Lab Highlights

2025
Bret Holt joins the Paz lab!
2024
Debleena Chatterjee joins the Paz lab!
Olive Tambou passes her Quals!
Jeanne Paz co-chairs the GRC “Linking Thalamocortical Systems with Sensory, Motor, and Cognitive Functions” in Ventura, CA.
Vivianna is awarded diversity supplement to support her Post-baccalaureate training on Jeanne’s R01 titled “Role of Myeloid And CD4+ T Immune Cells in Post-Traumatic Plasticity”
Srujana Poluri joins the Paz lab!


2023
Reshmi Tognatta receives the Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship award!
Jeremy Ford received the Gladstone’s 2023 Distinguished Achievement in Scientific Leadership Award.
Reshmi Tognatta joins the Paz Lab
Morgane defends her thesis “Cortical excitability: Prefrontal conditional bistability for parametric working memory in physiological and Alzheimer’s disease conditions & Somatosensory epileptic network activity following neurodevelopmental interneuron mutation”
Yuliya, Deanna, and Jeanne’s paper in collaboration with the Mucke Lab, titled Alzheimer risk-increasing TREM2 variant causes aberrant cortical synapse density and promotes network hyperexcitability in mouse models”, is published in Neurobiology of Disease.
Isaac passed his qualifying exam!
Audrey passed her qualifying exam!
Yuliya and Jeanne publish an article commentary, “AI-nalyzing Mouse Behavior to Combat Epilepsy”.
Audrey, Deanna, and Jeanne are featured in Solving the Aftermath of Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
Jeremy Ford received the PARC Fellowship.
2022
Britta is featured in Meet Gladstone: Britta Lindquist
Frances defends her thesis “Thalamic circuit modulation by astrocytes”
Frances's first author manuscript in Science Translational Medicine “Enhancing GAT-3 in thalamic astrocytes promotes resilience to brain injury in rodents” was featured in “Pathway Deep in the Brain Makes It Resilient after Injury.”
Isaac received the Croucher Scholarship for his Doctoral Study!
Audrey received the Creative Minds Care Fellowship!
Yuliya received the NRSA F32 postdoctoral fellowship from NIH/NINDS!
Deanna received the NRSA F31 fellowship from NIH/NINDS!
Morgane received a Fellowship Research Grant from the FOXG1 Foundation
Morgane and Deana received the Research Support for Female Learners Impacted by COVID-19 Funding (Weill Institute).
Yuliya was featured in the article "Gladstone Scientists Stand with Ukraine."
The Paz Lab hosted a fundraiser to raise money for food and medical supplies for Ukrainian families. Together with the greater Gladstone community, we raised $10,400 for Nova Ukraine!
Congratulations to those who received awards at 2022 Gladstone Celebrates! Jeanne received the Gladstone Diversity Champion Award, Deanna received the Gladstone Distinguished Achievement in Science Award, and Frances received the Robert and Linda Mahley Career Advancement Award!


