Our Team Brains @ C-BRAIN
{ } Lab Director
Hadi Hosseini, PhD Principal Investigator
Our lab’s research portfolio crosses multiple disciplines including computational neuropsychiatry, multimodal neuroimaging and neurocognitive rehabilitation. Our computational neuropsychiatry research mainly involves investigating alterations in the organization of connectome in various neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive disorders using state of the art neuroimaging techniques (qMRI, dMRI, fMRI, fNIRS) combined with novel computational methods (network and multivariate pattern analyses).
The ultimate research goal is to translate the findings from computational neuropsychiatry research toward developing personalized interventions. We have been developing personalized interventions that integrate computerized cognitive rehabilitation, real-time functional brain imaging and neurofeedback, as well as virtual reality (VR) tailored toward targeted rehabilitation of the affected brain networks in patients with neurocognitive disorders.
{ } Junior Faculty & Career Award Mentees
Elveda Gozdas, PhD Clinical Assistant Professor
Elveda earned her doctoral degree in Physics under Dr. Scott K. Holland's mentorship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital/University of Cincinnati in 2018. There she examined the impact of premature birth and brain injury in infants on functional and structural brain networks using advanced MRI methods. She recently received the Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) from NICHD to pursue her independent research on predicting long-term outcomes in preterm infants using multimodal neuroimaging techniques and environmental factors. In her free time, Elveda enjoys quality time with family and friends, cooking and hiking.
Jennifer Bruno, PhD Instructor
Dr. Bruno is a translational researcher at the interface of developmental cognitive neuropsychology and neurobiology. An overarching goal of her work is to understand developmental windows of vulnerability—periods of risk for falling off the trajectory of typical brain development. Her research utilizes genetics, brain imaging, and deep behavioral phenotyping to bridge computational science with clinical knowledge, translating cutting-edge science to solve problems of great clinical need. She is currently a PI on a career development award (K01) from the National Institute on Aging. This project explores the intersection between Down syndrome and aging, with ultimate goals of informing the development of treatments for persons with Down syndrome and better understanding Alzheimer’s disease in the general population.
Barbara Avelar Pereira, PhD Assistant Professor
Barbara completed her PhD at Karolinska Institutet (KI) under the supervision of Lars Bäckman, Lars Nyberg, and Alireza Salami. There she used different neuroimaging techniques to investigate functional, structural, and molecular correlates of cognitive aging with a special focus on functional connectivity. She then joined C-BRAIN lab at Stanford as a postdoctoral fellow and worked on ways to integrate multimodal data to characterize and better predict Alzheimer’s disease progression. After completing her postdoctoral training at Stanford, she went back to KI and started her independent faculty position. She has been actively collaborating with C-BRAIN lab since her departure.
Ali Rahimpour Jounghani, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Ali earned his Ph.D. at the University of California, Merced. There he used neuroimaging techniques to investigate hemodynamic, and neurobiological correlates of human action-based timing behavior. At Stanford, he explores the utility of neuroimaging systems to study developmental cognition and in particular ADHD intervention. He is testing the validation and reliability of wearable fNIRS by using different advanced computational methods as well as comparing with the localization and functionality of fMRI as ground truth. Outside of research, he enjoys traveling, reading, and gym workouts.
Daniel Tadeo
Lab Manager & CRCA
Daniel completed his B.S. in Neuroscience and B.A. in Applied Linguistics at UCLA. He is interested in adolescent neuropsychiatric research, particularly with regard to psychopathological disorders and their relationship with neurobiological development. Prior to working at Stanford, he worked in areas of data collection and analysis at the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study at UCLA under Dr. Susan Bookheimer. Outside of research, Daniel enjoys painting, collecting records, and seeing live music, among others.
Saman Sarraf, PhD
Research Scientist
Saman is a Machine Learning scientist and leader with years of experience in industry and academia, including driving cutting-edge product and project initiatives at Johnson & Johnson, Amazon, Apple, Visa, et al. He received his PhD in Computer Science from Northcentral University, San Diego, and an MS degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from McMaster University, Canada. He also obtained MS and BS degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Science & Research University in Tehran. He is employing graph and artificial intelligence techniques to analyze Alzheimer’s multimodal data.
Jafar Zamani, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Jafar is a computational neuroscientist specializing in Alzheimer's Disease research. His work employs AI and advanced statistical methods to analyze neuroimaging data to uncover early changes in brain structure and function in preclinical Alzheimer's disease, and to examine the aging processes that exacerbate Alzheimer's disease development and progression.
