PEOPLE

Gary Ho
Principal Investigator
Gary Ho’s Harvard Catalyst Profile

I first got interested in biomedical research working at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as a Harvard undergrad. Inspired by my physician-scientist lab mentor, I matriculated at the MD/PhD program at Johns Hopkins, training in the lab of Sol Snyder. There, I became interested in molecular neuroscience, studying the role of nitrosylation and palmitoylation in regulating the synaptic targeting of the post-synaptic protein PSD-95. After med school, I completed residency in neurology and fellowship in movement disorders at the Mass General Brigham (formerly Partners) programs. My current research interests were developed during my post-doc with Dennis Selkoe, where I brought my knowledge of palmitoylation in neurobiology to the field of Parkinson disease. I see patients in the BWH Movement Disorders clinic in addition to conducting research on the molecular interactions between palmitoylation, synaptic vesicle trafficking, and alpha-synuclein. In my spare time, I like to explore the city, sing with my community chorus, and learn how to decipher gen-Z speak (with help from other lab members).

Andrew White
Research Assistant

I have been interested in neurodegenerative research ever since I was young since a lot of my weekends were spent helping my mom in her lab at UCLA, where she studied Alzheimer’s disease. For my undergraduate degree, I attended Boston University, where I majored in neuroscience to continue learning about the field. During my undergraduate career, I was a learning assistant for many neuroscience courses, where I could share my passion for the brain with other students and faculty. Additionally, I participated in athletics and was a Division 1 swimmer for all four years and the captain my senior year. Currently, I am applying to medical school, where I plan to continue researching while attaining my medical degree and hopefully specialize in neurology. In my free time, I like to volunteer at a long-term care hospital where I help patients with neurodegenerative diseases, make sourdough bread, and teach Gen Z slang to the elderly (Gary).

Karis Clark
Research Assistant

My interest in neuroscience and biochemistry began during my undergraduate years at Boston University, where I majored in biology. Through research labs with Dr. Kristen Bushell and Dr. Lucia Pastorino, I became interested in the molecular mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases. I researched the effect of alkaloid and polyphenolic molecules on proteins of interest like amyloid-beta and alpha synuclein. Outside of my research and coursework at BU, I was the editor-in-chief of the Boston Political Review and worked as a nursing assistant in dementia care facilities. I plan to pursue a PhD in chemical biology, with a focus on small molecule drug discovery.