Neil G. Harris, Ph.D., Professor and Director
Professor Neil G. Harris directs the NEurotrauma In vivo Lab (NEIL) with over 30 years of experience with rodent CNS injury models and in particular using MRI and PET to assess structure and function. He received his B.Sc. in Biology/Neuroscience from University of Portsmouth in 1988, and his Ph.D. in Physiology from King’s College London in 1991. Dr. Harris’s early focus of research addressed the question of optimal timing for intervention after the diagnosis of infantile hydrocephalus. Prior to joining University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Dr. Harris received training in multimodality imaging techniques, including PET, structural MRI, fMRI, DTI, MALDI imaging mass spectrometry and glucose/blood-flow autoradiography at Kings college University of London, University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute, the Royal College of Surgeons unit of Biophysics in the Institute of Child Health, and University of Cambridge Department of Neurosurgery. Subsequently, Dr. Harris conducted studies to address forebrain ischemic stroke looking at the potential use of non-invasive biomarkers to determine salvageable areas of brain. The studies were cited amongst primary reported findings on biophysical mechanism of the change in water diffusion after stroke. Dr. Harris currently resides as Professor in-Residence at UCLA Department of Neurosurgery where his lab primarily investigates Traumatic Brain Injury. As the scientific director of UCLA 7T animal imaging core, Dr. Harris’s work contributes to understanding the relationship between axonal death and cerebral blood flow and metabolism, and whether the extracellular environment can be altered to improve axonal plasticity and functional outcome. The lab collaborations on investigations into circuit-based deficits in autism, multiple sclerosis and ischemia and post-traumatic epilepsy.
ngharris at ucla dot edu | 310-206-5691 | Wasserman Bldg 535 | Dr. Neil G. Harris
Postdocs
Afhsin Paydar, Postdoctoral Scholar
Afsin's background is in neuroscience. He obtained his MD from Azad University, Tehran Medical School, Iran in 1996 and his Ph.D. from the Korean institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea in 2014 on the role of GABAA receptors activity in mediodorsal nucleus of thalamus in fear extinction. He is working on functional plasticity in the injured brain and the impact that neuronal modulation and rehabilitation has on recovery of fuunction.
Stefano Lepore, Postdoctoral Scholar
Gregory Smith, Postdoctoral Scholar
Greg’s background is in Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience. He received a BS in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas in 2008 and a MS in Biotechnology from Northwestern University in 2009. Greg then went to Baylor University and received a PhD in Biomedical Studies in 2016 while studying epilepsy and its comorbidities using both induced and genetic rodent models. Greg’s current research with mentors Dr. Neil Harris and Dr. Rick Stabba at UCLA focuses on finding biomarkers that could be used to predict post traumatic epilepsy following lateral fluid percussion injury in a rodent model. Greg's biomarker work is a part of the data collection for the larger EpiBioS4Rx project. Greg will be utilizing EEG, MRI, and other molecular and behavioral techniques. In his free time Greg enjoys traveling, skiing, cooking, and hiking.
Graduate Students
Samuel Vander Dussen, Bioengineering Graduate Student
Sam is a 2nd year Masters student in the Dept. of Bioengineering at UCLA. He previously attended Azusa Pacific University where he played collegiate football and received a B.S. in Systems Engineering in 2019. His current research focuses on the system design of a synchronous behavioral and functional ultrasound imaging platform to acquire information about functional network connectivity changes after traumatic brain injury. His research interests include computational neuroscience, machine learning, and graph theory to understand plasticity and working memory in the whole brain. He previously worked as an electrical engineer at Raytheon Technologies from 2019 to 2021 where he automated the testing of various satellite modules. Outside of research he enjoys going to the gym, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Undergraduate Students
Rachel Fox, Neuroscience Student
Rachel is a second year neuroscience student at UCLA. Her research interests include understanding functional and structural changes of the brain after brain damage and connecting preclinical research to clinical applications of injury treatment. Her current research focus in the NEIL lab is using EEG data and gamma event coupling to analyze changes in functional connectivity after injury as well as identifying biomarkers of injury outcome. Outside of the NEIL lab, she enjoys playing sports and participating in medical clubs at UCLA.
