Who we are
About Us
Our Mission
Advancing the biology of blood-based Alzheimer’s biomarkers, and bringing accurate diagnosis to communities around the world.
Our Vision
We envision a future where the molecular causes of Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative diseases are fully understood, from brain pathology to cerebrospinal fluid to blood, informing simple, accurate diagnostics available to everyone. Through a network of reference and expert laboratories, from the USA to Africa, we aim to ensure that where a person lives never determines whether they can get a diagnosis or access to treatment.
Leadership
Thomas K. Karikari, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical and Translational Science · Endowed Faculty Fellow in Peripheral Biomarkers of Brain Disorders
Dr. Thomas Karikari believes that one of the most important questions in brain health can be answered with a simple blood draw. He is an internationally recognized neuroscientist working on the discovery, validation and clinical use of biofluid biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. His goal is to make accurate, early diagnosis possible for every patient, whether they are seen in a major academic hospital or a small community clinic.
His story begins in a small country town in Ghana, where school resources were scarce. When a middle school teacher left and was never replaced, he and his classmates taught themselves. That determination has followed him ever since. When he learned there was no quick and easy test for Alzheimer’s disease, he asked why, and then went to work.
His lab developed the first commercially available plasma p-tau181 assay, immunoassays for plasma p-tau212, p-tau217 and p-tau231, and a plasma brain-derived tau (BD-tau) marker. These biomarkers have been validated across many cohorts and are used in therapeutic trials, diagnosis, prognosis and research worldwide.
Education and training
- PhD in Life Sciences and Neuroscience, University of Warwick, UK
- Postdoctoral fellowship, Harvard Medical School
- Postdoctoral fellowship and Assistant Professor, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Leadership at Pitt
- Founding Director, Biofluid Biomarker Laboratory
- Founding Director, Mass Spectrometry and Single Molecule Analytics Programs, Department of Psychiatry
- Director, Biomarker and Neurogenetics Core, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
Shaping global practice
- World Health Organization committee on Preferred Product Characteristics for blood biomarkers
- Alzheimer’s Association working group on guidelines for clinical use of blood-based biomarkers
Selected honors
- Excellence in Scientific Research, Millennium Excellence Awards USA (2026)
- Nature Rising Star in Ageing Research (2025)
- Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award, University of Pittsburgh (2025)
- Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2024)
The Team
The people behind the science
Hover over a portrait for their focus. Click to read the full bio.
Research Scientists
Xuemei Zeng, PhD, MPH
Research Scientist and Laboratory Manager
Xuemei Zeng is a protein biochemist specializing in proteomics, molecular and cellular biology, epidemiology and bioinformatics. She holds a PhD in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and an MPH in Epidemiology, both from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research uses mass spectrometry for both unbiased and targeted biomarker exploration in neurodegenerative diseases. As lab manager, she oversees operations and personnel and supports grant applications. Outside the lab she enjoys Zumba, nature trails and growing her own vegetables.
Anuradha Sehrawat, PhD
Research Scientist
Anuradha Sehrawat is a molecular biologist with advanced degrees in Toxicological Sciences from Jamia Hamdard University, India. Her expertise spans cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry and toxicology, including gene therapy for diabetes, pancreatitis and cancer. Today she develops innovative bioanalytical methods for blood biomarkers in clinical settings, aimed at early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and the earliest pathological changes in the brain that may allow preventive interventions. In her free time, Anu enjoys yoga, meditation and reading.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Wasiu Balogun, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Wasiu Balogun earned his PhD in Molecular Pathology at Universiti Sains Malaysia. His research focuses on developing and applying neuroinflammatory biomarkers in biological fluids for the diagnosis and prognosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. He is experienced in molecular biology, biochemical assays and neuroscience. In his leisure time he loves playing with his kids and reading about world politics.
YouRim Lee, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
YouRim Lee holds a PhD in Senior Healthcare from Eulji University, South Korea, and is a licensed medical technologist. Her research has focused on biomarkers for age-related diseases and on estimating the age of bloodstains, with extensive experience in proteomics and metabolomics of human blood using mass spectrometry. She now develops methods for proteomic and metabolomic biomarkers in dried plasma spots and studies their role in the metabolic changes of neurodegenerative disease. Outside research she enjoys baking, crocheting, video games, travel, and all things cute.
