Position: Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor.

Pronouns: She/her/ella.

About: Elena is originally from Asturies (Spain) where she grew up and attended University of Oviedo to get her Licenciatura in Biology. She also spent a year studying in Aristotelous University of Thessaloniki (Greece) as an Erasmus student. She got her MS in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine in Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain), and soon after, she moved to the UK to pursue her Ph.D.  under a Marie Curie ITN fellowship. She did her Ph.D. in Biochemistry with Dr. Jonathan Hanley at the University of Bristol (UK), where she studied region-specific AMPA receptor trafficking and GTPase activation in neurons under ischemic conditions. It was in 2014 when she arrived in San Diego (CA) to do her postdoc with Dr. Nicola Allen at the Salk Institute. There, she focused on the study of astrocytic regulation of synaptic plasticity during development. Now she is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at San Diego State University. The main goal of the lab is to harness the potential of astrocytes to regulate plasticity in injury and disease to improve prevention and functional recovery. Outside the lab, she likes playing guitar and ukulele, going to punk-rock shows, watching bad horror movies, and planning her next trip to Asturies.

Position: Postdoctoral Researcher (SDSU).

Pronouns: He/him.

About: Kris was born in Mission Viejo, California.  He is a molecular and cellular neurobiologist whose research explores mechanisms of neurodegeneration, synaptic plasticity, regenerative medicine, and tissue repair after injury. Kris earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of California, Davis, where his dissertation uncovered how the AMPA receptor auxiliary factors SynDIG4/PRRT1 regulate receptor trafficking and learning-related synaptic plasticity. As a CIRM Bridges Fellow, he completed his M.S. in Biomedical Science and Stem Cell Biology at San Francisco State University, conducting research in the Villeda Lab at UCSF, where he helped demonstrate that young blood rejuvenates the aging brain by activating CREB-dependent pathways of memory and regeneration. Now a postdoc in the Blanco-Suárez’s lab, Kris studies how astrocytes regulate synaptic remodeling, neurovascular recovery, and functional repair following ischemic injury. His long-term goal is to translate these findings into astrocyte-based therapeutic strategies that promote recovery and plasticity after central nervous system injury.

Outside the lab, Kris loves snowboarding, traveling, and digging through record stores to grow his vinyl collection.

Position: Ph.D. Student, Cell and Molecular Biology Joint Doctoral Program (SDSU and UCSD) 

Pronouns: He/him.

About: Alpher was born and raised in southern San Diego, California. He completed his B.S. in Biology at San Diego State University, where he began his research journey in Dr. Nicholas Shikuma’s lab studying bacterial signaling and contributing to the development of CRISPR-based tools for marine microbes. He later joined Dr. Adam Engler’s lab at UCSD through the STARS Summer Research Program, where he investigated how extracellular matrix stiffness affects cardiac fibroblast activation. This experience sparked his interest in mechanobiology and how the microenvironment influences cell behavior. Alpher is now a Ph.D. student in the Blanco Suárez Lab through the SDSU and UCSD Joint Doctoral Program. His research focuses on how astrocyte-secreted proteins shape the extracellular matrix to regulate neuronal plasticity and influence recovery after brain injury. As a first-generation scientist, he is committed to mentoring underrepresented students and supporting diversity and inclusion in STEM. Outside of the lab, Alpher enjoys boxing, playing guitar, fishing, surfing, and watching movies. 

Position: Ph.D. candidate M.D./Ph.D. program (Thomas Jefferson).

Pronouns: He/him.

About: Andrea was born and raised in downtown Philadelphia. The son of two Italian immigrants, he also spent a significant portion of his upbringing with family in Italy, and continues to visit every year. Andrea attended Brown University for his undergraduate studies, where he received his B.S. in Neuroscience in 2020, completing an honors thesis and graduating magna cum laude. During his time at Brown he worked in the laboratory of Dr. Carlos Aizenman, studying activity-dependent neural plasticity and extracellular matrix remodeling in the optic tectum of Xenopus laevis. Furthermore, he worked as a research assistant for Dr. David Yaden at Johns Hopkins’ Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, publishing several reviews on psychedelic mechanisms and clinical applications. In his gap year before graduate school, Andrea joined Dr. Gül Dölen’s lab at Johns Hopkins, where he conducted behavioral experiments in mice to investigate MDMA’s potential to reopen critical periods of plasticity. In 2021, Andrea joined the MD/PhD program at Thomas Jefferson University, where he is currently a PhD candidate in the Blanco-Suárez lab studying mechanisms of post-stroke recovery and plasticity. In his free time, Andrea enjoys spending time with his brother Pietro, playing and watching basketball with friends, trying new restaurants in the city, and traveling the world. 

