Our Team
Lauren Ashley Smith
Board Member
Lauren brings her financial expertise to Generation Brain, where she hopes to increase public awareness of brain health and push the needle to strategically advance scientific knowledge.
Lauren Ashley Smith is a seasoned real estate professional with nearly 20 years experience in commercial real estate transactions, including investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and strategic advisory. She has significant experience of real estate with CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield transactions on a global scale. Lauren serves on the Board of Directors for TVCE Energy, a firm focused on developing solar and other renewable energy power plants in Eastern Europe.
“It is astonishing how challenging the funding process is for scientific researchers relative to its importance to all of us, especially neuroscience. I’m passionate about transforming research funding and spreading brain awareness.”
Tal Nuriel, Ph.D.
Board Member
Tal Nuriel is an Assistant Professor in the Taub Institute at Columbia University. His lab studies the role of the APOE4 gene in the development of Alzheimer's disease. In addition to his work in the lab, Dr. Nuriel is a strong advocate for improved science communication and increased efforts to bridge the divide between the research community and the general public.
“I am passionate about breaking down the barriers that exist between scientists and the general public.”
Wai Haung Ho Yu, Ph.D.
Board Member
Haung (Ho) Yu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto. He researches how garbage builds up in brain cells and can lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and clinically, what risk factors increase risk of Alzheimers, especially in under-represented populations. He is also a brain health and research advocate, working with community partners to bring knowledge to the public.
“Research is important not just for discovery's sake, but also sharing this knowledge and how it can benefit society.”
Gustavo A Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Communications Director
Dr. Gustavo A Rodriguez is a neuroscientist at Columbia University Medical Center, where his research focuses on spatial learning and memory deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology. He holds a BA from Texas State University and a PhD from Georgetown University. Dr. Rodriguez is enthusiastic about effective science communication and is dedicated to making complex scientific and medical knowledge accessible to the public through his work with Generation Brain.
“I work to empower my community with accessible science and foster connections between scientists, medical professionals, and all those passionate about scientific discovery.”
Eileen Ruth Samson Torres
Executive Director
Eileen Ruth Torres is a Project Manager with the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Collaborative Research Network for an international team based at Weill Cornell Medicine. Her research efforts span preclinical models of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s and mental health disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She brings her fervor for improving scientific workflow and cultivating supportive, productive research communities to Generation Brain.
“Everyone deserves to have the know-how and tools to take care of their brain and live healthy.”
Abigail Dudley
Marketing Associate
Abigail is a recent graduate of NC State University, and works in the health care industry in the North Carolina Research Triangle. Having seen family members suffer from prime of life neurodegenerative diseases, she is passionate about this area of research and education.