (rat model) and in vitro (cultured DRG) approaches, she aims to understand organelle dynamics in the peripheral nervous system. Outside of the lab, she enjoys surfing and playing piano.
Elena Rebollo received her Ph.D in Biology from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain), where she focused on chromosome behavior during cell division using live imaging. She further specialized in Drosophila genetics, molecular biology, and live imaging during her postdoctoral stay at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Heidelberg, Germany), and later as an associate researcher at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (Barcelona, Spain). Since 2010, she is the head of the Molecular Imaging Platform at the Barcelona Molecular Biology Institute (CSIC). As visiting scientist at the Manor Lab, she is focused on addressing live cell imaging phototoxicity and she wants to contribute to developing deep learning-assisted label-free live microscopy approaches that may pave the path towards a more physiological imaging. In her free time, Elena enjoys reading, birdwatching, and playing guitar.
Joseph received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Richmond. There, he studied the motor protein, MYO19, via the regulation of the attachment of MYO19 to the mitochondria, TRAK and MIRO proteins, and the role of calcium-binding in MYO19/MIRO interactions, in the lab of Dr. Omar Quintero-Carmona. Between his junior and senior years, he spent his summer in the lab of Dr. Erika Holzbaur as part of a research collaboration, which has since been published. During his senior year, Joseph was also in the lab of the late Dr. Samuel Abrash, studying computational physical chemistry. Joseph is currently shared between the Manor lab and the Terskikh lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, which specializes in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, as well as advanced imaging and imaging analysis tools for capturing epigenetic landscape. His research interests include using fluorescence microscopy, stem cell, and in situ models to better understand epigenetic age, the impact of transcription on chromatin dynamics, and nuclear actin. In his spare time, Joseph enjoys running and going to the San Diego Zoo.
Samprita joined the Manor lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow in December 2023, bringing a focused interest in auditory biology and a rich background in biochemical research from their PhD in the lab of Dr. Siddhartha S. Jana at the IACS, India, and a stint as a visiting researcher in Dr. James R. Sellers lab at NIH. At Manor lab, Samprita is interested in exploring the role of Eps8 in hearing loss, the age-related changes in the stereocilia of inner ear cells, and investigating mitochondrial dynamics in aged and partially reprogrammed cells. Known for their discovery of a novel isoform of non-muscle myosin IIA during their PhD, Samprita brings expertise in biochemical analysis and in-vitro studies. Outside the lab, she enjoys reading, baking, and hiking, blending scientific rigor with personal passions.
Vijay is a joint research associate at the Manor lab and Kristen Harris’ lab at UT Austin. After completing his B.S degrees in Mathematics and Physics, he joined the Harris lab to work on automatic segmentation of membranes and ultrastructure in 3D electron microscopy. He enjoys creating all kinds of things with other people – especially music, food, knowledge and memories.
Cody Carroll holds a PhD and MS in statistics from the University of California, Davis and a BS in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin. His methodological research is focused on functional, longitudinal, and high-dimensional data, particularly in the context of human growth and aging, and his interdisciplinary work has spanned a range of fields, including neuroscience, medicine, epidemiology, conservation, and mountaineering.
He is currently an assistant professor of statistics and data science at the University of San Francisco. As a visiting scientist in the Manor Lab, Cody is interested in creating data-driven and statistical solutions and tools for problems that arise in the context of biology and neuroscience research. In free moments you’ll probably find Cody in a river, behind a pair of turntables, or on a road trip somewhere in California.
Jeffrey Chen received his BAs in statistics and economics from the University of California, Berkeley and is currently pursuing his MS in Data Science at the University of San Francisco. As a machine learning engineer intern in the Manor Lab, Jeffrey is developing automation scripts for comprehensive waveform analyses and Conducting deep learning-based image restoration and segmentation. In his free time, you can find Jeffrey training at the gym or releasing music under his artist name, xXCh3nXx.
Abhi Erra is a current MS student in Data Science at the University of San Francisco with a BA in Molecular and Cell Biology with a specialization in Neurobiology from the University of California, Berkeley. As a machine learning engineering intern in the Manor Lab, Abhi is interested in combining his interests in order to create data driven solutions to neurobiology. In his free time, Abhi loves to play tennis and basketball or go on lengthy walks.
Zhuoling is a senior undergraduate student at UC San Diego completing her B.S. degree in bioinformatics. With an interest in the cutting-edge field of deep learning, Zhuoling’s looking forward to exploring the potential intersection of deep learning and bioinformatics. She joined the Manor lab as an undergraduate researcher in October, 2024, where she will be able to enrich her understanding of challenges and opportunities for deep learning. In her leisure time, she enjoys reading, watching musicals, and playing the piano.
Samer Salim earned an associate’s degree from Cuyamaca College in Biology for transfer. He continued with higher education in the field of biological sciences at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), seeking a bachelor’s degree B.S. in Human Biology. Samer is a serious and hard worker student that does not limit himself. His curiosity and enthusiasm in going above and beyond in anything that he pursues pushed him to join the Manor Lab to expand his knowledge and skills in the research aspect of his major. Therefore, he started in the Manor Lab in the Fall of 2023, and has dedicated his time in the lab until present. In his free time, he likes to read, walk, and spend time with his family.
Samia Rahman is a 3rd year undergraduate student at UC San Diego completing her B.S. degree in Molecular and Cell Biology. Her research experience includes working with underserved communities in health care at Harbor UCLA and participating in laboratory-based classes at UC San Diego. She is looking to further her research in biology by being a part of Manor Lab (since Fall 2023) in order to gain more insight on different biological phenomena.
Kevin is a 4th year UC San Diego student completing his B.S degree in General Biology. Kevin’s background includes laboratory work at Duke University, as an undergraduate conducting research to uncover novel gene dependencies within cholangiocarcinoma. Kevin is looking to further his biology career in hopes of pursuing a PhD.
Kasie
Nicole Mkrtytchian is an undergraduate student at UC San Diego majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Sociology. She previously conducted research at the Saban Research Institute in the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles on Cystic Fibrosis and CFTR inhibition on secretory cell markers within the intestinal epithelial lining. She has experience in cell culturing, DNA and RNA extraction, gel electrophoresis, and qPCR. Currently, she is working on plasmid DNA extractions as needed for the lab, as well as assisting Julien with cell culturing and tracking cell growth in fibroblasts for research on Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Furthermore, she is assisting Mustafa with mitochondrial cell tracking with the SLEAP software. As a pre-med biology major, Nicole seeks to expand her knowledge in microscopic imaging, epidemiology, and gene editing. In the future, she seeks to find advancements relating to pain, specifically finding cures to specific types of pain. Outside of the lab, Nicole enjoys playing saxophone and doing gymnastics.