Current Group Members
Dr. Menon earned his PhD in Applied Mathematics from Northwestern University, focusing on signal integration and neuronal information processing. Before joining Columbia, he was a staff scientist at the Allen Institute and a Fellow at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus, where he developed analytical methods for single-cell and bulk molecular data analysis. At Columbia, his lab employs advanced computational and experimental methods to analyze large-scale molecular data related to neurological diseases, particularly exploring differential vulnerability and resistance in neurodegenerative (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s) and neuroimmune diseases (e.g., Multiple Sclerosis).
Vilas Menon, PhD
Principal investigator
Pallavi focuses on analyzing complex data sets in neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer’s. She earned her PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Allahabad, studying exosomes in T. cruzi-infected kissing bugs. After her PhD, she completed post-doctoral training at Columbia University, analyzing Third-Generation Sequencing data. Since joining the lab in 2019, she has enhanced the understanding of neurological diseases through single-cell, single-nucleus, and spatial transcriptome analysis. Outside of research, Pallavi enjoys music, writing, and fitness.
Pallavi Gaur, PhD
Associate Research Scientist
Archana Yadav, PhD
Associate Research Scientist
Archana completed her PhD at NIPGR, India, developing machine learning models to identify regulatory regions in transcription factors involved in plant development. She briefly worked at the University of Cambridge on a global food security project, where she developed a growing interest in genomics. In her current role, Archana focuses on studying the molecular susceptibility of specific cell types in the spinal cord and brain in neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and Parkinson's disease. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, long walks, and gardening.
Jonathan is a PhD student in the Cell, Molecular, and Biological Sciences Program working at the intersection of brain aging and machine learning research. He works closely with Kristen O'Connell’s lab at the Jackson Laboratory to investigate signatures of resilience and susceptibility in the hippocampus, cortex, and hypothalamus in genetically diverse mouse models. He earned a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University, where he double majored in Chemistry and Science Communication.
Jonathan Algoo
Graduate student
Tain Luquez
Graduate student
Tain is a PhD student in the Pathobiology graduate program, and studies the molecular underpinnings of cognitive resilience to neurodegenerative diseases, using biostatistics and interpretable machine learning to make sense of big biological data. twitter:@TainLuquez
Fahad Paryani
Graduate student
Fahad is a PhD student in the Systems Biology program originally from Atlanta, Georgia. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a B.A. in Mathematics. After graduation, he worked as a research assistant at Columbia University before joining the PhD program. His research interests lie in applying statistical machine learning models to genomic platforms to better understand the etiology of various brain-related disorders. He is currently co-mentored by Dr. Osama Al-Dalahmah. Outside the lab, Fahad enjoys playing basketball, spending time with his cats, and playing the bass guitar.
Irla Belli
Graduate student
Irla Belli is a PhD student in the Pathobiology program. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from Harvard College with a A.B. in History and Science. She then worked as a research technician in the lab of Dr. Clarissa Waites, where she studied extracellular vesicle release across brain cell types as a mechanism for tau spreading in Alzheimer’s Disease. For her thesis work, she works with both Dr. Vilas Menon and Dr. Martin Picard to elucidate the predictive role of mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s. When she is not working, you can find Irla teaching yoga sculpt classes, running, trying new coffee shops / restaurants, and watching tv.
Lindsey Starr, MS
Graduate Student
Lindsey is a PhD student in the Genetics and Development program at Columbia University Medical Center. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Connecticut, and then completed her M.S. at the University of Alabama where she studied Parkinson’s disease. Lindsey is interested in analyzing how cell type specific gene expression contributes to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in the context of Alzheimer’s disease.
Rafe joined the lab in 2023 as a Bioinformatics Programmer working with single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomic datasets in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. Rafe received a B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering, as well as a B.A. in Physics from Bucknell in 2021, before transitioning into the realm of computational -omics, receiving an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University in 2022. His primary interests involve the use of statistical / machine learning models for the progression of understanding neuropathology, particularly within Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. Rafe is an avid hockey player and enjoys Ryan Gosling movies, Valorant, and NYC cuisine.
Rafe Batchelor, MS
Bioinformatics programmer
Courteney Mattison
Research Associate
Courteney earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in bioinformatics and genomics from New York University. Their current work in the lab includes single-cell, spatial, and trajectory analyses to identify cell type-specific hallmarks of brain aging. They have a strong interest in sstatistical methods, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Originally from the Hudson Valley, Courteney enjoys spending their free time hiking and rock climbing.
Jordan is a bioinformatics programmer with a background spanning biology, applied math, and data science. He joined the lab shortly after earning an MS in bioinformatics from Georgetown University. His current work in the lab involves three project areas: studying biomarkers and cell-populations associated with progression towards Alzheimer's Disease., studying markers associated with the differentiation of proprioceptor subtypes in developing mice. and developing new techniques for automated annotation of tissue features in spatial RNAseq datasets. In his free time he enjoys learning Jazz guitar and tennis.
Jordan Henry
Bioinformatics programmer
Jason obtained his Bachelor’s Degree at Columbia, followed by a Master’s in Quantitative Methods, also from Columbia. As a Bioinformatics Programmer in the lab, he works on the analysis of single-nucleus RNA-seq and ATAC-seq data, lipidomics data, and human MRI data. His projects include identifying cell type-specific changes in brain aging and characterizing putative signatures of senescence, as well as disease-related work on Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s D