Dr. Monica M. Santisteban is a neuroscientist specializing in neuroimmune and neurovascular physiology, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Santisteban's research interests focus on the mechanisms of the neurovascular dysfunction and cognitive impairment produced by hypertension, a leading risk factor for stroke and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The goal of her research is to make discoveries that will advance our understanding of the deleterious impact of hypertension on cognitive function and brain health.

Dr. Santisteban completed her doctoral degree in physiology at the University of Florida, and a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medicine Brain and Mind Research Institute.

Amy Houchins is a Program Manager at the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center. She graduated from Austin Peay State University with a bachelor's of science in English and writing. 

Bryan Jackson is a Data Science Associate at the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2012 from Texas A&M University. He also earned a PhD in cognitive psychology and neuroscience from Texas A&M University in 2022 for his work in determining whether the interconnectivity of subcortical networks spanning the cerebellum and basal ganglia were predictive of cortical network interconnectivity, mental health symptoms, and psychosis-related diagnoses and symptomotology.

Bryan is passionate about LGBTQIA+ advocacy and spends his time with his partner and dogs exploring hiking trials and good restaurants.

Ting-Chen Wang is a PhD student in human genetics under the mentorship of Dr. Logan Dumitrescu at the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center. Ting-Chen graduated in 2021 from Baylor University in Waco, Texas with a bachelor’s of science in bioinformatics. Ting-Chen's research interests focus on studying the sex-specific genetic architecture of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias to develop precision medicine therapeutic approaches.

Ashley Emerson is a Research Programs Manager at the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center. She graduated from Sullivan University in May 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing. During her tenure as Director of Administrative Services for The Heritage at Brentwood, she served as administrative and technology lead for over 300 senior residents.

In her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time with her family, reading, learning and traveling.

Francis Cambronero is completing her Ph.D. in Neuroscience under the mentorship of Dr. Angela Jefferson at the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center. Francis earned her bachelor's degree from Harvard College in Neurobiology with a concentration in Global Health & Health Policy. Prior to joining Vanderbilt University, Francis worked at the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Sciences studying the effects of metabolic risk on functional brain phenotypes and neuropsychiatric functioning.

Francis' current research interests are focused on understanding how vascular risk factors, including aortic stiffness and cerebral artery variations, relate to neurovascular and cognitive dysfunction among aging adults. She is particularly interested in risk stratification, including contributions from genetic susceptibility markers of Alzheimer’s disease and social determinants of health. Francis' work utilizes cardiac imaging, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological methods to study changes across the cognitive aging spectrum.

Elena Griffo is a Lead Communications Specialist at the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center. She received a bachelor’s degree in integrated strategic communications from the University of Kentucky in 2016. During her tenure at GS&F, an integrated marketing agency, Elena led social media, public relations, and communications strategy for a variety of clients, including an academic medical center. She is passionate about health literacy and values her role in making health information more accessible to the general public.

During her free time, Elena enjoys live music, cooking, exercising, and spending time with friends.

Jared is a PhD student in the Department of Pharmacology under the mentorship of Dr. Timothy Hohman in VMAC's Computational Neurogenomics Team. Jared grew up in San Diego, CA and earned his BS in Neuroscience: Systems, Behavior and Plasticity from Temple University before joining the IGP at Vanderbilt. Jared's research interests are focused on the application of genome-wide analysis to develop precision medicine interventions for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Alexis Yates is a PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program and is co-advised by Dr. Ethan Lippmann (VU, ChBE) and Dr. Angela Jefferson (Director, VMAC). Alexis grew up in Sacramento, CA and earned her bachelor of science in biochemistry at Biola University before moving to Nashville in 2019 to join the IMS program. She is interested in brain endothelial cell mechanobiology and the influence of age-associated hemodynamic changes on the development of neurovascular disease, particularly vascular dementias.

Caroline Baggeroer is a second year PhD student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program under the mentorship of Drs. Angela Jefferson and Fiona Harrison. Caroline grew up in Westford, MA and got her B.S. in Molecular Biology and Neuroscience from Syracuse University. She joined Vanderbilt’s IGP in the fall of 2021. Her research interests are focused on the impact of larger artery hemodynamics on Alzheimer’s disease pathology.