Kahaan Parikh, Neuroscience Student
Kahaan is a second year neuroscience student at Reed College. His current work with the NEIL lab involves using EEG data to determine if sleep fragmentation is a biomarker of traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity and functional connectivity at different timepoints post-injury. Ultimately, he is interested in understanding changes in structural and functional connectivity in injured brain regions, as well as effective treatments to promote neural plasticity. Outside academics and lab work, he enjoys swimming and competing in weekly pool tournaments.
Samuelle Beltejar, Biochemistry Student
Sam. is a third year biochemistry student at UCLA. She is particularly interested in the neuroplasticity research the NEIL lab is conducting by investigating how traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects the anatomy and functioning of the body on the microscopic and macroscopic levels. She hopes to complete a Masters of Science in Biochemistry and synthesize what she learns about neuroplasticity with mental illness. Outside of school, she is a classically trained violinist and a fencer.
Nhu Phi, Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology Student
Nhu is a third year from Orange County majoring in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Disability Studies at UCLA. Her research interests include behavioral changes and adaptive learning as a direct result of traumatic brain injury (TBI). She is also interested in studying neurodevelopmental biology in children and hopes to pursue a career in emergency or pediatric medicine. Outside of her academics, Nhu is involved in Unravel and UCLA Unicamp and enjoys spending time outdoors hiking or backpacking.
Pranav Daggubati, Neuroscience Student
Pranav Daggubati is a third year majoring in Neuroscience from Folsom, California. His current research involves the use of structural equation modeling algorithms to understand network changes in the brain after traumatic brain injury (TBI). He is interested in integrating different modalities of understanding brain networks before and after traumatic brain injury. Outside of research and academics, he enjoys folding origami and spending time with loved ones.
Jackson Alga-Sheriff, Physiological Science Student
Jackson Alga-Sheriff is a fourth year majoring in Physiological Science with a minor in Biomedical Research from Fairfield, California. His research interests include adaptive learning, behavior, and changes in brain circuitry and vasculature following TBI in addition to the study of changes in microglial morphology and function. He hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Physiology and is also actively involved with the Care Extenders Internship Program at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Krystan Dapaah, Physiological Science Student
Krystan is a fourth year Physiological Science major at UCLA, originally from Sacramento, CA. In relation to research, she is particularly interested in behavioral and brain circuitry analysis following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and applying this knowledge to clinical therapies. The end goal is to get her MD-PhD in Physiological Science and eventually integrate cancer related brain trauma into her research. Outside of her academics, she enjoys cooking new foods and taking spin classes!
Christiana Prekopa, Neuroscience and Marine Biology Student
Christiana is a fourth year neuroscience and marine biology student at UCLA. Her research involves the characterization the effects of silencing and stimulating the thalamus and globus pallidus externa in order to understand the biological mechanisms underlying recovery after TBI. Outside of the NEIL lab, Christiana is the president of UCLA’s Ocean Resources for Conservation and Advocacy club and enjoys going to the beach to swim, scuba dive, and spearfish.
Daniel Talebzadeh Shoushtari, Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology Student
Daniel is a fourth year molecular, cellular, and developmental biology major from Orange County. His research involves behavior analysis, exploring potential bloodborne biomarkers for indication of severity of outcome following TBI, and functional MRI investigating changes in connectivity patterns post-TBI. He is particularly interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms for post-TBI brain restructuring. Outside of academics, he enjoys painting and admiring visual art.
Alexander Wang, Neuroscience Student
Alexander Wang is a rising senior, majoring in Neuroscience from Vancouver, Canada. His research interests are primarily focused on executive function, behavioral neuroscience, and its neural correlates. Outside of his academic endeavors, he enjoys a nice round of golf and watching dystopian movies.
Jiayi Wu, Neuroscience Student
Jiayi is a fourth-year Neuroscience student at UCLA, minoring in Mathematics and Cognitive Science. Her current work at the NEIL lab involves behavioral analysis, with an emphasis on the behavioral patterns and search strategies of rodents in Barnes Maze tasks. She is interested in understanding the changes in the learning and memory mechanisms following traumatic brain injury. Outside of the NEIL lab, Jiayi enjoys dancing, scuba diving, and traveling.
Alumni
Joshua Schoenfield, Postdoctoral Scholar
Joshua's background is in quantum physics. He obtained his BS (Physics) from Yale University and his Masters and PhD degrees in Physics from UCLA in 2011, and 2017.
