We are a team of UCLA students from a wide variety of majors passionate about neuroscience and cutting-edge technology.
Dr. Marlius Castillo
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Jeff Bronstein
Medical Advisor
Dr. Jacqueline Chen
Medical Advisor
Lee Felsenstein
Engineering Advisor
Dr. Martin McKeown
Medical Advisor
Dr. Ana Luisa Trejos
Engineering Advisor
Tiffany Chen
Founder & President
Saumya Tawakley
Vice President of Operations
Ashley Kim
Vice President of Outreach
Sasha Anand
Vice Presdent of Education
Lucy Yin
Finance Director
Clara Kennedy
Education Co-Director
Shruti Kulkarni
Education Co-Director
Ellen Tahmasyan
Outreach Co-Director
Konmal Ali
Outreach Co-Director
Sravya Sankar
Director of Shadowing
Isabel Lozito
Marketing & Recruitment Co-Director
Allison Peng
Marketing & Recruitment Co-Director
Anna Tong
Webmaster
Daniel Hong
Innovation Team Director: Product Management
Anubhav Chandla
Innovation Team Director: Hardware Design
Max Orr
Innovation Team Director: Software Design
Tiffany is a fourth year HBS major and Biomedical Research minor. She founded High-tech and Neuro-Disorders (HAND) to bridge together healthcare and technology, in order to connect students with medical and industry professionals, and spark innovation and collaboration within the community. From promoting mental wellness to treating movement disorders, biotechnology combines hands-on patient care with cutting-edge research, which Tiffany hopes to expand upon at UCLA by bringing together students of all majors, ranging from microbiology to business economics. As inventor of iStopShaking, Tiffany is developing handglove IoT devices to treat patients with Parkinson’s disease, with the devices using miniaturized gyroscopes to stabilize tremors. Outside of HAND, Tiffany enjoys golfing, advocating for public health, and performing research with a psychiatry lab.
Saumya is a 3rd year neuroscience major and the VP of Operations this year. Her interest in neuroscience first stemmed from the fact that it provides the perfect intersection between studying the physical components of the brain and body, such as neurons and circuits, and the more abstract components, namely thinking and consciousness. After hearing about the prevalence of movement disorders such as Parkinson's, Saumya was motivated to contribute to HAND and support patients while also reducing the stigma surrounding neurological disorders. Saumya is also very interested in scientific journalism and bridging the knowledge gap between academia and the general public. Throughout high school and college, she has enjoyed writing for science magazines and running her own science publication. Aside from academics, Saumya enjoys creative writing, reading, and hiking.
Ashley Kim is a third-year studying Psychobiology on a pre-med track. She is the Vice President of Outreach for HAND. Ashley developed an interest in neuroscience after volunteering at an organization for children on the autistic spectrum. She is interested in developmental and neurological disorders and hopes to pursue a career in pediatric neurology. Ashley is excited to contribute to HAND and to learn more about the challenging, mysterious aspects of neuroscience and its uncharted territories. Outside of school, Ashley enjoys writing articles and playing percussion.
Nitin is a first year Computational Biology major from Cupertino! Nitin is really passionate about the intersection of technology and healthcare and using computation to push the boundaries in various fields. He first got interested in the intersection of computation and medicine when he interned at the University of California, San Francisco where he analyzed vaccine response data to assess gaps in vaccine treatment. In his free time, Nitin is a competitive Rubik’s Cube solver and long distance runner! He has competed at over 40 Rubik’s Cube competitions across the country, and loves sharing his passion with the world. As for running, he spent four years on his high school varsity Cross Country team, and enjoys being outside in the fresh air!
A native of Venezuela, Marlius received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela in 2008. She then went on to Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas to study and synthetize fluorescent dyes with Professor Sergei V. Dzyuba in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She received her Ph.D. in 2019 with a focus in organic chemistry and spectroscopy. As a graduate student, Marlius was first author on two published research papers and co-author on four published papers. She was the recipient of a 2018-19 Science and Engineering Research Center (SERC) graduate research grant at TCU for her project titled “Ratiometric molecular rotors for determining phase-transitions of gels, waxes, and polymer films”. Marlius joined UCLA in August 2019 as a Cram Teacher-Scholar. She conducts postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Professor Miguel Garcia-Garibay, studying synthesis and applications of fluorescent molecules, and she teaches Structures of Organic Molecules (14C).
