Lab Members

Bruno Carabelli

Postdoctoral Fellow

I earned my doctoral degree in Physiology University is Federal University of Parana. My main interest and work were using different animal models of Depression and potential new therapies to prevent this illness. One of the compounds I studied was omega 3, which is a family of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, supplemented via Fish Oil in different phases, such as during gestation and lactation and in adult life. Also, I performed small studies testing Ketamine and Buprenorphine in a depression model with an immune challenge in mice.

Before joining Dr. Kim’s lab, I was doing a postdoctoral study using a mouse model of Gulf War Illness, at the University of California, Riverside. Gulf War Illness is a severe illness that afflicts one-third of the nearly 700,000 U.S. troops who served in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. This disease is characterized by a variety of symptoms and co-morbidities, such as Depression, Anxiety, Gastrointestinal disturbances, Fatigue, and muscle/joint pain. We investigated the changes in the microbiota of mice exposed to the chemicals and the potential reversal of the phenotype using probiotics supplementation.

My hobbies include outdoor exercise like walking in parks, reading, movies, and listening to music.

Clara Berdasco, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

I did my bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology. As an undergraduate researcher, I studied different gut enzymes’ activities in pigeons. In 2019, I earned my Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. I studied the inflammation and neurodegeneration in the hippocampus on a mouse model of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome caused by enterohemorrhagic E. coli. During my postdoctoral training, I worked on different projects such as (a) neurogenic hypertension, (b) ACE2 degradation, (c) SARS-CoV-2 impact in obesity/hypertension, and (d) the effects of probiotics in a Gulf War mouse model.

My main research interests are inflammation, microglia cells, organoids, and cell signaling.

My hobbies are cooking Argentinian dishes, hiking in the mountains, watching TV, and listening to music.

Email: cvb43@rwjms.rutgers.edu, claralae@gmail.com

Joseph Lepore 

Research Assistant

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Integrative Neuroscience from Binghamton University where I was part of a Freshman Research Immersion Program in which I spent time as both a student and a Teaching Assistant. While I was part of this program, we studied the effects of Parkinson’s disease on neurotransmitter levels in the brain. I’m currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Health with a concentration in Urban Public Health. 

I’m extremely excited to join the Kim Lab so that I can further the mission of the lab in studying neuroscience as well as further my personal goals of further understanding the practical applications of neuroscience in a lab setting. 

Email me: jlepore124@gmail.com