People

Jorge Gomez Deza

Principal investigator

I was born in sunny Spain and moved to London for my undergrad and PhD, where I studied ALS using iPSCs and postmortem tissue. I then moved to NIH to do my postdoc studying the mechanisms of axon degeneration and cell death in human neurons.

In my free time I love to swim, play squash and boardgames. I also speak several languages which I try to use as much as I can while traveling

Ariel Zhang

Postdoctoral Fellow

I grew up in northwest China and moved to California during high school. After four sunny years in California, I moved to the East Coast, because winter has always been my favorite season. I fell in love with Philly, moved to the city, and completed my PhD. My PhD work focused on understanding the relationship between stress and neuroinflammation, and how stress affects the reactivity of microglia and astrocytes in a sex and region-specific manner. 

Outside of the lab, I enjoy taking long walks with my dogs and growing my vegetable garden in my tiny backyard. I also love going to stand-up comedy shows and Phillies games. 

Audrey Warren

Postdoctoral Fellow

I grew up in Southern Maryland and moved to NYC for college. I stayed in the city for my PhD, studying the structure and function of serotonin receptors in particular their interactions with therapeutic and psychedelic drugs. 

I love traveling. When I can’t take a trip, I like to go hiking and to the movies. 

Abby Kegg

Assistant Scientist

I grew up in Norristown, a suburb outside of Philly. I moved to the city for college and graduated from Temple with my Bachelor's in Ecology. After finishing school, I worked in both academia and industry.

In my free time, I like to hangout with my two cats and go for long walks through the city. I also enjoy going to concerts and spending time with my family.

Mariella Brueck

Undergraduate Student

I grew up in South Florida and attended FAU High School, where I dual enrolled at Florida Atlantic University and earned 90 college credits. After graduating high school early, I moved to Philly to study Healthcare Risk Management at Temple University, with a minor in Chemistry.

Outside of school, I’m a member of Temple’s gymnastics team. I enjoy spending time outdoors—whether it’s hiking, going to the beach, or taking long walks—and I like solving puzzles in my free time.

Milo Friedman

Undergraduate Student

I am from the Seattle, Washington and moved to Philly after high school to go to Temple. I am in my senior year, wrapping up my degree in biochemistry and working as a STEM tutor in the student success center. 

I love to cook, try new cafes and restaurants, and find pockets of nature in the city. In my final semester, I will be studying abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico, volunteering with the Red Cross and working towards becoming bilingual. 

Former Lab members:

Michael Miano — Rotating Graduate Student

MD Sami — 2025 SCRI summer student

Peter Hayashi — 2025 Sr. Research Assistant

If you are interested in joining/ any questions about our research email us.

We currently do not any funded postdoctoral positions available.