Dr. Darlene A. Mayo (née Lobel) is a board certified neurosurgeon who is internationally known as an expert in the treatment of essential tremor and other movement disorders. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University and her Medical Doctorate from Medical College of Georgia. She completed clinical fellowships in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery and Epilepsy at UCLA and Emory, finishing training in 2007. She also completed two research fellowships, first in Grenoble, France, where she worked for two years with Professor Alim-Louis Benabid at Clinatec on the clinical protocol and implementation of a brain computer interface system, designed to aid quadriplegic patients. She then completed a fellowship in the Neural Engineering Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she worked on the design and preclinical assessment of an intraspinal microstimulation system to restore neurologic function after spinal cord injury. Dr. Mayo worked for two years as a Neurosurgeon and Assistant Professor at University of Florida-Jacksonville and for nearly five years as a Neurosurgeon and Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Biomedical Engineering at the Cleveland Clinic, where she had a busy practice treating patients with essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. She also co-led an essential tremor support group for two years in the Cleveland area.
Dr. Jacqueline Chen is a podiatry specialist in Frederick, MD. Dr. Chen completed a residency at Aria Health and currently practices at Frederick Foot and Ankle and is affiliated with Frederick Health. Dr. Chen is board certified in Podiatric Orthopedics and Primary Podiatric Medicine.
Lee Felsenstein has been designing electronic circuits, systems and products for over 40 + years. A graduate of the College of Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, Lee’s active interest in electronics dates back to childhood. Involvement in establishing the first public-access computer social media system led to his immersion in the embryonic personal computer industry, where he designed several pioneering products, including the first commercially successful portable computer. He designed the meeting structure of the legendary Homebrew Computer Club and ran the meetings for the 11-year existence of the club. This extraordinarily productive club spawned at least 23 personal computer companies including Apple. Lee has operated two independent electronic design consulting companies, was the first researcher hired at Interval Research Corporation, where he ran the prototype development section, and has 23 patents issued in his name. He was a founding director of Osborne Computer Corporation and serves on the Intellectual Property Committee of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Lee is a Fellow of the Computer History Museum and was named a Pioneer of the Electronic Frontier in 1994 (Electronic Frontier Foundation).
Jeff Bronstein received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and M.D. and Ph.D. from UCLA as a recipient of the Medical Scientist Training Program Award. He completed a residency in Neurology and fellowship training in Movement Disorders at UCLA and at Queens Square in London. Dr. Bronstein also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology before being appointed an Assistant Professor of Neurology in 1994, Director of the Movement Disorders Program at UCLA in 1996 and Director of the Wilson’s Disease Center of Excellence in 2004. He was promoted to Professor of Neurology in 2006, Professor of Molecular Toxicology in 2007 and awarded the Fred Silton Family Chair in Movement Disorders in 2016. His clinical interests include the management of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other movement disorders, surgical treatment of PD, and developing new therapies for patients. Dr. Bronstein’s research interests include the study of the causes of PD (environmental and genetic) using cell and zebrafish models as well as population-based studies.
Dr. McKeown is the PPRI/UBC Chair in Parkinson’s Research, Director at the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre (PPRC), Professor in the Department of Medicine, and associate member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Canada. The PPRC is deemed an International Centre of Excellence by the (US-based) National Parkinson’s Foundation. He did his Engineering Physics, Medicine and Neurology training at McMaster, University of Toronto, and University of Western Ontario, respectively. He did a 3yr research fellowship at the Computational Neurobiology Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego before being hired as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. He was recruited to UBC in 2003.His interests include examining novel treatments for Parkinson’s and exploring how Engineering methods can be used to enrich the lives of people with Parkinson’s.
Dr. Trejos's research has focused on the design, integration and evaluation of mechatronic devices that are aimed at providing medical care. This experience led her to establish the Wearable Biomechatronics Laboratory in 2013, dedicated to the design of wearable mechatronic devices for upper body rehabilitation and motion assistance, including wearable devices for tremor suppression and smart orthotic devices for elbow, wrist, hand and neck rehabilitation. Her research has focused on designing novel sensing and actuation components, creating models based on sensed biosignals, and developing intelligent and adaptive control systems, as well as their overall integration into unobtrusive wearable mechatronic devices.
Sravya is an alumni who majored in psychobiology and is serving as the Director of Shadowing of HAND. Her passion for neuroscience first stemmed from a non-profit organization in high-school in which she helped lead outreach projects to educate her community about neurological diseases and had the opportunity to volunteer with Alzheimer’s patients. She continued that passion at UCLA through research in the field of clinical neuroscience and clubs like HAND. Sravya thinks HAND is a great platform that allows undergrads to be able to network with professionals in the field of Neurology and build a community based on education and awareness on topics regarding neurological disorders and its intersection with technology. Outside of school, Sravya enjoys reading, going on food adventures, and hiking.