Laura Moreno Carbonell
PhD Student
Laura is a PhD Student at Stanford BioEngineering with interdisciplinary background in product design, biomedical engineering and cognitive neuroscience. She is interested in intergating wearbale devices (e.g., wearable optical imaging, watches, etc.) for measuring patients' brain and behavior at home or in other naturalistic settings.
Amirali Vahid
Postdoctoral Researcher
Amirali earned his Ph.D. at Tu Dresden in Germany, where he used neuroimaging and behavioral data alongside artificial intelligence techniques to investigate the neurophysiological processes underlying various forms of cognitive control. At Stanford, Amirali continues to use artificial intelligence methodologies in neuroimaging research, focusing on early diagnosis and uncovering the pathology of Alzheimer's disease.
Saba Faghihzadeh
Clinical Research Coordinator Associate
Saba completed her undergraduate studies in Biology and her research has focused on the behavioral neurophysiology of stress and amnesia, as well as the molecular biology of neurodegenerative diseases and omics-based approaches to study neural cells. She is also interested in applying novel neuroimaging techniques to study and record neuronal activity, as well as using neurobiological tools that enable precise control of neural circuits. In her free time, she finds joy in the freshness of nature, the depth of art and literature, and the warmth of human connections.
Eliza Johnson
Graduate Research Assistant / PsyD Student
Liza is a doctoral student in the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium studying Clinical Psychology with a special interest in neuropsychological evaluation for adults with brain based disorders and injuries. She hopes foster her love of scientific communication through neuropsychology to increase access to and utility of the treasure trove of information gathered from psychological evaluation through innovation and technology usage. In her free time, she is also a certified yoga teacher and group road cycling instructor.
Saskia Newkirk
PsyD Student
Maylyn graduated from City University of New York (CUNY) in 2025 where she studied Psychology and Philosophy. In her undergrad, she conducted research in various institutions and topics spanning from macaque behavior to infant neurodevelopment to emotion regulation. These experiences ultimately informed her broad interest in social and affective neuroscience; She is currently a Stanford REACH postbaccalaureate scholar and plans to learn more about computational and neuroimaging approaches during her time at C-BRAIN Lab.
Yujia Julia Liang
PsyD Student
Yujia is a Licensed Professional Counselor pursuing her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the PAU-Stanford PsyD Consortium. She is interested in delivering neuropsychological evaluations to older adults who are at risk of developing/currently living with neurodegenerative disorders. Previously, she offered individual therapy to children, adolescents, and adults experiencing mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and trauma. Yujia received her degree in Psychology and French from Wellesley College and a double Master’s degree in Counseling & Mental Health Services and Professional Counseling from the University of Pennsylvania.
Mary Robbins
PsyD Student
Mary is pursuing her doctoral degree at the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. She received her B.A. in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is interested in child mental health, social-emotional development, resilience factors, and parenting interventions. Outside of the lab, she provides individual therapy to elementary school students and co-facilitates groups for children with selective mutism. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, skiing, listening to audiobooks, and painting.
Helmina Bong
PsyD Student
Helmina is a fourth year PhD student at the Palo Alto University Clinical Psychology program. Her research interest lies in the social determinants of mental health for ethnic minorities. Clinically, she is passionate about providing culturally and linguistically attuned mental health services to ethnic minority populations across lifespan. In her free time, she loves to travel and hunt for good restaurants to enjoy with friends
Angelina (Angie) Quagletti
PsyD Student
Angie Quagletti is a Clinical Psychology PhD student at Palo Alto University working towards an emphasis in Neuropsychology. Prior to graduate school, she earned a B.S. in Cognitive Science at the University of California – Irvine, where she conducted research on creating and testing cognitive training regimens. Now, her research interests center on understanding social cognition in neurodegenerative diseases and predicting the severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative disorders by integrating neuroimaging and assessment. In her free time, she enjoys singing, running, and watching sitcoms.
{ }Collaborators
Allan Reiss
Stanford - Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Ruth O'Hara
Stanford - Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Michael Greicius
Stanford
Neurology
Glen Elliot
Children Health Council (CHC)
Maarten Lansberg
Stanford - Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Joel Kramer
UCSF - Memory and Aging Center
Booil Jo
Stanford - Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
David Hong
Stanford - Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Manish Saggar
Stanford - Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Antonio Hardan
Stanford - Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Stephen Hinshaw
UC Berkeley
Psychology
Audrey Bowden
Stanford
Bioengineering
