Hannah Nguyen
B.S. | MS4
hannahln@hs.uci.edu
I joined the Sajjadi Lab as an undergraduate research assistant in 2018. After graduating from UCI in 2020 with a B.S. in Human Biology, I became a junior specialist in the Sajjadi Lab. Currently, I am involved in several studies including developing neuroimaging biomarkers and retrospective analyses of clinical databases. Since joining the lab, I have co-authored Utility of MRI in Identification of Atrophy in Hippocampal Sclerosis of Aging. I have also presented our research at the American Academy of Neurology 2021 Annual Meeting and the American Neurological Association 2021 Annual Meeting. My interest in neurology research stems from my experiences visiting patients in memory care facilities. I joined the lab to further develop my understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and contribute to research in the dementia field. I am currently attending medical school at UCI with an interest in neurology, psychiatry, and physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Ghazaleh Jazi
M.D. | Neurology Resident, PGY-2
gjazi@uci.edu
I graduated from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran. After completing 18 months of internship, I was assigned to join the Medical Ethics Research Center of Tehran University to complete two years of mandated service. This experience enhanced my understanding of important ethical principles, such as end-of-life care. Subsequently, I immigrated to the United States to continue my medical training.
While studying for the USMLE exams, I joined Sajjadi lab as a Research Assistant where I was involved with a study determining the extent to which cognitive impairment impacts amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients’ perceptions of their motor disabilities. I presented our primary findings at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting 2019. In another study, I helped examine the utility of statistical learning performance as a measure of the integrity of hippocampal subfields. Additionally, we created the first online dementia support group for native Farsi speakers to provide educational information for patients with early-stage dementia and their families. In addition to research, working with Dr. Sajjadi offered me extensive clinical exposure which further reinforced my commitment to neurology.
In 2020, my dream came true and I matched at UC Irvine neurology residency program. I am very grateful for the opportunity to continue working with Dr. Sajjadi and other team members during residency.
In my spare time, I enjoy hyperrealistic colored pencil drawing, cooking Iranian dishes, and spending time with my family and friends. I am also a huge fan of SoCal theme parks!
Jiaxin Yu
B.S. | PhD Statistics
jiaxiny4@uci.edu
I’m a PhD student in the Department of Statistics. My research particularly focuses on nonparametric smoothing/functional data analysis and causal inference. After joining the Sajjadi Lab in 2022, I was able to apply my statistical methodology and analyze aging and dementia. At the lab, I primarily work on the data from the 90+ Study, which initiates to study the oldest old. With this data, our research adapts a data-driven model to better characterize the correlations between age-related neuropathologic changes and identify their contributions to neuropsychological domains.
Jordan Zonner
zonnerj@hs.uci.edu
In 2023, I joined the Sajjadi Lab at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine as a first-year medical student (MS1). We were awarded funding through the Institute for Clinical & Translational Science (ICTS) NIH NIA T35 grant and given the Summer Medical student Alzheimer and Aging Research Training (SMAART) Award. Our summer research was dedicated to leveraging artificial intelligence to analyze speech patterns and audio features of Alzheimer’s patients. The aim was to uncover early diagnostic markers and track disease progression. As I move forward, I am excited to present our findings at conferences focused on neurology and AI and to contribute as a co-author on upcoming manuscripts. My interest in neurology stems from a newfound fascination with memory, brain pathologies, and the quest to mitigate Alzheimer’s disease. Joining the Sajjadi lab has been a great experience, allowing me to explore various projects within the lab and refine my interests within neurology. Currently in my second year of medical school, I maintain a broad range of interests, including neurology, dermatology, and internal medicine.
Julie Loritsch
B.S. | INP
jloritsc@uci.edu
I graduated from UCI in 2024 with a B.S. in Neurobiology. I was involved in undergraduate research investigating preclinical signs of Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with Down Syndrome, using structural neuroimaging, fluid biomarkers, and cognitive performance. I am continuing my neuroscience education through the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program and am rotating in the Sajjadi Lab during Fall 2024 as a first year graduate student. I joined the lab to gain further experience and understanding of the various types of dementia and neuroimaging techniques.
Joey Wong
B.S. | GR2
wongjy2@hs.uci.edu
I am third year MD/PhD student at UC Irvine. During the summer of 2023, I joined the Sajjadi lab as a first-year medical student through the Institute for Clinical & Translational Science (ICTS) NIH NIA T35 grant and given the Summer Medical student Alzheimer and Aging Research Training (SMAART) Award. Our project seeks to identify and characterize genetic variants and its associations with neuropathologic changes commonly observed in the post-mortem aging brain. One particular neuropathology of interest is the presence of aberrant TDP-43 protein accumulation in the limbic regions of brain, which is often a co-pathology with Alzheimer’s disease neuropathologic changes (amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau neurofibrillary tangles). My overall objective is to employ various genomics approaches to better understand molecular signatures contributing to the presence of age-related neuropathologic changes, and their consequences on cognitive function.