our Research team

Jeffrey Iliff, Principal Investigator

Jeff is the Associate Director for Research at the VISN 20 NW Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System. He is a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and in Neurology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where he is the Arthur J. and Marcella McCaffray Professor in Alzheimer’s Disease. He serves as the Lead for the UW Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Research Education Component (ADRC REC).

Starting as an undergraduate researcher at the University of Washington studying cerebral blood flow regulation, Jeff’s research has always focused on the brain vasculature as the crossroads of the CNS. He completed his PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology at Oregon Health & Science University focusing on mechanisms governing the release of neuropeptides from perivascular trigeminal afferents at the brain surface. As a postdoc in the lab of Maiken Nedergaard at the University of Rochester Medical Center, he led the team that initially characterized the glymphatic system, the network of perivascular pathways the supports the clearance of wastes from brain tissue during sleep. Since starting up his own lab in 2013, Jeff’s work has focused on defining the glial and vascular changes in the aging and post-traumatic brain that underlie impairment of glymphatic function and the vulnerability to the development of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Email: jiliff[at]uw.edu and jeffrey.iliff[at]va.gov

Current CV

Twitter: @jeffreyiliff

Profiles: Google Scholar, ResearchGate

Katie Suchland, Lab Manager

Katie started in research as an undergrad at the University of Washington in the lab of Dr. Cecilia Giachelli in the Bioengineering Department. Beginning in 2000, she joined the lab of Dr. David Grandy in the OHSU Department of Physiology and Pharmacology as lab manager working in animal behavior in the dopamine and trace amine fields. In 2009, she joined Dr. Mike Morgan’s lab in the Department of Psychology at Washington State University, Vancouver, were she worked in pain and opioid tolerance in a rat behavior model. Between 2011-2019, she worked with Dr. Susan Ingram in the Department of Neurosurgery, continuing to work on projects related to her interest in pain modulation, studying opioid and cannabinoid-sensitive circuits in the midbrain. Now with our lab back in Seattle, she is the ringleader of the research circus in the Iliff lab. Katie manages the day-to-day administrative, regulatory, and logistical matters of the lab, while also helping to coordinate research projects. She works with the other MIRECC lab managers and administrators to keep the center running smoothly. Katie currently serves on the VA Puget Sound IACUC committee, as well.

Email: ksuchl[at]uw.edu

Profiles: ResearchGate

Deidre Jansson, Acting instructor

Deidre obtained her Masters degree at the University of Ottawa, Canada, then pursued a PhD at the University of Auckland, New Zealand in the Centre for Brain Research. Deidre is an expert in cerebrovascular biology, choroid plexus function and inflammation in the context of neurodegenerative disease. With interests in the effects of sleep and CSF dynamics on brain function, she is using transcriptomic, physiological and biomarker data from rodent models and human samples to understand the early changes that occur in the development of dementia-related diseases.

Email: djj24[at]uw.edu

Twitter: @deijosaurus3

Profiles: Google Scholar, Research Gate

Yeilim Cho, Sleep Physician and MIRECC Fellow

Yeilim is a physician trained in sleep medicine. Her interest is in defining the role of sleep in acute and chronic rehabilitation, and in learning how sleep improves cognition. She has a particular interest in improving sleep quality in patients with disabilities. Before her fellowship, she was an Assistant Professor at University of Virginia working as an attending physician at a rehab hospital. She is also board certified family physician and graduated from the University of Minnesota Residency Program. Her goal is to become a physician-scientist in the field of sleep and rehabilitation. In her free time, she loves traveling abroad with family and learning about history and new cultures. She also loves spending time volunteering at local non-profit organizations to improve sleep awareness.

Email: Yeilim.Cho[at]va.gov

Joshua Cho, Postdoctoral Fellow

Josh received his BS in molecular biology at the University of Washington where he volunteered in the labs of Richard Gardner and David Baker. After his undergraduate schooling, he worked in the Gerald R. Smith lab at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, studying and creating synthetic hotspots of meiotic recombination. He next went on to obtain his Ph.D at Columbia University under the mentorship of Ismael Santa-Maria and Abid Hussaini. His doctoral work focused on the influence of microRNAs on tau-related protein regulation, phosphorylation, and pathology in mouse models of Alzheimer’s Disease and tauopathy. As a member of the Iliff lab, Josh hopes to examine the role of locus coeruleus-mediated noradrenergic signaling in the glymphatic system, specifically its regulation/coordination of neurovascular dynamics and astrocytic endfoot-localization of AQP4.

