Principal Investigator

Hassan A. Ali, PhD, MSM

Hassan is an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery and Medicine at the University of Miami (UM), and Director of High Content Screening and Phenotypic Drug Discovery. He is a member of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, the Katz Drug Discovery Center, and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer center. Hassan's primary research interest is understanding the role of kinases in proper functioning and repair of the central nervous system (CNS), and utilizing this knowledge to develop therapeutics that can heal the CNS after injury or neurodegenerative disease. In addition to this, Hassan is very active in the areas of kidney disease and cancer research. He also has pet interest in the subject of personalized cancer therapy, which he pursues with collaborators at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Assistant Scientist

Macarena Vergara, PhD

Macarena has a PhD in Cellular and Molecular biology. She is a highly skilled neuroscientist with experience in laboratory management and expertise in a wide range of analytical techniques and methods. She has worked on diverse research topics: identification of therapeutics targets for eating disorders, obesity and metabolic diseases; the role of microbiota in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases and the role of dopamine in innate emotions. Currently, she is working in the Ali lab on a number of translational projects aimed at developing early-stage CNS therapeutic leads into clinical candidates.

Graduate Student

Abdiel Josue Badillo-Martinez, BSc

Abdiel is a Graduate Student in the University of Miami’s Program in Biomedical Science —Neuroscience program. As a previous member of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Abdiel is experienced in histology, surgery, and behavioral analyses in animal models of CNS Injury. He was previously a member of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics in the National Institute of Health studying the role of Genetics in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Addiction.

Research Associate I

Indigo Williams, BSc

Indigo is a proud Miami native with a B.Sc in Chemistry from Purdue University.  She has previous experience preparing bioassays for high-throughput DESI-MS analysis to study cell receptor binding to opioids and enzyme kinetics. Her main research interests lie in medicinal chemistry and novel therapeutics for chronic illnesses. She plans on eventually continuing her education by joining an MD/PhD program. 

Graduate Student

Andres Jose Florez, BSc

Andres is a student in UM's 5-year BSc/MSc Biomedical Engineering program. His thesis project in the Ali lab centers on developing image analysis and computational workflows for quantifying drug effects in rodent models of spinal cord injury (SCI). He has experience with biomedical research including wet lab benchwork, cell culture, and imaging. He is also learning to perform tissue clearing  (brain, spinal cord) for 3D imaging with light sheet microscopy. After completing his MSc, Andres plans on pursuing a PhD in Bioengineering. His primary interest in is tissue engineering research, with specific interest in Spinal Cord Injury.

Undergraduate Research Student

Cole Michael Foster

Cole is an undergraduate student at the University of Miami (Neuroscience major). He participates in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Authentic Research Lab and PRISM programs at UM and plans to attend medical school to become a neurosurgeon. His main research interests lie in the central nervous system, such as developing therapeutics to treat injuries resulting from physical trauma, demyelinating diseases, and other degenerative disorders. He is also interested in the field of neuro-oncology, researching treatments for cancers that affect the nervous system.

Visiting Scholar 

Rachel Njeim, PharmD, PhD

Rachel Njeim is a research scholar currently training in drug discovery and planning to pursue a postdoc research fellowship in the Ali Lab in February of 2023. Rachel holds a PharmD degree from the Lebanese American University and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the American University of Beirut (Dr. Ali's alma mater). Rachel’s graduate studies focused on elucidating the renoprotective role of mesenchymal stem cells in diabetic kidney disease, with a particular focus on NETosis. Rachel’s work has set new milestones in understanding the pathophysiology of diabetic kidney disease. Throughout her extensive training, Rachel has proposed a large body of therapeutic modalities in the quest for a definitive treatment for diabetic kidney disease.

Undergraduate Research Student 

Haley Gye

Haley is an undergraduate student at the University of Miami. She is majoring in biology with plans to attend medical school. At UM, she participates in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Authentic Research Lab program. She is interested in medical research pertaining to nephrology and oncology, including the development of medications to treat chronic diseases, such as Diabetic Kidney Disease. Some of her other interests include genetics and the role of senescent cells in aging.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Jeffrey Pressly, PhD

Jeffrey Pressly is a Postdoctoral Fellow (PI: Dr. Alessia Fornoni) studying the role of lipid trafficking in kidney disease. He is working closely with the Ali lab to discover and advance novel therapeutics targeting these mechanisms.  Jeffrey's graduate studies focused on novel roles of accessory to g-protein-coupled receptor signaling and cannabinoid receptor type 2 activation in acute kidney injury. His current postdoctoral research is focused on lipid transfer proteins and the role of intracellular lipid trafficking in podocytes within the context of chronic kidney disease. Jeffrey's academic training has given him a broad experience that spans pharmaceutical sciences, drug discovery, cell biology, and renal physiology, which he is now deploying to discover novel therapeutics for kidney disease. 

Research Associate II (Former Member)

Melissa Munoz, BSc

Melissa is highly proficient with carrying out primary cell preparations and conducting biochemical and cell-based screening assays. She also has experience with animal models of CNS injury, including pre- and post-op care, histological analysis, and data collection. Melissa has now moved on to pursue lifelong educational and personal goals. We are very proud of her accomplishments.