Pauline is a fourth year at ucla majoring in MCDB and minoring in biomedical research. She aspires to attend medical school and one day become a physician. Pauline is particularly interested in neuroscience and the intersection between healthcare and technology. She is excited to help further grow HAND into a friendly learning environment where talented individuals from a wide variety of career goals are able to come together and pursue a common interest of neuroscience.
Hello! My name is Archi Bhattacharyaa, I am a fourth year biophysics major, and I will be your Finance Director for this year! I am very excited to help secure funding for the club through VC pitches, meeting with NGO's, and a variety of other places. I can't wait to see the exciting things we build! I am super passionate about Neurotech and believe it to be the next frontier of scientific advancement. I am particularly fascinated with the application of Quantum Computing and the unique advancements that could bring to the table for this growing field. Besides my academic interests, I love to make music and play trombone for the UCLA Symphony. In my free time you can usually catch me playing Soccer or Basketball with my friends, or (unsuccessfully) trying to win in Fantasy.
Daniel is a 3rd year congitive science major and will be one of three directors for this upcoming year's Innovation Team. He has and is continuously working to develop the iStopShaking device m patented concept to a marketable product, road mapping each milestone for members and directors alike. With a range of experiences in neurotech, engineering, and law, he is currently developing a holistic background for IP/Patent law where he hopes to apply his unique perspective to better addressing market needs through new and innovative technologies. Within HAND, he hopes to create a welcoming and engaged environment, especially within the IT team where background experience/knowledge is held in somewhat importance. Besides this, he enjoys being in LCC (a theatre company), exercising, and singing (or at least attempting to).
Lucy is a 2nd year computational and systems biology major and is serving as the Director of Finance this year. She has always been interested in studying the intersection between neuroscience and technology. During high school, she published a paper on the environmental and nutritional factors associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease. This experience inspired her to learn more about the causes of neurodegenerative diseases as well as ways to help mitigate symptoms. Furthermore, she joined HAND in college in order to learn more about how she can support Parkinson’s disease patients and continue to spread neuroscience knowledge (through the outreach committee). She looks forward to supporting HAND financially to help the innovation team continue to develop and the organization host more events this year. Outside of HAND, Lucy enjoys playing volleyball, teaching younger students science, advocating in student government, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Sasha is a third-year Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics major and the VP of Education for HAND this year! She joined HAND to explore neurological disorders further and immerse herself in a community of like-minded individuals. Sasha’s interest in neuroscience began in high school, when she interned in a neurobiology lab at UCI and investigated the endocannabinoid system in facilitating wound healing. She is fascinated by the cognitive functions behind movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, hoping to contribute to advances within this field. Besides her academic pursuits, Sasha enjoys playing the piano, reading, and exploring new boba shops.
Clara is a fourth-year Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology major with a Spanish minor from Burlingame, CA. She is very excited to serve as Co-Education Director for the 2022-2023 year! Her interest in neuroscience and neurological diseases developed in her first psychology class at UCLA where she learned about the impacts of brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. Joining HAND in her second year at UCLA, she wanted to further her own knowledge of neurological diseases and help to share this knowledge with others. Clara is passionate about medicine and health education and intends to attend medical school. Outside of academics, Clara enjoys baking, crocheting, and coxing for the UCLA women’s rowing team.
Shruti is a third-year Computational and Systems Biology Major and a Director of Education for HAND this year. She joined HAND to learn and grow surrounded by like-minded peers also interested in neurological systems and disorders. Shruti’s passion for neuroscience initially started after taking a class at UC Berkeley in her freshman year of high school, and has continued to grow throughout the following years. She is currently interested in solving neurological problems through computational and mathematical modeling, and hopes to someday contribute to furthering research into neurodegenerative disorders. In her free time, Shruti loves to spend time reading and baking.
Alex is a second year neuroscience and Design | Media Arts double major and HAND’s Innovation Team Director (Design) for 2021-2022. He works to bring HAND’s iStopShaking device to life by combining principles of engineering with aesthetics to bring about a functional and intuitive glove for patients with Parkinson’s disease. In a broader scope, Alex aims to converge ideas in art and neuroscience, harnessing tools in data analysis, visualization, and machine learning to reimagine the landscape of brain-computer interfacing and neural circuit research for more harmonious and equitable applications in medical science. In his free time, Alex enjoys struggling with the guitar, listening to audiobooks, and sinking (or more often airballing) three-pointers.
