Andrew Sproul, PhD, Assistant Professor/Director. Prior to pursuing his graduate studies, Dr. Sproul trained with Sir Hans Kornberg at Boston University and helped elucidate novel fructose metabolic pathways in E. Coli. He received his PhD in Biological Sciences at Columbia University under the tutelage of Dr. Lloyd Greene, where his studies focused on regulation of the JNK signaling pathway in neuronal cell death. After a short postdoc at the Icahn School of Medicine in neurodevelopment, he worked at The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute for 5 years developing stem cell models of AD before starting his own lab at Columbia. In his spare time he enjoys practicing kung fu and traveling with his family.
Patrick Bosco, Undergraduate Research Fellow. Patrick is an undergraduate at Columbia College, studying biology and chemistry. In the lab, he works on developing iPSC-derived models of the neurovascular unit, both in standard cell culture and in microfluidic co-culturing systems. Outside of the lab, Patrick enjoys exercising and searching for the best Mexican food in New York City.
Heather Buchanan, PhD, Postdoctoral Scientist. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland where I graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Pharmacology. I then pursued a PhD in the lab of Professor Bettina Platt, also at the University of Aberdeen, where I focused on investigating disease-associated mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease. Following completion of my PhD, I stayed with Professor Platt to undertake a short postdoc, before moving to New York City where I joined the labs of Dr Andrew Teich and Dr Andrew Sproul at Columbia University. Outside of work you can usually catch me chilling with coffee and a book, watching some TV and sports, and sampling the local food and drink with friends!
Ronak Patel, PhD is an Associate Research Scientist in the lab with research foci on delineating molecular mechanisms of protective genetic variants in Alzheimer’s disease and establishing novel stem cell- derived models of the blood-brain barrier. He joined the lab as a postdoctoral research scientist in 2019 after completing PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. He moved to the USA after receiving undergraduate degree in pharmacy from India in 2014. Away from the lab, he is a novice boulderer and a big fan of the John Wick movies
Emily Richters is a Research Technician in the Sproul Lab. She is currently looking at transdiferentiated excitatory and inhibitory neurons and trying to assess why Tau accumulation seems to take place predominantly in excitatory neurons. In her free time, she likes to play her Nintendo Switch and go for long runs (not simultaneously).
Gunjan Singh, Research Technician. Memory is what makes us, us. To lose one’s ability to access or store them is akin to losing one’s selfhood itself. This is what makes Alzheimer’s disease so devastating, and why I am thrilled to be working on multiple projects focused on deciphering role of specific genes as regulators of neuroinflammatory processes in AD. Outside of work I tap into persona of being a cinephile and a gourmand, often at the same time!
Alumni
Ellen Tein (Rutgers PhD)
Elliot Youth (Northwestern MD/PhD)
Saera Song, Phd (Principle Scientist 4:59 NewCo)
Ijala Wilson
Maria Kaufman (University of Chicago MD)
Archana Ashok
Amanda Snead (University of Illinois Chicago MD/PhD)
So Yeon Koo (Cornell University/Tri-Institutional Program PhD)
Aomeng Cui s an MD/PhD student in the Columbia Medical Scientist Training Program co-mentored by Dr. Dritan Agalliu. She is from Atlanta, and she previously majored in Biochemistry and German Literature at Columbia (CC’20). In lab, she is using 3D microfluidic iPSC-derived NVU-on-a-chip models to study how environmental and genetic factors influence vascular-related AD pathology. Outside of the lab, she can be found running along the Hudson River, eating gelato, or napping.
Christopher Lee Cardona, PhD Student. I graduated from the University of South Florida with dual degrees in Cell & Molecular Biology and Public Health with a minor in mathematics. After graduating, I worked as a lab manager for Dr. Charles Chalfant at the University of South Florida studying the role of lipid signaling in disease. Currently, I am in the Integrated Program in Cell, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences at CUIMC. I am being co-mentored by Drs. Andrew Teich and Andrew Sproul. My project utilizes human iPSC-derived microglia and bioinformatic approaches to better understand how microglia react to Alzheimer's disease pathology. In my free time, I like to watch scary movies, play video games, find new places to eat in the city, and cuddle with my cat, Mila.
