Lab Members

Clarissa is the Waites lab cheerleader, fundraiser, copy editor, and primary ‘Dad joke’ generator. Prior to venturing east to start her lab at Columbia, Clarissa spent many years on the West Coast as an undergraduate at Stanford University, a graduate student in Robert Edwards’ lab at UCSF, and a postdoctoral fellow in Craig Garner’s lab at Stanford. She has had a long-standing interest in the mechanisms of neuronal communication and protein homeostasis, including synapse formation, synaptic transmission and plasticity, and synaptic protein turnover. When she’s not at the lab, Clarissa can be found biking, hiking, or climbing in upstate New York, or enjoying the cultural and culinary wonders of NYC.

Contact: cw2622@cumc.columbia.edu

Prior to joining the Waites lab, Qing completed her M.D. and Ph.D. at the West China School of Stomatology at Sichuan University. During her training, she was part of an exchange program at Kansas University and investigated the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. In the Waites Lab, Qing continues to explore new therapeutic strategies for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). When she’s not in lab, you can find Qing chasing down her baby, hiking, baking cakes, or trying new food.

Contact: qy2239@cumc.columbia.edu

Fang received his doctorate from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He was then trained at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, as a postdoctoral fellow. In November 2021, he joined Professor Waites’s Laboratory. Scientifically, he is interested in understanding pathogenesis and exploring new therapeutic strategies for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Fang loves cooking, hiking and traveling with his baby.

Contact: fd2479@cumc.columbia.edu

Mia graduated with a BS in Biological Sciences and received University Honors from Carnegie Mellon University in 2020. As an undergraduate, she dabbled in various fields of biological research, first studying circadian gene regulation in plants and later characterizing several major transcription factors of the fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Subsequently, as a research intern at Harvard Medical School, she elucidated brain-wide expression profiles of complement proteins during development and schizophrenia. This work inspired her application to grad school and her interests in glial cell biology, as well as communication between the immune and central nervous systems. Since joining the Waites lab in May 2021, Mia has been investigating the contribution of glial cells and the ceramide pathway to the production of pathogenic exosomes in Alzheimer’s Disease. Outside of the lab, you can find Mia checking out local bookstores, making pottery, cooking up new recipes, or walking through Central Park.

Contact: mrb2277@cumc.columbia.edu

Konner is an NSF Fellow and fourth year PhD student in the Neurobiology and Behavior Program, easily identified by his Beats headphones and sarcastic demeanor.  He graduated from the University of Arizona with Bachelor's of Science in Neuroscience & Cognitive Science as well as Molecular & Cellular Biology. His dissertation work investigates mechanisms of activity-dependent protein degradation at the synapse, and how dysfunction of this process affects synaptic health and function.  Outside the lab, he enjoys running alongside the Hudson River, hiking, videogames, and watching the sunset (because he's cheesy like that).

Contact: krk2151@cumc.columbia.edu