Drawing from past experiences in healthcare settings, I joined HAND to promote awareness for neurological behavioral and movement disorders while building a community of passionate, like-minded individuals to relate and learn from as we follow our pursuits. I first developed an interest in neuroscience after participating in virtual shadowing sessions last summer, where a case study of a young woman with a neurotransmission problem and her recovery process through physical practice opened my eyes to the non-invasive technological efforts relating to neurological disorders. In HAND, I was able to further my understanding neurological disorders alongside a passionate group of students, and spread this awareness to highschool and middle school students in our local community with our Outreach Team. During my time at UCLA I have had the opportunity to engage with Behavioral Neuroscience and Emergency Medicine Research. In my free time I love to create singing recordings, go on walks, paint, and re-watch my favorite shows!
Konmal Ali is a second-year Pre-Human Biology and Society major and one of the Co-Directors of Outreach for HAND. The interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience, unique approaches, and complexity drew Konmal to HAND. Through this organization, she hopes to raise awareness and provide support to communities, to ensure that the topic of neurological diseases is made approachable. Konmal hopes to pursue a physician-scientist career and continue to expand upon available knowledge, especially on movement disorders such as Parkinson’s. As a part of HAND, she hopes to foster lasting relationships with like-minded individuals and continue to showcase the intersectionality of medicine as well as technology. Outside of her academic pursuits, Konmal enjoys creative writing, traveling to new cities, and playing the piano.
Robin is a third year Biology major and the Co-Director of Outreach for HAND this year. He plans to attend medical school and become a Head and Neck Surgeon (Otolaryngologist). He is particularly interested in how the brain functions and its connections to psychology. Through HAND, he is able to further explore his passions for neurological disorders and psychology and is excited to work with the HAND team in our many projects this year. Outside of school, Robin loves to hike, play tennis, workout, and explore the food scene in Los Angeles.
Isabel is a fourth year molecular, cell, and developmental biology major and neuroscience minor from San Mateo, CA. She is excited to serve as Co-Marketing and Recruitment Director during the 2022-2023 year! Her passion for neuroscience emerged in high school after learning about neurodegenerative diseases in her biology and anatomy classes. She continued to pursue that passion at UCLA by joining a neurobiology lab, adding a neuroscience minor, and joining clubs such as HAND. Isabel is fascinated by the neural mechanisms of neurological disorders and the many potential technological treatments being investigated for these disorders. Outside of school, Isabel enjoys running, baking, and exploring LA with her roommates.
Max is a fourth year MIMG major and is the Software Design Director for HAND’s Innovation Team. Max discovered HAND as an avenue to work with bright, like-minded individuals to propel neuroscience research and development by being integrated in multiple teams within this organization. His previous work as a member in HAND’s outreach and innovation team, as well as his role of Public Relations Director, has now led him to being established as one of the directors for Innovation Team. With this new role he aims to further the development of HAND’s iStopShaking device by utilizing software and data analysis tools as a foundational backbone for combatting tremors experienced by individuals with Parkinson’s. He is excited to work with a group of hardworking HAND members and continue to establish a strong, interactive team dynamic. Aside from HAND, Max enjoys photography, hiking, nature, skateboarding, and making fried rice!
Anubhav Chandla is a second year Neuroscience major and one of the Co-Directors for the Innovation Team at HAND. As an aspiring leader and researcher who is amazed by the ongoing biotechnolgoical advancements within the field of neuroscience, HAND was a natural fit. By actively leading and working alongside like-minded peers, he hopes to not only provide a gateway for technical growth, but also assists in the global push for increasing awareness regarding neurocognitive disorders. In terms of future endeavors, Anubhav aspires to pursue a career surrounding research-led clinical practice that strives to bridge the gap between technology and the unknown of the Human Brain. Outside of the school environment, Anubhav loves to perform as an Indian Classical Percussionist, cook a variety of foods, and travel the world.
Allison is a second year Neuroscience major, and she will serve as one of the Marketing & Recruitment Directors for HAND this year. Allison’s interest in neuroscience was sparked after exploring brain-computer interface device development during high school. As a member of HAND, Allison is excited to explore neurotechnology, work with other students, and assist with community outreach about neurological disorders. Outside of school, Allison enjoys longboarding, playing cello, and curating overspecific Spotify playlists.
Anna is a third year Computer Science and Linguistics & CS double major serving as the Webmaster for HAND this year. My interests lie in the intersection of computing, language, and medicine. HAND has provided me the opportunity to explore these interets while also raising awareness and educating on neurologicaldisorders. Some of my hobbies include learning new languages and about new cultures in addition to reading, sewing, and exploring new places!