Richard Daneman, PhD - Assistant Professor

Contact Rich

Phone: 858-822-2376











Eric Nudleman, PhD, MD 

Roeben Munji, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow

Marie Blanchette, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow

After completing a Bachelor degree in Pharmacology, I worked during my Master and PhD degree, on drug delivery strategies to the CNS and chemoresistance mechanisms. My graduate studies were done under the supervision of Prs David Fortin, Martin Lepage and Roger Lecomte at the University of Sherbrooke in Québec, Canada. I then joined the Daneman lab in 2014, to focus my research on the identification of regional differences of the BBB.

In my spare time, I like to enjoy family time, outdoor sports (bike, hike), listen to music, practice music instruments (guitar, ukulele), and traveling.

My Pubmed

Contact Marie




Stephanie Liaw - Lab manager

In 2015, I graduated from UC San Diego with a BS in nanoengineering and a biology minor. My interest in the field of neuroscience brought me to volunteer in the Daneman Lab before starting to work here as a research associate. I hope to later pursue an advanced degree. During my free time, I enjoy doing extreme sports, trying new food, and traveling. 

Contact Stephanie






Catie Profaci - Graduate Student

After graduating from Georgetown University in 2012 (Hoya Saxa!), I worked for two years studying the progression of Alzheimer's pathology with Dr. Karen Duff at Columbia University.  Now as a Ph.D. student in the UCSD Neurosciences program, I am excited to continue studying disease in the nervous system.  In the Daneman lab, I will be working on discovering the mechanisms behind the breakdown and repair of the blood-brain barrier in diseases such as multiple sclerosis.  Besides my love for the brain and all its mysteries, I enjoy (in no particular order) running, cooking, Bruce Springsteen, the beach, NPR, baseball games, cheese, outdoor activities, and writing for our program's neuroscience blog, NeuWriteSD.org!

My Pubmed

Contact Catie



Rob Pulido - Graduate Student

I graduated from Boston University in 2014 with a B.A. in Neuroscience. My research experience as an undergrad focused on the neurobiology of addiction. I started my Ph.D. in 2014 in the Biological Sciences Program here at UCSD. After exploring a diverse set of types of research during rotations in the first year, I became intrigued with the blood-brain-barrier. Here with the Daneman Lab, I study the dynamic reciprocal interaction between neural circuitry and the blood-brain-barrier. Outside of the lab I enjoy hiking, surfing, playing soccer, and seeing live music.

Contact Rob




Alena Bartakova, MD - Postdoctoral Fellow

Citizen of the World, I have been living in multiple countries throughout my life. I completed my medical degree at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium in 2011, followed by 5 years of postdoctoral training in basic biomedical research at UCSD. In the course of my training, I have developed translational biomedical research projects in the fields of cell apoptosis and regeneration, with focus on primary cell culture and cell lineage establishment. Recently promoted to a staff research associate position in the Daneman lab, I am involved in the research of molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to blood-retinal barrier breakdown. My main focus is the retinopathy of prematurity and other retinal vasculopathies.

I am a proud mom of a baby girl, and besides work, my passions are creative writing, literature, music and theatre, and nature.

Contact Alena


Cayce Dorrier - Graduate Student

As an undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill I studied serotonin signaling pathways in the extended amygdala. After I graduated in 2015, my interest in signal transduction led me to the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at UCSD. In the Daneman Lab I will be studying how pericytes regulate the blood-brain barrier. When I’m not in lab I enjoy hiking, running, singing, volunteering and hanging out at the beach!

Tamara Chan - Undergraduate Student

I am currently a fourth year undergraduate at UC San Diego, majoring in
Physiology & Neuroscience and minoring in Psychology. After having Rob as
a TA for one of my undergraduate courses, I was lucky enough to come learn
and work in the Daneman lab. My research focuses on how astrocytes are
involved in the regulation of the blood-brain barrier and the mechanisms
by which they do so. After graduating from UCSD in June of 2017, I hope to
continue to do research in pursuit of an advanced degree.

Mario Malfavon, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow

Geoffrey Weiner - MSTP Student

Kaja Bajc - Visiting Student

Yuqi Cheng - Visiting Professor

Former lab members

Anne Cabangcola - Undergraduate Student

2014-2016









Conor Mcloughlin - Visiting Student

2016

Undergrad at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland












Sidar Aydın - Visiting Student

2016

Masters Student in Germany 





Soumya Kurnool - Undergraduate Student

2015-2016

Now a medical student at UCSD










Fabien Sohet, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow

2010-2015

I received my PhD from University Paris Diderot in 2005. I used to work on renal physiology and decided to join Rich's lab in 2010 while he was at UC-San Francisco. My research focus on how the BBB is formed and how it is regulated during multiple sclerosis. I love cooking, eating, hiking, rugby, top chef, California and of course, my wife and son!

My Pubmed

Contact Fab





Allison Soung - Assistant Specialist

2013-2015

Now Graduate student at Washington University










Christina Lin - Assistant Specialist

2013-2014

Now in Med School at UCSD









Nadine Ruderisch, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow

2011-2013

Now a Postdoc at Roche, Switzerland

My pubmed








Seo Yeon Lee - UC Berkeley Undergrad

2011-2013

Now Pharmacy student at UCSF










Amanuel Kebede, MS - Staff Research Associate

2009-2013




Click here to edit title.














Former Members