Melissa McAlonis-Downes, MS

Academic Program Research Management Officer     Email: mmcalonis@ucsd.edu

In the Cleveland Lab,  Melissa oversees & manages research projects within both the Neuro & Mitosis groups in the Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine. She has a major supporting role to team members, working with new and current post-docs, research staff & students, implementing new methodologies, experimental planning, monitoring project progress, and writing reports. Her expertise with in-vivo experimentation aids in our primary focus of studying the mechanisms and therapy for human neurodegenerative disease and provides consultation, training & surgical knowledge for those who have transgenic experiments; as well as manages & coordinates all animal studies on-going in the lab. Her primary research focus is Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy for Familial ALS and Huntington's Disease Models. She also serves as part of a collaborative disease research team funded by CIRM focused on the therapeutic potential of spinal grafting of neuronal precursors (NPSC’s) and stem cell-derived astrocyte precursor transplants in ALS.

Education:
B.S., Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 1999
M.S., Johns Hopkins University, 2002
Surgical Research Specialist (certified), Academy of Surgical Research, 2005

Franco Au, PhD

 Postdoctoral Fellow     Email: k1au@health.ucsd.edu

Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) drives oncogene amplification and rapid tumor evolution in aggressive cancers. My research interests focus on unravelling the inheritance mechanism of ecDNA in cancer cells. I am also very excited to examine the potential on targeting ecDNA in different cancers as a therapeutic approach.

Education:
Ph.D., The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2019
M.Phil., The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2015
B.S., The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2013

Prasad Trivedi, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow     Email: prtrivedi@health.ucsd.edu

Errors in mitosis can cause localized complex chromosomal rearrangements. Such rearrangements are ubiquitous in cancers and are crucial drivers of genome evolution. I am interested in identifying molecular mechanisms that enable the formation of such complex chromosomal rearrangements.

Education:
Ph.D., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA, 2019
M.Sc., University of Pune, India, 2011
Awards:
Hope Funds for Cancer Research, Postdoctoral fellowship, 2021

Jinchun Wu, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow     Email: jiw211@health.ucsd.edu

Chromothripsis is a catastrophic genomic event characterized by massive, localized chromosomal fragmentation followed by random reassembly. This process contributes to massive genome rearrangements and ecDNA generation that drives oncogene amplification. I am interested in identifying the molecular mechanism of DNA damage in chromothripsis and developing therapeutic strategies through targeting ecDNA in multiple cancers.

Education:
Ph.D., Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China, 2023|
B.S., School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China, 2017

Award:
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2024

Michael W. Baughn, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow     Email: mbaughn@health.ucsd.edu

I am focused on the mechanistic underpinnings of RNA processing defects in the neurodegenerative diseases ALS and FTD, leveraging these findings to accelerate therapy development using a combination of techniques that include: CRISPR genome editing, transgenic and AAV-mediated disease modeling, corrective antisense oligonucleotides, and gene therapy. 

Education:
Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 2021
B.S. Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, 2010

Jone López-Erauskin, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow     Email: jlopez-erauskin@ucsd.edu

My research is centered on the study of neuromuscular junctions and the pathological mechanisms that drive muscle denervation in ALS. My efforts are principally focused on the discovery of molecules that have the potential to induce muscle reinnervation.

Education:
Ph.D., University of Barcelona, Spain, 2013
M.S., University of Barcelona, Spain, 2009
B.S., Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, 2006
Awards:
2019 Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Development Grant
2016 The Milton Safenowitz Post Doctoral Fellowship for ALS Research

He Gao (Lilian), MS

Ph.D. Candidate  Email: heg003@ucsd.edu

My research focuses on understanding why specific cell types are selectively vulnerable in frontotemporal dementia, particularly how TDP-43 and TMEM106B pathologies and the surrounding cellular microenvironment change as the disease progresses. To study these processes directly in human brain tissue, we use imaging-based spatial transcriptomics to map gene expression and pathological proteins at single-cell resolution. However, accurately assigning RNA molecules to individual cells remains challenging, especially for cells with complex and extended morphologies. To address this limitation, I am also developing a multimodal, weakly supervised framework that integrates imaging and spatial RNA information to improve cell segmentation and downstream cell-state analysis.

