Our Team

David Irwin, MD

Dr. Irwin is a cognitive neurologist, clinical core leader at the Penn FTDC, co-PI of the Lewy Body Dementia Association Research Center of Excellence at Penn, and PI of the Penn Digital Neuropathology Laboratory. He previously trained as a postdoctoral fellow at both the Penn FTDC under Dr. Murray Grossman and the Penn Center for Neurodegenerative Disease research under Dr. John Trojanowski where he had dual training in cognitive neurology and neuropathology/biomarkers in neurodegenerative disease. This blend of experiences in cognitive neurology and neuropathology led to the unique translational approach of the Penn DNPL. Dr. Irwin continues to evaluate and treat patients at the Penn FTDC. Dr. Irwin enjoys time with his wife and two small children who have taught him birding and gardening. He also enjoys fishing at the Schuylkill River each spring.

Daniel Ohm, PhD

Dan completed his PhD in Neuroscience at Northwestern University investigating the cellular and pathologic determinants of MRI-based cortical atrophy in the aphasic variant of Alzheimer's disease. Dan is currently interested in identifying the most vulnerable brain regions and cell types to abnormal protein deposits known as tau inclusions and TDP-43 inclusions. Dan develops new digital methods to quantify changes to the arrangement and quantity of neurons and axons (cytoarchitecture and myeloarchitecture) in postmortem brain regions to understand how microscopic patterns of disease relate to macroscopic functional networks, cognitive decline, and in vivo biomarkers. When not in lab, Dan enjoys being outdoors and finding new mountains to hike with his friends and family.

Sanaz Arezoumandan, MD

Sanaz received her MD from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Before joining DNPL in 2020, she conducted research on animal models of Alzheimer's disease and TDP-43 proteinopathy. Sanaz is interested in studying tau pathology in AD and related dementias. To gain an understanding of cellular vulnerabilities and temporal progression of tau pathology, she is investigating post-translational modifications of tau and neurofibrillary tangle maturation in postmortem brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Outside of research, Sanaz enjoys running and spending time with family and friends.

Winifred Trotman

Noah Capp

Noah joined the lab in December 2020; he has spent his career as an engineer solving complex problems relating to various public health challenges. Noah graduated from Temple University with a B.S. in Computer Engineering in 2019. During this time, he worked at the NEDC lab at Temple, developing autonomous seizure detection systems. Noah is working to improve the lab’s data processing capabilities, creating algorithms and methods to measure various characteristics in our IHC slides. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer and running and is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club.
 

Eric Teunissen-Bermeo

MaKayla Lowe

MaKayla joined the lab in September 2021 after she completed her M.H.S from Johns Hopkins. She earned her B.S. in Psychology, at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) where she studied the relationship between mental health and the aging brain under Dr. Howard Aizenstein.  After Hopkins, MaKayla returned to Pitt as an intern where she examined the distribution of amyloid-beta precursor protein and calcium in silent cerebral infarction in Sickle Cell Disease. Outside of the lab, MaKayla enjoys trying new foods, listening to music, and doing anything adventurous. 

Alejandra Bahena

Alejandra joined our lab as a student in summer 2019. After graduating from Penn in 2022, she transitioned to a research specialist.  Alejandra designs tools for digital histology image analysis. She also contributed to our investigation into the selective vulnerability of the Locus Coeruleus in proteinopathies. Her career goal is to become a neurologist, so she is grateful to be part of the lab and drives her future career interests. She also enjoys directly interacting with renowned experts in the field of neuropathology.

Bridget Loja Patino

Bridget is a second-year premedical undergraduate student majoring in neuroscience at Penn. She joined our lab as an intern in the Imaging Neurodegeneration Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (IN-SURE) program in 2021 and has continued to work in our lab during the school year. Bridget has contributed to organizing thousands of specimens in our wet lab. Her current focus combines machine learning and digital histology to identify glial morphometric differences. Bridget has learned diverse analytic techniques and aspires to understand the biological basis of the variety of FTLD phenotypes. Her interactions with experts in their field have reaffirmed her passion for medicine, driving a future career as a physician.