Principal Investigator
Jaime Imitola, MD FAAN., FANA
Professor of Neurology
Vice-Chair Neurology Research
Chief-Division of MS and Neuroimmunology
Director of UConn Health MS Center
Dr. Imitola is a Board certified Neurologist with specialty in MS/Neuroimmunology focusing in highly active and progressive MS. He established the Comprehensive MS program and is the Director of the MS Center at UConn Health. He completed fellowships in Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology, and Stem Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School, trained at the Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, under Dr. Samia J. Khoury, MD, Co-director of the Partners MS Center, in collaboration with the labs of Evan Y. Snyder and Chris Walsh. He studied neural stem cells in the context of inflammation and MS and was Instructor in Neurology at HMS and Affiliated faculty of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) until 2008. He trained in clinical neurology and Multiple sclerosis at Temple University and Jefferson Hospitals. Prior to joining UConn Health, Dr. Imitola was the founder/director of the Progressive MS Clinic, the Scarlet and Gray Multiple Sclerosis community and education symposium at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Imitola is a member and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, American Neurological Association and the current Vice-Chair of the education committee of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR). He has multiple accolades, one notable is the recognition of his mentorship of medical students, undergraduates, residents, fellows and junior faculty. He was awarded the 2023 UConn student nominated graduate faculty career mentor of the year. Learn more.
Current Scholars
Fumihiro Watanabe, PhD
Dr. Fumihiro (Fumi) Watanabe received his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Tokyo in Japan. His thesis was titled "Anatomical and behavior for cerebellar Purkinje cell specific-FAK deficient mice (PC-FAK Mutant). Dr. Watanabe is developing new three-dimensional human cultures and organoids to model aspects of human neurodegeneration seen in in patients with MS and glioblastoma. In addition to studying new candidate molecules identified from genomic analysis that may mediate the impact on inflammation on the genetic programs of human and neural stem cells.
Dr. Fumihiro (Fumi) Watanabe received his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Tokyo in Japan. His thesis was titled "Anatomical and behavior for cerebellar Purkinje cell specific-FAK deficient mice (PC-FAK Mutant). Dr. Watanabe is developing new three-dimensional human cultures and organoids to model aspects of human neurodegeneration seen in in patients with MS and glioblastoma. In addition to studying new candidate molecules identified from genomic analysis that may mediate the impact on inflammation on the genetic programs of human and neural stem cells.
Shivam Patel, MD (c)
Shivam is currently a MSIV at the UConn School of Medicine, he has worked in the lab for the last 2.5 years in the application of DIR imaging technique to visualize MS lesions and he crating educational tools for medical students and patients to increase awareness of MS. He has published two first authors papers from while in the lab. He is interested in Neurology and he will start Neurology residency in July 2024 at Tufts University in Boston.
Publications
Shivam is currently a MSIV at the UConn School of Medicine, he has worked in the lab for the last 2.5 years in the application of DIR imaging technique to visualize MS lesions and he crating educational tools for medical students and patients to increase awareness of MS. He has published two first authors papers from while in the lab. He is interested in Neurology and he will start Neurology residency in July 2024 at Tufts University in Boston.
Publications
National MS Society Medical Student mentorship Awardees
Clinical Research Coordinator:
Residents and Fellows:
Brenda Pulgarin, MD
Jordan Siegel, MD MPH
Graduate Students:
Rotating students
UConn Biomedical Science Graduate program
Undergraduates
Richard Ginocchio
Brooke Cyr
Laura Aquino
Residents and Fellows:
Brenda Pulgarin, MD
Jordan Siegel, MD MPH
Graduate Students:
Rotating students
UConn Biomedical Science Graduate program
- Jake graduated from Cornell University in 2021 with a B.S. from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. While at Cornell, he spent two years on the Men’s Golf Team and spent a short time conducting research in the August Laboratory. He then obtained his M.S. from New York University in 2023, where he conducted his master’s thesis in the Sahni Laboratory at the Burke Neurological Institute in White Plains, NY. His research in the Sahni Lab consisted of developing a new transgenic mouse model for studying corticospinal neuron axon growth and guidance, as well as using this mouse model to investigate the role of novel genes in re-directing corticospinal neuron axons to novel spinal targets. Prior to his undergraduate and graduate studies, he raised over $40,000 for the Connecticut Chapter of the National MS Society through a series of golf-based fundraisers.
Undergraduates
Richard Ginocchio
Brooke Cyr
Laura Aquino
Alumni & Current Positions
Timothy Nolan, MD 2020-2022
Internal Medicine Resident Brown University
Timothy (Tim) Nolan is a medical student interested in improving three-dimensional cultures of organoids to improve research in demyelinating diseases, such as MS. Tim has previously researched direct neuronal reprogramming from oligodendrocyte precursor cells, reproductive toxicology, and identifying highly conserved transcripts between rat, mouse and human sperm. Outside of research, Tim has written materials for and taught classes on the MCAT since 2017 and stays active by lifting weights and running.
Internal Medicine Resident Brown University
Timothy (Tim) Nolan is a medical student interested in improving three-dimensional cultures of organoids to improve research in demyelinating diseases, such as MS. Tim has previously researched direct neuronal reprogramming from oligodendrocyte precursor cells, reproductive toxicology, and identifying highly conserved transcripts between rat, mouse and human sperm. Outside of research, Tim has written materials for and taught classes on the MCAT since 2017 and stays active by lifting weights and running.
Dr. Charanpreet Padam MD 2019-2021
Neurology Resident UConn Neurology Program
Neurology Resident UConn Neurology Program
Katie Julian, MD 2015-2020
Internal Medicine resident, University of Colorado
Internal Medicine resident, University of Colorado
Widjan Rai, MD 2015-2019
MS and Neuroimmunology Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Sanford Health MS and Neuroimmunology attending
MS and Neuroimmunology Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Sanford Health MS and Neuroimmunology attending
Ethan Hollingsworth, MD., PhD Candidate
University of California, Irvine MSTP Program GRII (2015-2018) pursuing graduate thesis in the Kvon Lab in genetics and Genomics at UCI.
University of California, Irvine MSTP Program GRII (2015-2018) pursuing graduate thesis in the Kvon Lab in genetics and Genomics at UCI.
Dominic Julian, MD.,PhD Candidate
University of Arizona, Phoenix working in the Sattler lab in RNA editing in ALS
University of Arizona, Phoenix working in the Sattler lab in RNA editing in ALS
Thomas Mengesha MD (c) 2016-2019
MS I Ohio State University School of Medicine
MS I Ohio State University School of Medicine
Gianna D'Apolito 2016-2019
Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience major at The Ohio State University
Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience major at The Ohio State University
Austin Schoeffler (2015-2018)
MD Candidate at The Ohio State University College of Medicine (MSI) Rahil Desai (2016-2018) DO Candidate at Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona (MSI) Nicholas Yuhasz (2017-2018) Physiology Master's Student at the University of Cincinnati Tushar Goswami (2016-2017) Natalie Squires (2017) MD Candidate at Northwestern University Medical School (MSI) Chelsea Skinner (2015-2016) MD Candidate at The Ohio State University College of Medicine (MSIII) Jacob Vaughn MD Candidate at the University of Toledo College of Medicine (MSIII) Josh Orack, BS Nicholas Roe, BS Sriram Suvardula, BS International Visiting Scholars Luay Mrad, MD 2020 Pain Medicine Fellowship, University of Vermont Jamil Khoury, MD 2020 Family Medicine, Case Western Cleveland. |