2021
Yuliya was awarded the 2021 Berkelhammer Award and the 2021-2022 Gladstone CIRM Scholar Award!
Jeanne's work was featured in a podcast for TBI One Love.
Jeanne and Stephanie’s new Science paper was featured in an article in Smithsonian Magazine. The article is titled "This Molecule Could Be the Key to Understanding Why Concussions Have Such Long-Term Effects"
Their work on TBIs was also featured in the abc7 News article: “SF researchers find possible breakthrough in treating traumatic brain injuries”
Deanna received the Hillblom/BARI fellowship for her work in TBI.
Deanna passed her qualifying exam!!
Jeanne and Stephanie’s article “Complement factor C1q mediates sleep spindle loss and epileptic spikes after mild brain injury” was published in Science!!
Jeanne and Stephanie Holden were featured in an article titled: “Preventing the Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury” for their work in their recently published Science article.
Frances Cho was nominated and elected to be the GRS co-chair for the Thalamocortical interactions meeting to be held in Italy in 2022!.
Jeanne Paz nominated and elected as co-vice-chair for the 2022 Thalamocortical interactions meeting and co-chair for the 2024 meeting!
Morgane Leroux was awarded with Gladstone’s Robert and Linda Mahley Career Advancement Award. Congrats Morgane!
Clare Timbie, postdoctoral scholar/neurology fellow, Britta Lindquist, postdoctoral scholar/neurology fellow, Andrea He, research associate, and Yuliya Voskobiynyk, postdoctoral scholar (not pictured), join the lab!
The lab’s research in association with SLC6A1 Connect is featured in: A Disease Is Only Rare until It Messes with the Wrong Mother
Zanib Naeem, post-bac student from the UCSF PROPEL program, joins the lab. Welcome Zanib!
Andrea He is accepted to the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Congrats Andrea!
Jeanne Paz was featured in the Science News article Controlling nerve cells with light opened new ways to study the brain
2020
Frances Cho (PhD candidate) received the 2020 Kavli Student Service Award from the UCSF Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience.
Jeanne Paz receives the 2020 Outstanding Mentorship Award from the Gladstone Institutes.
Andrew Chang is featured in Meet Gladstone: Andrew Chang
Frances Cho (PhD candidate) received an Early Career Travel Award to attend the 2020 NINDS Curing the Epilepsies Conference (rescheduled for 2021).
Morgane Leroux receives the Gladstone Career Development award to attend a conference.
Irene Lew receives the Gladstone Above and Beyond Award! Congrats Irene! Well deserved!
Jeanne is featured in: Epilepsy: From Mechanism to Treatment

Sean Dailey (administrative assistant), Jeremy Ford (postdoctoral scholar) and Deanna Necula (graduate student) join the lab!
Allison Morningstar joins the Neuroscience graduate program at Stanford! Congrats Allison!!
So Proud of Frances Cho (Graduate Student in the Paz Lab) for receiving the Distinguished Achievement in Science Award and the Dorman Outstanding Graduate Student Prize! Congratulations!
Congratulations, Andrew Chang (Postdoc in the Paz Lab) for receiving the Robert and Linda Mahley Career Development Award!
2019
Frances Cho received the 2019 Dorman Award for Outstanding Graduate Student from the Gladstone Institutes, and the 2019 Distinguished Achievement in Science Award from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease.
Andrew Chang is awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association. Congrats Andrew!
Henna Mohabbat was awarded the ABRCMS Neuroscience Presentation Award at the 2019 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS). This past summer Henna was a PUMAS intern and worked in the Paz Lab.

Kudos to 2019 PUMAS intern, Henna Mohabbat, who presented her work “Probing the Effects of the Novel Small Molecule RA8 on Post-traumatic Neurovascular Recovery and Seizures” at the 2019 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students(ABRCMS). This past summer Henna worked in the Paz Lab.

Stephanie Holden (Paz Lab) gave a talk in Puerto Rico for the Ford Foundation entitled, “How Injury Changes the Brain.” She is a recipient of a Ford Foundation Fellowship. Well done, Stephanie!

Henna Mohabbit was selected to give a presentation on her work entitled, “Probing the Effects of the Novel Small Molecule RA8 on Post-traumatic Neurovascular Recovery and Seizures” at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in November.
Stephanie Holden was selected to give a platform presentation on her work entitled, “C1q Mediates Chronic Secondary Gliotic Inflammation and Neurodegeneration in a Mouse Model of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy” at the annual American Epilepsy Society meeting in December.
Andrew Chang was selected to participate in the Fellows Program at the 2019 AES Annual Meeting in December.
Henna Mohabbit’s poster presentation at Gladstone Institutes 2019 PUMAS Summer internship program. Congratulations to Henna and her mentor Andrew Chang!

Allison Morningstar receives the Fullbright Fellowship to Germany. She will be conducting Alzheimer's research at the DNZE in Munich!
Ana was accepted to the Cognitive Sciences graduate program at the University of California, San Diego.
Frances Cho received the American Epilepsy Society Young Investigator Travel Award.
2018
Bryan Higashikubo received the Early Career Fellowship award from the American Epilepsy Society (AES).
May, 2018
Our paper was recently published in The Journal of Neuroscience, Volume 38, May 2018 Issue Click to read full article.
Jeanne Paz was a guest speaker at the University of Calgary, Canada for CURE 2018

Dale Tager was recently accepted to Emory School of Medicine, and was awarded the Helen W. Dobbs scholarship!

