Principal Investigator

Hassan A Ali, PhD, MSM

Hassan is an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery and Medicine at the University of Miami, Research Track. 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 University of Miami and in Europe. 

Research Associate II

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.

Senior Research Associate III

Javier Varona, PhD

Javier has over 6 years of experience in kidney biology research, and has carried out several collaborative projects with industry partners, giving him thorough understanding of the scientific rigor necessary for translatable research. He is facile with assay development, screening, and molecular biology techniques. 

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.

Incoming Graduate Student

Abdiel Josue Badillo-Martinez

Abdiel is an incoming 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 members of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics in the National Institute of Health studying the role of Genetics in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Addiction. We are very excited to have Abdiel join our team!