Richard Daneman, PhD - Assistant Professor

Contact Rich

Phone: 858-822-2376











Eric Nudleman, PhD, MD 

Roeben Munji, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow

Nicole Lummis, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow

I've always been fascinated by scientific research; by how we can elucidate unknown aspects of biology to better understand disease and ultimately improve human health.  During my undergraduate studies in Biochemistry and Biophysics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, I studied the activity of brain-derived molecular motors in response to anesthesia.  I continued pursuing my interest in neuroscience by completing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at University of California San Diego, where I researched the role of lipid signaling in the initiation of neonatal post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus under Dr. Jerold Chun.  In May 2019, I was thrilled to join Dr. Richard Daneman's lab as a postdoctoral scholar to investigate the effects of disease, such as stroke and EAE, on the function of the blood-brain barrier, with a particular focus on pericytes.

In addition to my passion for science, I love any kind of game, podcasts, and trying new foods.

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, PhD - Postdoctoral Volunteer

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. I successfully defended my thesis in the summer of 2019 and am now volunteering in the lab to finish up projects while working as a Senior Scientist, Clinical Development, Neuroscience, at Ionis Pharmaceuticals.

Contact Rob




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 and the perivascular response to wound healing. When I’m not in lab I enjoy hiking, running, singing, volunteering and hanging out at the beach!

Meghan Rossi - Graduate Student

I graduated from Berkeley (Go Bears!) in 2012 with a Bachelor’s in Molecular & Cell Biology, and then earned a master’s in Brain Sciences at University College London in 2015. There, I worked with Dr. Kate Jeffery on how head direction cells might encode complex spatial information. After forgetting what the sun looked like, I moved back to California to work with Dr. Shane Crotty in characterizing immune responses to HIV vaccine candidates in order to better inform HIV vaccine design. Now, as a Neurosciences PhD student, I am super excited to start my project in the Daneman lab examining interactions between the periphery and the blood-brain barrier. Outside the lab, you can find me singing loudly at inappropriate moments, stopping to pet every dog that crosses my path, and pretending to be proficient at beach volleyball.

Kaja Bajc - Research Associate 

I am from Slovenia and joined the Daneman lab in mid 2016 to do an internship and write my Master's thesis.  After finishing my Master's in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, I returned to San Diego and started working as a Research Associate in the lab. I work closely with Marie on her project about regional differences of the BBB and have some lab manager responsibilities. During the past few years I've spent a lot of time traveling solo in New Zealand, Southeast Asia and South America. Currently I really enjoy being in San Diego and spending all of my free time surfing. 

Joseph Miller, Master's Student

During my Undergrad at UC San Diego, I was fortunate enough to learn and work here in the Daneman lab. During that time, I worked with many graduate students and mentors in the lab, and mainly studying the Wnt/Norrin signaling pathway in endothelial cells of the retina. I continued my studies at UC San Diego as a Master's Student with my current project focusing on understanding what cells form fibrotic scars in the retina. After graduating with my Master's, I aim to continue my studies in Medical School. Besides nerding out over the retina, I love to surf, hike, and be awesome.

Kevin Tenerelli - MSTP Student

After attending Palomar College, I graduated from California State University San Marcos in 2017 with a B.S. in Biology concentrated in molecular and cellular biology. I then began UC San Diego’s MD/PhD program and joined the Neurosciences Graduate Program. Co-mentored by Eric Nudleman and Rich Daneman, my interests lie in blood-retinal barrier dysfunction in blinding eye diseases and elucidating mediators of fibrosis in the retina. In my free time I like to paddleboard on Mission Bay with my family, play racquetball and discover new music.

Wenshuai Jiang, Research Associate

After obtaining my Bachelor's degree in Biopharmaceutics in China, I decided to continue my studies and pursue a career in neuroscience, so I joined the Daneman lab as a research associate in August 2019. I am under the mentorship of Roeben, focusing on how the blood-brain barrier regulates neurotransmitter levels in the brain, and how it influences the sociability of mice. I like outdoor activities and multiple sports, and I love all the novel experiences in my life except tasting spicy food. By the way, my English nickname is Marshall, this name has helped me a lot since most people had a really hard time pronouncing my name.

Lucija Pintaric, Visiting Student

Hi! I'm from Croatia and I have completed my bachelors in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in Krems an Der Donau, Austria. In 2017 I worked on a clinical study concerning the genetic analysis of an ocular disease called Retinitis pigmentosa at the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong.  In 2018 I graduated and enrolled into a Master's program in Molecular Biotechnology at FH Campus Wien. I joined the Daneman lab this year and my research focuses on the role of fibrotic scar tissue formation in stroke and the mechanisms that lead to fibrotic scar formation following stroke. When I am not in the lab you can see me dancing and singing at inappropriate places, doing sports, hiking, or partying. 


UCSD Undergraduates

- Alex Zhang
- Michelle Lin
- Tony Zhang
- Amanda Argoncillo


Former Lab Members

Marie Blanchette, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow
2015-2019
Now, Scientific Evaluator at Health Canada

Mario Malfavon, Postdoctoral Fellow
2016-2019
Now Scientist, Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC)

Tamara Chan - Master's Student, Research Associate
2016-2019
Now graduate student at Stanford University

Stephanie Liaw - Lab Manager
2014-2019
Now consultant at 1798

Geoffrey Weiner - MSTP Student
Now intern at Stanford

Ezekiel Haenelt- Undergraduate Student
2016-2018

Jessica Gutierrez- Undergraduate Student
Summer 2018

Austin Batugal- Undergraduate Student

Gabby Whiten- Undergraduate Student
Summer 2017
Now graduate student at NYU

Anne Cabangcola - Undergraduate Student
2014-2016

Yuqi Cheng - Visiting Professor

Conor Mcloughlin - Visiting Student
Summer 2016 Trinity College Dublin 

Alena Bartakova, MD - Postdoctoral Fellow

Dan Peng- Undergraduate Student

Sidar Aydın - Visiting Student
2016

Soumya Kurnool - Undergraduate Student
2015-2016
Now medical student at UCSD

Fabien Sohet, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow

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

Amanuel Kebede, MS - Staff Research Associate
2009-2013