Education: 
Ph.D. Candidate, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, UC San Diego, 2023–present 
M.S., Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego, 2026 
B.S., Biomedical Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, 2023

Olatz Arnold-Garcia, MS

Visiting Predoctoral Fellow     Email: oarnoldgarcia@health.ucsd.edu

I am a visiting graduate student coming from Dr. Lorea Blazquez’s Lab at the Biodonostia Health Research Institute in Donostia, Spain. My research interests lie in investigating RNA splicing alterations in TDP-43 proteinopathies to identify novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Currently, I am being co-supervised by Professor Don W. Cleveland and Dr. Jone Lopez-Erauskin. Our research focuses on the characterization of stathmin-2 misprocessing in mice and humans. I am actively involved in both computational analysis and biochemical research in the lab.

Education:
M.S., University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, 2021
B.S., Autonomous University of Barcelona, 2019

Sonia Vazquez-Sanchez, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow     Email: soniavazquez-sanchez@ucsd.edu

TDP-43 is an RNA-binding protein that undergo liquid-liquid phase separation, resembling oil droplets in vinegar. In many neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, TDP-43 forms solid aggregates, which are the major hallmark of the disease. A potential pathway to TDP-43 aggregation might be driven by an initial event of phase separation followed by transition to solid state. My postdoctoral efforts are designed to identify basic mechanisms underlining TDP-43 phase separation and its contribution to aberrant TDP-43 aggregation.

Education:
Ph.D., Neuroscience at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), Marie Curie ITN-Cognitionnet fellow, The Netherlands, 2019
M.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Spain, 2014

Sitao Zhang, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow     Email: siz017@ucsd.edu

My proposed work will develop inducible phase separation of TDP-43 in the mouse nervous system, with which I will pose mechanistic questions about TDP-43 de-mixing, aggregation, and cell-to-cell spread. Optogenetically-induced dimerization (mediated by cryptochrome 2 [Cry2] for which blue light induces reversible dimerization) are candidates to mediate oligomerization of the initial TDP-43 dimers. After AAV mediated, focal, and inducible motor neuron-specific expression in the murine central nervous system (CNS), I will use live, 2-photon imaging of fluorescently tagged TDP-43 (for >1 month through a permanently mounted window) to visualize TDP-43 behavior, an approach I have already established. With this, I will determine i) whether inducible phase separation can be achieved, ii) whether this triggers endogenous TDP-43 mislocation and/or aggregation immediately or during aging, and iii) whether this facilitates age-dependent cell-to-cell, prion-like spread.

Education:
Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Peking University, National Institute of Biological Sciences(Xiaodong Wang Lab), 2021
B.S., Natural Science Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology of China, 2015

Jon Artates

Research Staff     Email: jartates@ucsd.edu

I am part of the Huntington's disease effort.  We are currently working to characterize a gene silencing therapy for the treatment of HD.

Education:
B.S., UC San Diego, 2006

Carlos Chillon Marinas

Research Staff     Email: ccmarinas@ucsd.edu

I am lab technician in Don’s lab since 2014, working primarily with the Neuro Group. I am a passionate experimentalist and microscopist. During the past years, I have been involved extensively with ALS research in collaboration with multiple members of the lab.  Currently my main shared project is with Roy Maimon where we focus on generating new neurons in the mammalian adult brain. I am also interest and involved in Huntington’s Disease research in the lab. We are actively characterizing several novel aspects of the disease, with the hope of accelerating treatment(s).

Education:
B.S. in Research's Laboratory, Universidad Auntónoma de Madrid, 2005