About Us

Dr. John is an accomplished medicinal chemist and leads the Drug Discovery Laboratory (DDL) at the Department of Neurology at UCLA. Dr. John is a member of the Alzheimer's Disease Program in the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease. The DDL team consists of scientists and skilled technicians with basic science and drug development experience who have joined the lab to find effective, safe therapeutics for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The DDL team identifies preclinical candidates and then establishes partnerships to progress these therapeutic agents from bench to bedside. Previously Dr. John was with Athena Neurosciences and Elan Pharmaceuticals for 18 years where he led a team of medicinal chemists developing drugs for central nervous system (CNS) diseases with a focus on AD. His work at Elan led to clinical candidates that went into advanced human trials. Dr. John is an inventor on over 100 pending or issued patents on compounds and analogs for CNS related targets.

Dr. Jagodzinska is a medicinal chemist, with many years of drug discovery experience in the pharmaceutical industry (Elan Pharmaceuticals, Novartis and Kelsius Inc.). She is a member of the Alzheimer's Disease Program in the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease under the direction of Professor Dale E. Bredesen, M.D. For the last several years Dr. Jagodzinska consulted for the Alzheimer's Drug Development Network (ADDN). At ADDN she focused on drug discovery with novel targets in neurodegenerative diseases and AD through analoging and small molecule optimization for potency and bioavailability. In collaboration with the Dominican University of California she established a Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory for preparation and characterization of analogs. During her tenure at Elan Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Jagodzinska was part of the γ-secretase and BACE inhibitor program teams. Systematically synthesized a family of inhibitors and identified a target specific nanomolar lead candidates as effective inhibitors of APP processing. She acted as a liaison between Chemistry and Pharmacology during optimization phase of the AD project during collaboration between Elan and Pharmacia, later Pfizer.

Patricia has over 20 years of experience in neurodegenerative disease research, including 12 years with world-renowned neuropathologist Stephen J. DeArmond, M.D., Ph.D., and Nobel Laureate, Stanley Prusiner, M.D. at the University of California, San Francisco. For the last ten years, her focus has been on development of new therapeutics as part of an Alzheimer's disease (AD) drug discovery team following a pharmaceutical industry model in an academic research setting. Patricia played a key role in the ADDN at the Buck and her work has resulted in advancement of AD therapeutic candidate tropisetron to clinical trials. In the Drug Discovery lab Patricia supervises and performs in vivo pharmacokinetic/dynamic studies, collects and analyzes all project data, and she is frequently the presenter of project status to funding partners. The success of our current program, starting at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, CA and continuing at the Drug Discovery Lab at UCLA, has resulted in generation of multiple NCEs and garnered significant venture capital investment. In addition to writing grants and three first-author publications in the last 6 years, Patricia gave presentations at international scientific conferences such as the Alzheimer's Association International Conference and the Society for Neuroscience Conference, and to the lay public.

Jesus has over 6 years of experience in a broad range of analytical chemistry techniques, molecular biology, enzymology and protein assays, and nanoparticles synthesis for controlled drug release. He has developed expertise in screening compound libraries, designing screening methodologies, and performing expanded in vitro studies of test compounds. Jesus is currently working on screening the 200K UCLA small molecule library for various targets to identify new and novel AD targets, formulations of nanoliposomes to improve drug brain penetration and solubility, and determining ADME profile of compounds. He was part of the Alzheimer's Drug Development Network (ADDN) at The Buck Institute for Research on Aging which focuses on developing new therapeutics for AD. His contribution to ADDN supported the generation of multiple new chemical entities (NCEs) that caught the attention of significant venture capital investors. In addition, his ongoing work in the drug discovery research has resulted in co-authorship on two manuscripts in 2014.

I have the expertise, leadership, training, and motivation necessary to successfully carry out the proposed research project for the Air Force grant. I have a broad background in neuroscience, with specific training and expertise in neurodegenerative animal model study, pre-clinical trial management, histology and pathology in rodents and secondary data analysis. I am currently the director for Brain Research Institute microscopic core facility at UCLA. My research involves pre-clinical drug trials in mouse models of Parkinson's(PD) and Huntington's (HD) diseases. I am the senior member of the laboratory and my expertise in neuropathology has enabled me to become a key member of research projects in the lab and to lead the neuropathological analyses in these projects. I am also in charge of in vivo drug administration and behavioral assessment for some of these studies. I am actively involved in teaching and mentoring students. I have trained a number of undergraduate and graduate students in histological techniques and supervised other staff research associates in their work involving in vivo mouse work, histology and pathology. I also train, advise and help postdoctoral researchers in their research involving histology and pathology. Additionally, these experiences have provided me with leadership skills that have been invaluable in assembling the unique team of UCLA investigators who will contribute to the research efforts described in the proposal entitled, 'Salivary Exosome (nsEV) Analysis to Elucidate Intercelluar Signaling Events that Precede Pilot Fatigue & Impaired Cognition,' that we have submitted to the Air Force Office for Scientific Research Human Performance & Biosystems Department.

I'm excited about having the opportunity to act as Project Coordinator in the context of this consortium research effort and am confident that I can excel in this role to provide the Air Force with excellent returns on its investment of resources in our team's cognitive fatigue biomarker discovery and validation studies. I appreciate the AFOSR's consideration of our request for these research resources and look forward to putting together our unique blend of capabilities to work in helping the Air Force further its standing as the planet's most technologically advanced airborne combat group.

