Ali Ezzati, MD
Associate Professor of Neurology
I am a Physician-Scientist with research expertise is in Clinical Informatics, Data-Science, and neuroepidemiology. My research interest is in using predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning techniques to leverage ‘Large Biomedical Data’, including neuroimaging, “omics”, and digital and biological biomarkers to improve research design and clinical outcomes
Research Team
Elham Ghanbarian, MD, PhD
Project Scientist
I am an MD with a PhD in cognitive neuroscience who has recently transitioned to the field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). During my PhD and postdoctoral training, my research involved longitudinal studies in animal models, tracking neural and cognitive changes from young adulthood through aging. I investigated the neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory, cognitive reserve, early life adversity, and hippocampal synaptic plasticity across the lifespan. Seeking to apply my strong neuroscience background in a more direct and clinically meaningful context, I transitioned last year to clinical neurology research with a focus on aging, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. I joined the clinical informatics and data science lab. In my current research, I am interested in understanding the biological mechanisms and time course of AD pathologies as reflected in different biomarkers, and their value in predicting cognitive outcomes. Here, I have gained expertise in working with large, multimodal datasets that integrate clinical, cognitive, and biomarker data, and in applying advanced statistical and machine learning approaches to uncover critical patterns and relationships. My long-term goal is to establish an independent research team focused on multiple aspects of AD, including biomarker discovery and investigating the biological mechanisms of cognitive reserve and resilience across the lifespan— an area that closely aligns with my prior basic science research. When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy family time, getting outdoors, reading, biking, and staying active.
Babak Khorsand, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
I am currently a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher specializing in Neuroinformatics at Dr. Ezzati’s lab within the Department of Neurology at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). My academic background includes a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, a Master’s degree in Information Technology, and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Software Engineering. My expertise encompasses data science, with a focus on bioinformatics, machine learning, biological network analysis, and multiomics techniques. My current research focuses on modeling longitudinal cognitive changes in Alzheimer’s disease patients and developing predictive models for early detection and disease progression monitoring.
Elvis Han Cui, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
I am currently a Senior Statistician at Dr. Ezzati’s Neuroinformatics Lab. My research focuses on optimal design and survival analysis, with applications in Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, I am interested in counting processes and Markov/semi-Markov models, leveraging these methodologies to advance statistical analyses in Alzheimer’s research. I completed my Ph.D. in Biostatistics at UCLA, where I developed a strong foundation in statistical modeling and its applications to biomedical research.
Lukai Zheng, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
I grew up in China and studied medicine at West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University. I completed a master’s in Neurology at the same university (2020), with a focus on hemorrhagic transformation after ischemic stroke. I recently obtained my PhD at the University of Munich, where my dissertation centered on modeling tau pathology progression in Alzheimer’s disease using PET imaging and brain transcriptomics. At the Ezzati Lab, I will be pursuing postdoctoral work on tau-PET imaging and longitudinal cognitive changes in AD. In my free time, I enjoys tea, traveling, and CRPG games.
Devin Teichrow, MS
Assistant Specialist
I grew up in the greater Los Angeles area and studied psychology at UC Davis for my undergrad researching personality development. I then transferred to UCLA and completed the MS in Epidemiology where my thesis focused on the impact of in-utero ultrafine particulate matter exposure on cerebral palsy and epilepsy. At the Ezzati Lab I will be working on neuroepidemiology studies primarily in migraine and headache. In my free time I enjoy college sports, auto racing, and reading.
Adalmina Sarkar
Undergraduate Researcher
I am an undergraduate student at the University of California, Irvine, pursuing pre-medical studies. My academic interests lie at the intersection of biological sciences, neuroscience, mathematics, and statistics. I am particularly fascinated by predictive modeling and its potential impact on healthcare. My current research focuses on studying the effects of neuropsychiatric conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and stress, on disabilities caused by migraine headaches. The project hypothesizes that patients with more neuropsychiatric complaints may experience greater migraine-related disabilities. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, spending time with friends and family, volunteering at UCI Health, designing and sewing my own clothes, and playing the cello in the UCI Symphony Orchestra.
Alumni
Kellen K. Petersen, PhD.
Currently at Washington University at St. Louis