The HaydarLab started in 2002 and was initially part of the Center for Neuroscience Research (CNR) at Children’s National before moving to Boston University (Dept. Anatomy and Neurobiology) in 2010. In 2020, the lab moved back to Washington D.C. and the CNR to participate in the vibrant and cutting-edge translational neuroscience offered at Children’s National.

Our People:

Tarik F. Haydar – Professor and Principal Investigator

1992 – BS, Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst: with John Burand (Gypsy Moth Virus) and Anne Simon (RNA Virus recombination)

1997 – PhD, University of Maryland School of Medicine: with Bruce Krueger and Paul Yarowsky (brain development of the Ts16 mouse model of Down syndrome)

2002 – Postdoctoral Fellow, Yale Medical School: with Pasko Rakic (cellular molecular forebrain development)

William A. Tyler– Assistant Research Professor

Dr. Tyler uses molecular, surgical and imaging techniques to study the development of the mammalian forebrain.

Zhen Li – Research Postdoctoral Fellow – http://zhenli.name

2011 – BS, Neuroscience, Dickinson College: with Tony Pires (marine gastropod metamorphosis)

2017 – PhD, Neuroscience, Yale University: with Nenad Sestan (cortical neurogenesis and single cell RNAseq)

2020 – Postdoctoral Associate, UCSD: with Joseph G. Gleeson (single cell genomics)

Patricia Shaw – Senior Scientist, Pathlight

2015 – BS, Psychology (minors in Biology and Neuroscience), College of Charleston: with Thomas Ross and Thomas Jhou (neuropsychology and aversive behaviors)

2015 – Intern, Pfizer: Department of Inflammation and Immunology (Drak 1/2 kinase in immune activation)

2020 – PhD, Neuroscience, Boston University: with Tarik Haydar (pharmacological intervention in trisomy 21, neural development and neurobehavior)

Samantha Shelton – Virologist, PureTech Health

2014 – BS, Cellular and Molecular Biology, with Sengi Hu (Psychology of prejudice and changes in perception caused by cultural differences); BA, Psychology, Humboldt State University: with Ethan Gahtan (L-Dopa induced dopaminergic cell loss)

2015 – CIRM Fellow, UCSF: with John Rubenstein (Cell autonomous modulation of ASD candidate gene expression in transplanted neural progenitor cells in vivo)

Present – PhD candidate, Graduate Program for Neuroscience with specialization in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University: with Tarik Haydar (Zika virus effects on cortical neurogenesis)

Jenny Klein– PhD Candidate Boston University

2013 – BS, Biological Sciences, University of Vermont: with Scott Morrical (DNA replication and repair in T4 bacteriophage) 

2015 – Research Technician, Brandeis University: with Nelson Lau (optimization CRISPR-Cas9 for transgene integration efficiency)

Present – PhD Candidate, Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University: with Tarik Haydar (oligodendrocyte differentiation and maturation in Down syndrome using iPSCs)

Khristine Amber Pasion – Research Tech III

2002 – BS, Biology, University of the Philippines – Diliman: with Ronald Matias (expression and purification of the recombinant dengue-3 non-structural protein 1 (NS1)

2009 – MS, Biology, University of the Philippines – Diliman: with Corazon Buerano (analysis of SNPs in the adiponectin and lipoprotein lipase genes among Filipinos with or without coronary artery disease)

Zeynep Atak – PhD Student

2018 – BS, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Middle East Technical University: with Cagdas Son (G-proteins and G-protein coupled receptors) 

2019 – Research Assistant, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Middle East Technical University: with Cagdas Son (G-proteins and G-protein coupled receptors)

2020 – Research Fellow, Boston University: with Tarik Haydar

Ronni Kurzion – Undergraduate Student

2021 – BA, Chemistry: Biochemistry, Boston University: with Tarik Haydar and Ella Zeldich (cortical neurogenesis and 3D spheroids)