Bruce Teter received a B.S. in marine biology and a minor in chemistry from Cal. State U., Long Beach, and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Southern California, studying DNA structure in control of protein binding and gene expression. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in neurogerontology focusing on epigenetic control of gene expression changes with aging, working with Dr. Caleb Finch at the Andrus Gerontology Center in the School of Gerontology at USC. In 1996 he joined the lab of Dr. Greg Cole at UCLA and is currently Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology, and Chief of the ApoE Research Laboratory and Research Associate at GRECC at Veterans Administration, GLAHS. He began work in Dr. Varghese John's lab in 2021, where he leads a project on genetic engineering of apoE4, and contributes to molecular biology aspects of other drug development projects. Dr. Teter's research focuses on the neurobiology of apolipoprotein E (apoE), and how apoE4 is the major genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Teter has published seminal works on the influence of apoE4 in inhibits neuroplasticity. His current research examines how apoE4 increases inflammation and modulates the innate immune system. These and other phenotypes of apoE4 are being examined for their mechanisms and potential as a target for therapeutic drugs, and lifestyle effects of exercise. Another tactic is to target the ApoE4 gene itself, genetically engineering it to the ApoE3 form.

Dongwook has 2+ years of experience in a broad range of organic chemistry techniques and small molecules synthesis. He graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. While studying at UMN, he spent 2 years involved in Dr. Wayland Noland's lab, working on the synthesis Diels-Alders compounds with heterocycles nitrogen compounds for dementia diseases by utilizing analytical methods including solid-liquid extraction for testing for medicinal activity. He then received a M.S in Pharmaceutical Sciences from USC in 2021. Shortly after, Dongwook joined the Drug Discovery Lab in 2021 and is currently working as a chemist. In the DDL lab, he strives to synthesize several different small molecules for the treatment of skeletal muscle and pulmonary dysfunction in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He is focusing on synthesizing brain permeable small molecule mimetics of the Humanin Peptide as a novel target for modulating neurodegenerative diseases, while utilizing techniques including flash chromatography, flow chemistry, liquid-liquid extraction, and interpreting data by using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Agilent 1290 HPLC System, and MS/MS (Agilent 6460 Triple Quadrupole).

Samar graduated from UCLA in 2024 with a B.S. in Psychobiology and a minor in Spanish. She is passionate about exploring drug development for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. She aspires to pursue an MD, with particular interests in neurology, psychiatry, and health equity. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing pickleball, watching live music, and speed-racing the NYT Mini.

Angelo is a second-year undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles, majoring in Psychobiology and minoring in Neuroscience. He operates in the DDL’s Chemistry branch by performing ADME assays to evaluate preclinical small molecule drug candidates for CNS disorders, such as Alzheimer’s (AD). These include in-vitro assays testing metabolic stability, tissue binding, and blood-brain barrier permeability, as well as in-vivo pharmacokinetics. In the future, Angelo aspires to work in geriatric medicine and help find a treatment for AD and dementia. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing the guitar and singing with his a cappella group, Resonance.

Eddie is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Human Biology and Society with an expected graduation date in 2025. Eddie is involved in early stage drug discovery for both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. He is primarily responsible for testing hit compounds from screens for functionality and probing for the modulation of key proteins to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of hit compounds. Eddie is heavily involved in the intellectual development of projects/grants and aspires to pursue an MD program at the conclusion of his undergraduate career.

Manya is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles, pursuing a Biochemistry major, and expected to graduate in 2025. At DDL, Manya is actively involved in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease. She maintains cell lines which are used to evaluate hit compounds for their functionality and also performs biological assays such as BCA, ELISA, and AlphaLISA to study the regulation of key proteins in Alzheimer’s Disease. After her undergraduate studies, Manya aspires to build a career in the biopharmaceutical industry and contribute to scientific advancements. Outside of the lab, Manya is passionate about dancing and is trained in the Indian classical dance form, Kathak.

Alicia is a second-year biochemistry undergraduate at UCLA. She is interested in pharmaceutical research and drug discovery, At DDL, Alicia has been involved with various biochemical assays to test the potency of potential Alzheimer's disease compounds. In her free time, Alicia likes to play badminton and do arts and crafts!

Anisa is studying Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles and expects to graduate in 2025. At DDL she focuses on developing her skills relating to early-stage drug discovery for neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. In particular, she enjoys helping maintain cell lines, carrying out immunoassays and performing in-vitro ADME/T assays. After graduating Anisa hopes to continue pursuing research and go to medical school. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time with her friends, cooking and exploring Los Angeles!

Yuan Xin is studying Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics at UCLA and expects to graduate in 2026. At DDL, she hopes to gain more research experience in drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. She is currently responsible for harvesting, and maintaining neuronal cell lines, and running immunoassays. In her free time, Yuan Xin likes to do the New York Times' crossword puzzle, reading, and swimming. After graduating, she hopes to pursue higher education in a similar field.

Meghan is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles majoring in Neuroscience with an expected graduation date in 2025. Meghan is primarily involved in performing ADME assays to evaluate preclinical drug candidates for Alzheimer's Disease. After graduation, Meghan hopes to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant and specialize in Neurology or Neurosurgery. Outside of the lab, Meghan enjoys playing tennis, reading, and exploring new coffee shops. .