The SDSU ADAR Program

Emilee joined the ADAR Program in August 2025. She is mentored by Drs. Kelsey Thomas and Katherine Bangen at UCSD. Their research involves Cognitive Aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, MCI, Subtle Cognitive Decline, Biomarkers, Vascular Risk, Diabetes, and Everyday Functioning. Emilee attended the 2026 summer research opportunities program at the University of Iowa.

Belen joined the ADAR Program in August 2025. She is mentored by Drs Kelsey Thomas and Katherine Bangen at UCSD. Their research involves Cognitive Aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, MCI, Subtle Cognitive Decline, Biomarkers, Vascular Risk, Diabetes, and Everyday Functioning. Belen attended the 2026 summer research opportunities program at the University of Iowa.

Tiara joined the ADAR Program in August 2025. She is mentored by Dr. Ariana Stickel in the Brain Research In Latino Life-course Aging (BRILLA) Lab examining the impact of cardiovascular disease risk factors on cognition and risk for dementia.

Angel was selected as an ADAR scholar in the summer of 2024. He is working in the research lab of Dr. Alejandra Morlett-Paredes at UCSD. Angel attended the University of Florida's 2025 summer research program.

Uriel joined the ADAR Program in the Spring of 2023. He is mentored by Dr. Katherine Bangen in the Neuropsychology of Vascular Aging and Alzheimer’s Lab at UCSD. Uriel attended the summer research program at Columbia University in 2024. He is currently working on his honor's thesis and applying to graduate programs.

Abel joined the ADAR Program in 2021. He worked in the laboratory of Dr. Brent Mausbach at UCSD researching factors impacting informal caregivers of dementia. He attended the Summer Neuroscience Internship Program at the University of Florida in the summer of 2022. Abel graduated from the ADAR Program in May of 2025 and is now a first-year doctoral candidate at The University of Florida's graduate school program.

Melanie joined the ADAR Program in 2022. She was mentored by Dr. David Salmon at the UCSD Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Her research focused on factors associated with the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. Melanie attended her summer research program at Stanford University. Melanie graduated from the ADAR Program in May of 2025, and is a first-year doctoral candidate at the University of Southern California's graduate school program.

Alin joined the ADAR Program in 2021 and worked in the laboratory of Dr. Lisa Delano-Wood at UCSD's Department of Veteran Affairs Office. Alin graduated from SDSU and the ADAR Program in 2024. She is currently a second-year graduate student at Binghamton University in New York.

Teresa joined the ADAR Program in 2019. She worked in the lab of Dr. Carol Franz at UCSD and graduated with her BA in 2022. She is attending a PhD program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Pearl entered the ADAR Program in 2018. She was mentored by Dr. Mark Bondi at UCSD researching Pupillary Responses as a Risk and Staging Biomarker of Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease. Pearl graduated from SDSU & the ADAR Program in 2021. She is currently a third-year graduate student at the University of Utah.

Alan entered into the ADAR Program in 2018. He worked under the mentorship of Dr. Lisa Eyler at UCSD researching Dynamic Inflammatory and Mood Predictors of Cognitive Aging in Bipolar Disorder. Alan graduated with his B.A. from SDSU and the ADAR Program in 2021, and is currently a graduate student at SDSU.

Danielle was accepted into the ADAR Program in 2018. Danielle was mentored by Dr. Katie Bangen at UCSD researching Neuroimaging and Vascular Correlates of Mild Cognitive Impairment Subtypes. Danielle graduated from SDSU & the ADAR Program in 2021, and is currently attending a PhD program at UC Riverside.

Daniela joined the ADAR Program in 2017. She conducted research at the lab of Dr. Mark Bondi at UCSD. Daniela graduated from SDSU and the ADAR Program in 2020. She is currently attending a Ph.D. program at Texas A&M.

Hector joined the ADAR Program in 2017. He conducted research in the lab of Dr. David Salmon at UCSD. Hector graduated from the ADAR Program with his BA from SDSU in 2020. He is currently attending a Ph.D. program at Utah State University.

Vanessa joined the ADAR Program in 2017. She worked in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Heaton at UCSD. Vanessa graduated from the ADAR Program with her BS from SDSU in 2020. She is currently attending the SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program.

Riki joined the ADAR program in 2017. She conduced research in the lab of Dr. Carol Franz at UCSD. Riki graduated with her BA from SDSU and the ADAR program in 2020. She is attending a Ph.D. program at Pennsylvania State University.

Gabby joined the program in 2016. She was mentored by Dr. Mausbach at UCSD. Gabby graduated from SDSU and the ADAR Program in 2019. She is currently attending a PhD program in Health Psychology at The Ohio State University.

Jeremy joined the ADAR Program in 2016 and worked in the lab of Dr. Raeanne Moore at UCSD. He graduated with his B.A. from in 2019 and is currently attending a PhD program at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Asad joined the program in 2015. He was mentored by Dr. William Kremen at UCSD. Asad graduated from SDSU and the ADAR Program in 2018 and is a graduate student at the University of Washington's Graduate Program in Neuroscience.

Jennifer joined the program in 2015. She was mentored by Dr. Colin Depp at UCSD. Jennifer graduated from SDSU and the ADAR Program in 2018. She is a graduate student in clinical psychology at the University of Montana.

Ilse joined the program in 2014. She was mentored by Dr. Robert Heaton at UCSD. She graduated from SDSU and the ADAR Program in 2017. She is a graduate student at USC.

Neco became an ADAR scholar in 2014. He conducted research in the lab of Dr. Robert Heaton on racial health disparities in minority populations. In 2017 Neco graduated from SDSU and the ADAR Program. He is a graduate student attending the Clinical PhD program at the University of Washington in St. Louis.

Emily was accepted to the ADAR Program in 2014. She conducted research at the Center for Healthy Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease Research under the direction of Dr. Paul Gilbert. Emily graduated from SDSU and the ADAR Program in 2017. She is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology at Arizona State University.