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.

Alex Contreras is a post-baccalureate graduate student at the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center. He graduated in 2021 from Ball State University with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Biology. His undergraduate research was in the over-expression of mutant T7 RNA-polymerase for transcription of 2’OMe modified RNA. He also spent two years as a teaching assistant for an active learning format Organic Chemistry lecture. During his free time, Alex loves to play piano, chess, exercise, and play with his pet rats. 

Abel Belachew is a Statistical Genetic Analyst II working with the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center's Computational Neurogenomics Team. He graduated from Marshall University with his Masters of Science in Health Informatics. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Health Outcomes and Policy Research with a concentration on Health Informatics and Information Management. In his spare time, Abel enjoys reading, playing ping pong, and watching soccer.

Jane Zyski is a Program Manager at Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center, working with the Computational Neurogenomics Team. She received her Master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of Central Florida and her Bachelor’s in International Business from Rollins College, with a minor in Spanish. Prior to joining the VUMC team, Jane worked with the Northwestern Medicine Patient Engagement Team, overseeing patient and employee surveying, data collection and focus groups for the Central Region.

Jane enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and goldendoodle, Luke. She especially loves to visit her home state of Florida and her second home of Cape May, New Jersey.

Dr. Panpan Zhang is a biostatistician and an Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Zhang’s research focuses on the development of novel statistical methods for assessing dementia risk in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Specifically, Dr. Zhang investigates new statistical methods for biomarker evaluations and imaging data analysis, with particular interest in the missing data, high dimensional data, longitudinal data analysis problems that arise from Alzheimer’s disease and other collaborative research. Dr. Zhang serves as a co-investigator with the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project and the Data Management & Statistics Core Co-Leader for the Vanderbilt Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Dr. Zhang received his master’s degree in mathematics from Wake Forest University, and a PhD in statistics from the George Washington University. Dr. Zhang joined the Department of Statistics at the University of Connecticut as a Visiting Assistant Professor and completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics at the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2022.

Dr. James Eaton is a neurologist and an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Eaton’s research interests include the interplay between inflammation and the immune system with neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Eaton sees memory referral patients as part of the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology in the Department of Neurology and serves as a co-investigator with the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project and the Vanderbilt Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Dr. Eaton completed medical school at the Zucker School of Medicine in New York. He completed his residency in neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical School followed by a neuroimmunology fellowship and a cognitive and behavioral neurology fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2022.

Dr. James Eaton is a neurologist and an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Eaton’s research interests include the interplay between inflammation and the immune system with neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Eaton sees memory referral patients as part of the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology in the Department of Neurology and serves as a co-investigator with the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project and the Vanderbilt Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Dr. Eaton completed medical school at the Zucker School of Medicine in New York. He completed his residency in neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical School followed by a neuroimmunology fellowship and a cognitive and behavioral neurology fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2022.