Monika, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Monika earned her PhD in Medical Biotechnology from Taipei Medical University, Taiwan, and a Master’s in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Jamia Hamdard, India. Her research identified post-translational modifications and differentially expressed proteins in Alzheimer’s clinical samples using LC-MS/MS, and explored how aldehyde adducts affect amyloid-beta. She is expert in immunoprecipitation for LC-MS, proteomics method development and bioinformatics, and is committed to blood-based biomarkers for early diagnosis. Outside work she enjoys eco-humanitarian volunteering, trekking, cycling, yoga, travel and cooking.
Abdul Razak Monto, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Abdul Razak Monto holds a BSc in Nutrition from the University for Development Studies in Tamale, Ghana, and an MEng in Biochemical Engineering and PhD in Food and Biological Engineering from Jiangsu University, China. He brings a background in analytical chemistry, gene expression, microbiology and food chemistry. In the lab he studies the mechanisms that regulate tau aggregate pathology in Alzheimer’s disease, from early-stage assemblies to mature tangles, to advance biomarkers and therapeutics. He enjoys sightseeing, soccer and reading about global politics.
Ruyu Shi, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ruyu Shi is a human geneticist trained at the University of Pittsburgh, specializing in large-scale genetic and multi-omics studies of Alzheimer’s disease. Her work examines genetic influences on cognitive decline and on blood- and imaging-based biomarkers, using approaches such as multi-ancestry GWAS, rare-variant analysis and longitudinal modeling. She brings expertise in statistical genetics, biostatistics, bioinformatics, and the integration of proteomic, genomic and neuroimaging data. Outside work she enjoys painting, design, photography and sports.
Anurag Raj, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Anurag Raj is a bioinformatics researcher working on Alzheimer’s disease biomarker discovery through proteomics and computational analysis. He earned a PhD in Bioinformatics from CSIR-IGIB in New Delhi and previously contributed to single-cell transcriptomics research in traumatic brain injury at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. His expertise includes proteomics, single-cell RNA-seq, bulk omics and reproducible pipelines. He enjoys traveling and cooking.
Research Staff
James E. Emanuel
Senior Research Coordinator
James Emanuel has more than 20 years of experience coordinating research in late-life mental health and cognition. He most recently completed the LATTICE study, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial testing whether lithium can prevent people with mild cognitive impairment from developing dementia. He has a long-standing interest in the relationship between psychosis and cognition, contributing to findings on psychotic symptoms in Alzheimer disease, psychotic depression and bipolar disorder. Outside the lab he plays guitar and competitive pinball.
Lamia Choity
Research Specialist
Lamia Choity earned a BS in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh. At the Aging Institute of UPMC she tested cancer drugs on RB-1 deficient cell lines and worked with C. elegans to identify methyltransferases that confer resistance to oxidative stress. As a Student Behavioral Associate on the geriatric unit at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, her interest in dementia deepened, leading her to the Karikari Lab, where she works on blood biomarkers specific to Alzheimer’s disease. She enjoys drawing and spending time with cats.
Nya Nicholson
Research Specialist
Nya Nicholson graduated from Georgia State University with an interdisciplinary degree in Biomedical Science and Business. She works as a biobanker, processing human blood samples for clinical research, and contributes to ongoing projects. Her interests center on how cultural, environmental, social and biological factors interact to shape disease risk and progression. Outside the lab she enjoys historical fiction, time with her dog, trying new cuisines and volunteering.
Marissa F. Farinas
Research Project Coordinator WPIC
Marissa Farinas earned a BS in Neuroscience at The Ohio State University, testing small-molecule inhibitors in models of multiple sclerosis, and an MS in Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she used single-nuclei RNA sequencing to uncover markers of vulnerability and resilience in the hippocampus in Alzheimer’s disease. After a year in a neuropathology lab studying essential tremor, she returned to the Alzheimer’s field. She enjoys long-distance running, hockey and reading.
