Paresh Prajapati, PhD
Dr. Paresh Prajapati investigates the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in neuroinflammation, autophagy, and mitochondrial homeostasis, with a focus on neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic brain injury (TBI). His PhD research explored miRNA-mediated regulation of autophagy in Parkinson’s disease, while his postdoctoral work has uncovered the role of inflammatory miRNAs in neurotrauma, particularly their enrichment in mitochondria-associated membranes and trafficking in response to injury. He has also contributed to understanding the regulatory role of ubiquitin E3 ligases in pathways associated with oxidative stress. His current work focuses on nanoparticle-based miRNA therapeutics, aiming to uncover novel targets for treating neurodegeneration and neurotrauma. To find out more about Dr. Prajapati, please visit this link!
Guogen Mao, PhD
Dr. Guogen Mao boasts over two decades of expertise and accomplishments across diverse medical fields, including Alzheimer’s disease, toxicology, cardiovascular disease, cancer pathology, and geriatric medicine. He possesses extensive experimental and operational expertise, such as molecular biochemistry, cell biology, and general animal experiments. His specialization lies in microRNA processing and regulation, DNA damage/mismatch repair mechanisms, and genomics/epigenomics regulation.
Urim Geleta
Urim graduated from the University of Kentucky and joined the Wang Lab in May of 2023. She is excited to begin working on her MD/PhD degree this fall and continue her journey in research and medicine. Outside of academics, she enjoys food (but leaves the cooking to others), reading anything fun, and hiking whenever she gets the chance.
Yamaan Shakhashiro
Yamaan graduated from the University of Kentucky in December of 2022 with a degree in Neuroscience. He joined the Wang Lab in the April 2024, and is currently working as a lab technician. This fall, he will be starting medical school at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Outside of the lab, he enjoys reading books, hanging out with friends, and traveling.
Doug Price
Doug is an expert in electron microscopy, with a particular passion for exploring the ultrastructure of aging human brains. Through meticulous procedure and techniques, Doug helps unveil the remarkable intricacies of normal, aged, and diseased human brain.
Jahid Islam, PhD
A researcher at the intersection of nanotechnology and personalized medicine, Dr. Jahid’s expertise spans drug delivery, metabolomics, proteomics, and genomics within animal models and advanced cell culture systems. He is also specialized in target-specific nanocarriers and patient-derived organoids—key platforms for personalized medicine research. His work focuses on translational science bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical applications. Current research priorities include finding biomarkers and novel targets, advanced drug delivery systems and microRNA-assisted nano-therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