March, 2018
Frances Cho presented her research at the 2018 UCSF Grand Slam competition! Link to Article




Feb, 2018
Frances Cho’s paper was recently published in the Science Magazine, February 2018 Issue Link to full article

Jan, 2018
Trinidad Arceo a former 2017 PUMA’s intern in the Paz lab was accepted into the McNair Scholars Program

2017

Frances Cho named a Moritz-Heyman Discovery Fellow! She was chosen for her leadership potential, excellence in research, community- mindedness, and communications skills. Congratulation Frances!

Stephanie Holden won the 2017 Trainee Professional Development Award. The award from the Society of Neuroscience is given to selected students to promote the advancement of career training for neurosciences. Congratulations Stephanie!

Allison Morningstar is awarded a scholarship to present her results at the SACNAS conference. Congratulations to Allison and her mentors Stephanie Holden and Frances Cho!

Ana Chkaidze is awarded a dual scholarship to start a graduate thesis at the University of Nevada. Congratulations Ana!

Stephanie Holden is awarded a second year of funding as part of UCSF's Achievement Awards for College Scientists Scholarship. Congratulations Stephanie!

Alexander Urry starts graduate school at Yale University! Congratulations Alex!

Trinidad Arceo’s poster presentation at Gladstone Institutes 2017 PUMAS Summer internship programs. Congratulations to Trinidad and his mentors Alexander Urry and Stefanie Makinson!

Alexandra’s paper published in Cell Reports

Alexandra's work highlighted in the news:

Study Could Help Explain Link between Seizures and Psychiatric Disorders

Stefanie Makinson receives the Leadership Award of the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease

Frances Cho passes the Neuroscience qualifying exam

Stephanie Holden named finalist in GradSlam 2017 of the University of California San Francisco. Video: “The Epileptic Brain: Rewiring After Injury”

Jordan’s paper on Thalamus and Absence Epilepsy is published in Neuron

2016

Paz lab awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation

Paz lab awarded a grant from the Department of Defense

Paz lab awarded an R01 grant from the NIH/NINDS

Jeanne Paz: Profile of a Scientist

Brain Symphony: Lennart Mucke and Jeanne Paz have discovered how to control the cacophony of electrical activity in the brain, stopping seizures and reducing deficits related to Alzheimer’s disease

Charell Sherman admitted to Washington UC Davis Program

Stephanie Holden passes the Neuroscience qualifying exam

Stephanie Holden awarded the ARCS (Advancing Science in America) graduate fellowship

Stefanie Makinson’s paper in collaboration with Eric Huang's lab is published in Cell

Stefanie Makinson awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the Dravet Syndrome Foundation and American Epilepsy Society

Stefanie Makinson awarded the Career Advancement Award, Gladstone Institutes

Frances Cho awarded the National Science Foundation graduate scholarship

Alexandra Clemente awarded the Karl Storm scholarship to attend the Gordon Research Conference meeting on Thalamus in Ventura, CA

Stephanie Holden and Frances Cho awarded the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) travel awards to attend the Gordon Research Conference meeting on Thalamus in Ventura, CA

2015

Alexandra Clemente passes the Neuroscience qualifying exam

Jeanne Paz awarded the International Michael Prize for "Best Research in Epilepsy"

Stefanie Makinson in the local news for organizing an outreach event for high school students in San Francisco
November 13, Stefanie Makinson a postdoc from the Paz Lab, showcased some of her work at San Francisco International High School, the newest public high school in San Francisco. After receiving a tour of the school, Stefanie spent the morning speaking with students interested in pursuing career paths in science.

Charrell Sherman awarded a Promoting Underrepresented Minority Advance in the Sciences (PUMAS) summer internship from the Gladstone institutes, to study the pathophysiology of cerebral stroke

2014

Paz lab awarded the R00 grant from NIH/NINDS

Alexandra Clemente awarded the National Science Foundation (NSF) graduate scholarship