Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Giordano Lippi, PhD
Associate Professor - The Scripps Research Institute
Adjunct Professor - University of California, San Diego
B.S. University of Modena (2003) - Medical Biotechnology
Ph.D. University of Modena (2009) - Molecular Medicine
Post-Doctoral Associates
Norjin Zolboot, PhD
Post-Doctoral Associate
B.S. Nagoya University (2017) - Biological Sciences
Ph.D. Scripps Research (2023) - Neuroscience
Autism Speaks Fellow (2021 - 2023)
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Jessica Du, PhD
Post-Doctoral Associate
B.A. University of California, Berkeley (2018) - Molecular and Cellular Biology (Neurobiology) with Statistics
Ph.D. University of California, San Diego (2025) - Neuroscience
Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellow (2021 - 2024)
Graduate Students
Marwan Ghanem
Graduate Student
B.A. Oberlin College (2022) - Biology & Neuroscience Double Major with a Minor in MENA Studies
Ph.D. The Scripps Research Institute (2022 - current) - Neuroscience
Helen Dorris Skaggs Graduate Fellow (2023 - 2025)
David Sievert
Graduate Student
B.S. California Lutheran University (2012) - Chemistry
M.S. California State University, Channel Islands (2021) – Biotechnology
Ph.D. University of California, San Diego (2022 - current) -Neuroscience
Ian Levitan
Graduate Student
B.S. Duke University (2020) - Biology with a Minor in Neuroscience
Ph.D. The Scripps Research Institute (2023 - current) - Neuroscience
Helen Dorris Skaggs Graduate Fellow (2024 - current)
Administrative & Technical Staff
Aubrie Perea
Lab Administrative Coordinator
B.S. Northern Arizona University (2015) - Economics & Finance
M.B.A. University of Southern California (2019)
Edwin Pulido
Student Interns
Elif Ozdemir
Undergraduate Intern
B.S. University of California, San Diego (expected 2027) - Neurobiology
Past Members
Federico Zampa, PhD
Staff Scientist (2018 - 2025)
B.S. University of Udine (2008) - Medical Biotechnology
M.S. University of Trieste (2010) - International Masters in Neuroscience
Ph.D. Philipps Universität Marburg (2018) - Neuroscience
Karolina Cardenas
SURF Undergraduate Intern (2025)
B.S. University of California, Berkeley (expected 2027)
Doris Tian
Undergraduate Intern (2025)
B.S. King’s College London (expected 2026) - Biomedical Science
Susie Choi
Research Technician (2021 - 2025)
B.S. University of California, San Diego (2022) - Neurobiology
Andrea Carvelli, PhD
Post-Doctoral Associate (2022 - 2024)
B.S. La Sapienza University (2015) - Biology
M.S. La Sapienza University (2017) - Genetics and Molecular Biology
Ph.D. La Sapienza University (2020) - Genetics and Molecular Biology
Current position: Professor, Temple University Rome
Miranda Junn
Lab Assistant (2022 - 2024)
B.S. University of California, San Diego (2023) - Neurobiology
Cristina Comacchio
Undergraduate Intern (2023 - 2024)
B.S University of California, San Diego (2024) - Neurobiology
Chelsea Shao
Undergraduate Intern (2023 - 2024)
B.S University of California, San Diego (2024) - Cognitive Science
Sowmya Kolluru
Undergraduate Intern (2022 - 2023)
B.S. University of California, San Diego (2022) - Molecular and Cell Biology
Current position: MD Student, Creighton University
Brooke Benedetto
Viral Vector Technician (2021 - 2022)
B.S. University of Florida (2021) - Chemistry and Biochemistry
Current position: Bioprocess Engineer, Neurocrine Biosciences
Madison Solario
SURF Undergraduate Intern (2021)
Xiaoxuan (Alice) Wu
Undergraduate Technician (2018 - 2020)
B.S. University of California San Diego (2021) - Biochemistry and Cellular Biology
Andrea Hartzell, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow (2018 - 2020)
B.S. University of Arizona (2011) - Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Molecular and Cellular Biology
Ph.D. University of California San Diego (2018) - Neuroscience
Current position: Senior Scientific Director, Health & Wellness Partners, LLC
Le Yao Shen
Undergraduate Intern (2019)
B.S. Lanzhou University (2020) - Biological Sciences
Current position: PhD Student, The Scripps Research Institute
Veronica Morales
SURF Undergraduate Intern (2019)
B.S. University of Puerto Rico (2020)
Koushik Tuppil
Undergraduate Intern (2018 - 2019)
B.S. University of California San Diego (2020) - Physiology and Neuroscience
M.S. University of California San Diego (2021) - Biological Sciences
Current position: MD Student, Wayne State University