Melissa Walker, Postdoctoral Scholar
Melissa is a Neuroscientist, having earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from UCLA in 2000, and her Ph.D. in Medical Neuroscience from Indiana University School of Medicine in 2016. Her graduate studies focused on novel treatment approaches for traumatic spinal cord injury, utilizing bioengineered hydrogels embedded with various trophic factor combinations. Currently, she is investigating the astrocytic influence on neuronal network function following mild, repetitive concussive brain injury. She will combine MRI and behavioral techniques in transgenic rodent models, specifically targeting cortical astrocytes. In her free time she enjoys creative projects, playing the piano, and learning Mandarin.
Andrew Kumali, Neuroscience Student
Andrew is a Neuroscience major. Before attending UCLA and joining the Harris lab, He was a Voelcker scholar at UT Health San Antonio where he conducted research in experimental TBI. He intends to pursue an M.D./PhD, and has a specific interest in magnetic resonance imaging.
Emily Yan, Bioengineering Student
Emily is currently completing her B.Sc. in Bioengineering at UCLA with a technical breadth in computer science and is planning to graduate by Spring 2020. She is also working toward a minor degree in Neuroscience. She aims medical school for her next career objective, potentially towards an MD-PhD. Emily’s current research area of focus in NEIL lab is understanding the associated bio-physiological processes of Traumatic Brain Injury. She participates in studying behavior, immunohistochemistry, and imaging. Emily is also involved with the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center UCLA and UCLA Biomedical Engineering Society.
Taylor Pio, Neuroscience Student
Taylor Pio is a Neuroscience student in her third year of undergraduate studies at UCLA. She has a very special respect and for the nervous system, its regeneration and degeneration, its connections, and its computations. She considers developmental neuroscience and plasticity her current research interests, but is open to participation and exploration outside of these subjects. She is interested in pursuing translational research or research with clinical benefits. She is fortunate to go to a school that has allowed for and encouraged a broad exploration of class and lab experiences.
Rachna Prasad, Anthropology Student
Rachna is a second year anthropology student at UCLA. Her research area of focus in the NEIL lab is behavioral analysis of rodents suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Rachna is on UCLA's Indian classical dance team called Taara. Along with being involved with research and dance, Rachna works as a medical scribe under cardiologist Dr. Dandillaya and is the co-founder of the Mithil Prasad Foundation. She also loves spending time outdoors and being around family and friends.
Santhosi Samudrala, Neuroscience Student
Santhosi is a a third year Neuroscience major who is interested in the mechanisms behind the effects of traumatic brain injury and determining ways to combat the negative symptoms of these injuries. Apart from research, I volunteer at the Ronald Reagan hospital and mentor kids in underserved regions of Los Angeles. In the future, I hope to be pursuing a medical degree and positively affect peoples lives by spreading the knowledge of medicine.
Isobella Stettler, Neuroscience Student
Christan Hernandez, Student
Nathan Danielsen, Student
Laila Khorasani, Neuroscience student.
Laila is a neuroscience major at UCLA. Her research interests include better understanding the brain and how it responds to TBI, and also the biological processes behind epilepsy. She is currently involved in UCLA’s Interaxon as a volunteer, where she has the opportunity to teach neuroscience to disadvantaged students. She would like to attend medical school in the future and help treat children suffering from TBI and related brain injuries, while also advocating for healthcare in underserved communities.
Diana Ikiliyan, Neuroscience Student
Diana is a senior majoring in Neuroscience. Diana is very passionate about neuroscience and the mechanisms behind diseases affecting the central and peripheral nervous system. She hopes to apply her research as a future physician practicing as a neurosurgeon. Diana is also very interested in mentorship, working as a transfer mentor for students transferring to UCLA, and has mentored countless of other students interested in STEM at her former community college, Los Angeles Pierce College. On her free time she enjoys volunteering in the community and likes to draw.
Richa Gupta, Student
Samantha Chung, Student
Angele Drexler, Student, University of California at Berkley
Sahil Dhandi, Student, University of California at Berkley
Victoria Parrilli, BS, pre-med
Victoria graduated from DePaul University in 2018 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and double minors in Biology and Spanish. In her undergraduate research she utilized behavioral and motor tests such as Open Field, Novel Object and Footfault, to investigate the relationship between the Apolipoprotein E. 3 and 4 alleles and outcome of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in a mouse model. She is currently applying to medical schools for the next academic year. Additionally, she is conducting research on astroglial injury defined biomarkers following TBI. Victoria was the President of the DePaul Cycling Club and continues to enjoy cycling in her free time, as well as hiking and baking.