Email: jdcho[at]uw.edu

Profile: Google Scholar

Shenee Martin, Postdoctoral Fellow

Shenee obtained her B.A. in Psychology and Biology from the University of the Virgin Islands and completed a postbaccalaureate program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill before beginning her doctoral studies at UNC Chapel Hill. She trained under the guidance of Dr. Graham Diering and completed her PhD focusing on the role of sleep and sleep disruption in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, she focused on the impact of synaptic tau pathology on sleep behavior and utilized pharmacological interventions to improve sleep. In the Iliff lab, Shenee hopes to explore synaptic dysfunction in traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease. Outside the lab, Shenee enjoys traveling, thrifting, spending time with family and friends, and exploring new places with her dog. 

Email: shencm[at]uw.edu

Profile: ResearchGate

MATHEW SEVAO, Research Assistant

Mathew earned his BS in Neuroscience at the University of Washington. After being intrigued by the aftereffects of traumatic brain injury in sports, he engaged in research to further investigate the mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases in the post-traumatic brain, as well as to contribute to the development of treatments. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, surfing, volunteering, and playing basketball.

Email: sevaom[at]uw.edu

Thomas Ehler, Research Assistant

Thomas earned his degrees in Behavioral Neuroscience, Psychology, and Technical Writing from Western Washington University. Exposure to the connection between sleep, glymphatics, and neurodegeneration compelled him to enter the field of neuroscience following his military service. Personal experience with fellow veterans and mental illness drives his determination to discover tools, methods, and approaches to delay, mitigate, and potentially prevent neurodegenerative disease, major depressive disorder, sleep disorders, and the consequences of PTSD and traumatic brain injury. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring the ecology of the PNW, hiking, traveling, cooking, soccer, baseball, and writing.

Email: tvehler[at]uw.edu

Justyna Swierz, Research Assistant

Justyna earned her B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Washington and is a Mary Gates Research Scholar. She began pursuing research to explore the field of advancing medical treatment of neurodegenerative diseases from an experimental approach. Research became one of her favorite learning opportunities outside of the classroom. In her free time, Justyna enjoys horseback riding, urban hiking, and drinking coffee.

Email: swierzju[at]uw.edu

Jiyeon Ryu, Graduate Student

Jiyeon is currently in her third year of a combined M.S./Ph.D. program in Biomedical Engineering at UNIST in South Korea. Her research is primarily focused on developing in vitro models of Glymphatic and lymphatic systems. She investigates how cerebrospinal fluid impacts these systems differently in healthy and diseased states. Additionally, She is dedicated to further advancing her research through practical training; she join the Iliff lab to learn and conduct animal experiments, which will help validate the developing microfluidic chips and lead to more meaningful research findings.
Outside the lab, Jiyeon has a deep passion for traveling the world. She is eager to meet new people and learn about different cultures and research interests, which enriches her understanding and appreciation of global perspectives in science and technology..

ryurora[at]unist.ac.kr

Jay Jang, Neuroscience

Jay is a fourth year at the Unversity of Washington studying neuroscience and neural computation and engineering at the University of Washington. He is pursuing research in hopes of furthering his abilities as a scientist and contributing to research about the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In his free time, Jay enjoys reading and spending time with friends and family.

Email: jayjang[at]uw.edu

Sarah Pei, Biology and Public Health Major

Sarah is a second-year student at the University of Washington studying MCD biology and public health. By pursuing research, she hopes to foster a more nuanced understanding of underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and gain more perspective on disease origin, progression, and intervention. In her free time, Sarah enjoys dancing, hiking, skiing, baking, and spending time with friends. 

Email: sarahpei[at]uw.edu

Bella Shafizadeh, Psychology major

Bella is a second-year student at the University of Washington. She hopes that research will help her better understand the development of neurodegenerative diseases, the mechanisms behind potential treatments, and the relationship between sleep and memory. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, hiking, and going to concerts.

Email: ids8943[at]uw.edu

Bill Zhang, Biochemistry Major

Bill is a second year student at the University of Washington majoring in Biochemistry. Driven by a profound curiosity about the complexities of the human brain, he is determined to understand and contribute meaningfully to the development of therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. In the free time he has outside of college and research, Bill seeks the thrill of adventure in outside world on bikes, skis, surf, or just own his two feet.

wzhang17[at]uw.edu