Team

Xu Chen

Principal Investigator

Born into an academic family in southeast China, Xu developed a tremendous passion for science and art. She found biology, especially the nervous system, integrates the beauty of both. After graduate school, she decided to pursue a research career in neurodegenerative diseases, in particular, Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD). She aims to use interdisciplinary approaches to understand the disease from unique perspectives, and to uncover new therapeutic avenues.

John Girardini

Lab Manager, Lab Assistant

John graduated from UCSD in Spring of 2020 with a BS in Physiology and Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology. He plans to attend medical school and become a general surgeon. In his free time, he loves to read science fiction and go on bike rides around San Diego.

Bobby Nhan

BS/MS student

Bobby graduated in the Spring of 2020 with a BS in biochemistry and cell biology from UCSD. He was a former member of Phi Delta Epsilon at UCSD and the UCSD Men’s Club Ice Hockey team. He is a current BS/MS graduate student and is pursuing his goal of attending medical school. He enjoys playing hockey and listening to music in his free time.

Datsy Tamai

Undergraduate researcher

Datsy is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a BS in Neurobiology and a minor in Psychology at UCSD. She was formerly Philanthropy co-chair of Sigma Alpha Zeta at UCSD. She is passionate about biology and psychology and plans to attend PA or pharmacy school. In her free time, she enjoys solving puzzles, gaming, and listening to music.

Shireen Radvar

Undergraduate researcher

Shireen is a current undergraduate student at UCSD. She will graduate June 2022 with a BS in Global Health and a minor Health Care/Social Issues. She plans to attend medical school and become a dermatologist. She enjoys going to the beach and trying new foods in her free time.