I am a neurosurgeon and a laboratory scientist who is searching for every possible option to help patients today and tomorrow. I treat patients at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California, and my laboratory is at the Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine at the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Northern California.

Here, my team aims to study the composition of brain fluids and we are collaborating with colleagues to develop new treatments for hydrocephalus. The work builds on my experiences at Harvard/MIT, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston Children's Hospital, where I studied early brain development at a cellular level, specifically in the choroid plexus in rodent hydrocephalus models. I look forward to sharing our findings with you all, in the effort to advance our understanding of brain/fluid biology, and develop new clinical therapies.

Originally from Russia, I earned my PhD in Neurobiology at Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg in Germany and completed postdoctoral training at UC Davis. I have worked as a Project Scientist at UC Davis and Investigator at Shriners Children’s Northern California. My primary research interests revolve around understanding the interactions of glia with one another or with neurons during brain development, function, and disease. My recent research has been predominantly focused on material transfer from oligodendroglia to neurons, stemming from an unexpected observation.

I joined the Sadegh lab in October 2023, driven by a keen interest in translational research on cerebrospinal fluid physiology and cerebral palsy, exploring the interactions of CSF with neuronal and glial cells in development and disease. I am highly motivated by the potential to develop novel cellular therapies with this knowledge. Beyond the lab, I enjoy teaching art and science at local elementary schools. As a mother of four, I am also actively involved in the teaching and support of children with developmental delays.

I grew up in Napa, Ca and attended UC Davis for my undergraduate education, where I graduated with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I joined the Sadegh Lab in March 2024. Outside of the lab, I enjoy music and spending time with my dogs, Osito and Loki.

I grew up in Lebanon in the Middle East and moved to the US at the age of 17. I attended UC Davis for my undergraduate education and had the opportunity to get involved in undergraduate cancer research as part of the UC Davis CURE Program. I also had the amazing chance to conduct a summer internship at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, WA, during my undergraduate education. After graduating, I briefly conducted research at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, before deciding to return to UC Davis to join the Sadegh Lab, hoping to gain further experience in pursuit of my goal of becoming a physician-scientist. My hobbies include soccer, jogging, religious studies, and spending quality time with family

I grew up in Shenzhen, China, and graduated from UC Davis with a double major in NPB and CS. I joined the Sadegh Lab in March 2024. My primary research interest is in indirect neuromodulation through cerebrospinal fluid and its application in disease treatments. Outside the lab, I enjoy cycling along the American River.

I grew up in Davis and attended UC Berkeley for my undergraduate education, where I graduated with a degree in Molecular and Cell Biology. While at Berkeley, I worked in Dr. Chengji Zhou's lab at Shriners to study Wnt signaling and in the pathogenesis of spina bifida and orofacial clefts. I joined the lab in Oct 2023, and I plan to pursue a career as a physician-scientist (starting at an MD-PhD program this summer!). Outside of lab, I enjoy reading, drawing, and music, and I love spending time with my two dogs, Susie and Sasha.

I am a third-year medical student at UC Davis interested in neuro-oncology and neurosurgery. I am completing a medical student research fellowship at Aghi Lab in UCSF, studying the interactions between metastatic breast cancer and the brain microenvironment. My primary research interest at Sadegh Lab focuses on the role of the choroid plexus as a regulator of the brain microenvironment in the event of primary and metastatic brain tumors. I am also very interested in the potential role of the choroid plexus as a mediator of chemotherapeutic toxicity in brain tumors. In my free time, I enjoy baking, swimming, and learning the basics of beekeeping. I am currently working towards my Master Beekeeper certificate.

I am from the Bay Area and currently a third-year undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Global Disease Biology. I joined the Sadegh lab this January, and I plan to apply to medical school after I graduate in the fall. In my free time, I like to swim, cook, and go to concerts!

I am a second-year undergraduate student at UC Davis majoring in Environmental Science and Management. I am particularly interested in discovering more about how dyssynchrony of CSF pulsations within the ventricular system in the brain can lead to various types of hydrocephalus. I hope that through helping to develop this novel model of hydrocephalus, more effective treatment methods than shunts can be created and implemented.

I am currently a third-year undergraduate student at UC Davis studying Neurobiology with an interest in pediatric neurology. I work as an EMT, am a member of the UC Davis mock trial team, and love to read in my free time.

I am a third year pre-medical undergraduate student at UC Davis, majoring in Human Biology. I am highly interested in how chemically modifying membrane ion channels within the lymphatic and glymphatic systems can impact neuroinflammatory responses and improve CSF-related symptoms of hydrocephalus. I am also currently working in immunohistochemistry and imaging to quantify protein uptake and gene expression into the choroid plexus to shed light on the understudied role of the ChP in hydrocephalus. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, creative writing, and I also play the saxophone in various wind ensembles at UC Davis

I am a third year undergraduate majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. I grew up in Mumbai then came to the United States for my college education because I want to see the world. I believe that learning can’t happen if one doesn’t explore the world. I joined Sadegh Lab as an Undergraduate Researcher in August 2024. Outside the lab I love watching new movies, gaming, going to the gym, spending time with friends and trying new cuisines.

I just graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. I am passionate about the outdoors and when I'm not in the lab, I enjoy nature, playing videogames, and reading books.

I love science and learning about how the brain develops and functions. I'm especially interested in studying how cells in the brain communicate and support each other to stay healthy. I hope that our research will contribute meaningfully to the advancement of neuroscientific knowledge and translate into new therapies to improve the lives of people. I joined the lab as a volunteer in 2024

I am a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Maria Lehtinen. I completed my PhD with Dr. Bonnie Blazer-Yost on the mechanisms by which aberrant ion channels in the choroid plexus can lead to hydrocephalus. My primary research interest is in studying mechanisms of white matter damage in perinatal brain injury, with a specific focus on post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus of prematurity.

My current project investigates the role of the choroid plexus in instructing myelination of the central nervous system. I am also studying the variations in choroid plexus transcriptomes across different species. As part of this work, I study targeted gene therapy approaches in a large animal model of hydrocephalus in collaboration with the Sadegh, Lehtinen, and Costine-Bartell Laboratories.