Position: Ph.D. candidate Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. program, Neuroscience (Thomas Jefferson).

Pronouns: She/her.

About: Bridget grew up right outside of Philadelphia in the suburbs of Medford, New Jersey. She stayed in South Jersey to attend Rowan University and, in 2020, received her B.S. in Translational Biomedical Science. At Rowan, Bridget began her neuroscience research journey in Dr. Ileana Soto-Reye’s laboratory, where she investigated cerebellar postnatal microglia development impairment and neurodegeneration in Niemann-Pick disease type C. Bridget is currently a PhD Candidate in the Blanco-Suarez laboratory where she is investigating how astrocytes regulate region-specific changes in AMPAR subunit composition immediately after ischemic stroke, and how that relates to neuronal vulnerability to excitotoxicity. Bridget is the self-appointed party and décor coordinator of the lab. Outside of the lab, she loves going to concerts, trying new restaurants around the city, and thrifting! 

Position: Cell and Molecular Biology Master's Program (SDSU).

Pronouns: He/him.

About: Bryce was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California. He studied neuroscience at the University of California, Riverside, where he worked in the Social Neuroscience Lab of Dr. Brent Hughes investigating threat generalization. Deciding he did not like working with human subjects, Bryce applied to SDSU’s Cellular and Molecular Biology program. Bryce hopes to gain more experience in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury with the Blanco-Suarez lab, before continuing on to a PhD focusing on disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Outside of the lab, Bryce is always happy to talk about music, attends live shows, and loves hiking in and around San Diego.

Position: Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics Master's Program (SDSU).

Pronouns: She/they.

About: Reina was born in Worcester, Massachusetts but spent most of her childhood growing up in Temecula, California. She graduated from San Diego State University in 2024 with a B.S. in Cellular & Molecular Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She is currently in her second year of the Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics Master’s program at SDSU. Her research journey began in Dr. Kim Finley’s lab, where she developed a passion for bioinformatics. Starting with wet lab work consisting of Drosophila husbandry and data collection, Reina transitioned into computational analysis. She ended up building RNA-seq pipelines and exploring transcriptomics data. She later expanded her computational expertise in Dr. Faramarz Valafar’s lab, analyzing Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomes, identifying gene conversion events and transcriptional start sites.

Reina has been recognized with the NSF-funded TAPDINTO-STEM Fellowship for her contributions to advancing equity for students with disabilities in STEM. In addition, she serves as a Teaching Associate for the SDSU Genetics course where she enjoys mentoring and interacting with students.

Beyond academics, Reina can often be found performing improv at local comedy clubs, free-skating with her skate community, or spending time with friends!

Position: Biology-Physiology Concentration Master’s Program (SDSU).

Pronouns: She/her.

About: Kayla was born in the Bay Area and grew up in the Central Valley in California. She graduated in May of 2025 from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a B.S. in Animal Science, Pre-Veterinary Science. During her undergraduate studies, she was part of an animal behavior lab where they studied the effects of nutrition composition on cattle grazing behavior and body condition. She also spent lots of time shadowing dairy veterinarians where she handled calves, goats, and cows. Kayla wanted to expand her knowledge in biology and join the rigorous research community at San Diego State University. As she has just begun her Master’s program, she is excited to explore the realm of neuroscience for her thesis under the mentorship of Dr. Blanco-Suarez. Outside of work and school, Kayla is a book lover for all things fiction and enjoy baking sweet treats for her friends and family.

Position: Undergraduate Researcher (SDSU).

Pronouns: She/her.

About: Termeh was born and raised in San Jose, California. She is currently a junior at San Diego State University pursuing a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Neuroscience, with aspirations of pursuing a career in medicine. She currently tutors students in math and science and volunteers at a hospital assisting post-operative patients and working front desk. She is also a member of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA). Outside of academics, Termeh enjoys staying active by going on hikes, spending time with family and friends, and watching scary movies. 

Position: Honorary Member. Official lab pet.

Pronouns: She/her.

About: Dookie has a Ph.D. in cuteness. She appeared in a couple of Blink 182 music videos and inspired the dog emoji 🐶 . She spends most of her time sleeping or getting through life with extremely high anxiety.  She's a very good girl.