Michel N. Nafash
Research Project Assistant
Michel Nafash holds a BS in Biobehavioral Health from Penn State and is pursuing an MS in Translational Pharmacology at The Ohio State University. He runs clinical cohort studies with Simoa and NULISA immunoassays to quantify Alzheimer’s biomarkers in human biofluids, helps develop in-house assays, and leads a clinical and analytical validation study following FDA bioanalytical guidelines. He also trains new staff and writes standard operating procedures. Outside the lab he enjoys gardening, soccer and nature walks.
Data Science & Administrative Staff
Happiness Aigbogun
Data Coordinator & Analyst
Happiness Eric Aigbogun holds a BSc in Computer Science from Landmark University, Nigeria, and specializes in computational biology, single-cell RNA sequencing and machine learning. Her work has included predictive modeling for colorectal cancer classification and scRNA-seq analysis of olfactory datasets. In the lab she runs bioinformatic and statistical analyses of Alzheimer’s biomarker measurements and contributes to manuscripts. She enjoys painting, cooking global cuisines and documentaries.
Theresa E. Boots, MS
Statistician
Theresa Boots holds an MS in Statistics and a BS in Biology, with a Neuroscience concentration and Mathematics minor, from West Virginia University. Her experience covers study design and data analysis in toxicology, epidemiology and risk assessment. Her research applies advanced machine-learning methods to large cohort datasets to investigate biomarker patterns and associations. She enjoys family time, travel and trying new coffee shops.
Brandon De Lorme
Database Manager
Brandon De Lorme brings a background in clinical research, data quality and database programming, spanning specimen processing, laboratory billing and reconciliation, oncology research, vaccination data exchange, database auditing and design. He loves improving workflows through automation, building intuitive interfaces and finding programmatic fixes for recurring problems. Outside work he cultivates seeds from local trees, hikes, plays Dungeons & Dragons and the jazz triangle.
Graduate Students
Menayit Tamrat Dresse
Graduate Student
Dr. Menayit Tamrat Dresse is pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. She earned her medical degree at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, and a Master’s in Public Health and Health Economics at Umeå University, Sweden. Her research identifies biofluid biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, examines how they perform across population-based cohorts, and builds a roadmap for using blood biomarkers in real-world patient care. She enjoys swimming, travel, reading and new cuisines.
Alexandra Jean (AJ) Gilsrud
Graduate Student
AJ Gilsrud holds degrees in Behavioral Neuroscience and German Language and Culture from Western Washington University. Before graduate school she studied mitochondrial dynamics in familial Parkinson’s disease at NINDS, and in 2024 she began graduate studies at the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. Her current work develops mass spectrometry assays to expand diagnostic tools for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. She enjoys drawing, painting, pyrography, hiking and her cats.
Joanne Xie
Graduate Student, 2026
Jiaan (Joanne) Xie holds a BS in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and is pursuing a PhD in the Center for Neuroscience (CNUP) program at Pitt. Her research in the Karikari Lab focuses on developing alpha-synuclein detection assays to expand diagnostic tools for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, driven by her passion for biomarkers that enable early detection and diagnosis. Outside the lab she sings in a choir and enjoys video games. She is also a huge fan of boba, musicals and symphony orchestras.
Student Workers
Shayna Brodman
Student Worker, 2025
Shayna Brodman is an undergraduate student-athlete at Davidson College, studying biology with a minor in neuroscience on the pre-health track while competing in Division I lacrosse. In the lab she uses Quanterix Single Molecule Array (Simoa) technology to investigate plasma protein biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease. She plans to pursue an MD-PhD in neurology. Outside the lab she enjoys exercise, hiking, kayaking and local coffee shops.
Alumni
Alexandra Izydorczak, PhDPostdoctoral Fellow, 2024–2026
Ella KlausResearch Specialist, 2026
John Grizzanti, PhDPostdoctoral Fellow, 2023–2025
Yijun ChenGraduate (PhD) Student, 2023–2025
Akshay PrasadanStatistician, 2024–2025
Nick HeatonBiostatistics Student, 2024–2025
Tara LaffertyResearch Principal, 2023–2025
Ally AlbertResearch Associate, 2024
Kathryn MiStudent Worker, 2024