Elbaz Lab

Benayahu Elbaz, PhD                  

My research is dedicated to investigating the mechanisms that regulate myelin-forming cell development and function.

Education:
MSc: Master of Science in Biotechnology, Bar-Ilan University, Israel (2004).
PhD: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hadassah Medical School, the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, (2010).
Postgraduate Training: Post-doctoral Scholar at University of Chicago, the Department of Neurology (2016).

Haley Tokars, BS – Research Technologist

Haley graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022 with a BS in Neuroscience and Psychology.  Upon graduation, she joined the Elbaz lab and is currently investigating the role of Zfp24 and Sp7 in oligodendrocyte development and CNS myelination.  Additionally, Haley is interested in the effects of peripheral injury and glial cell loss on transcriptional responses in sensory neurons.

Tanya Klein, BS – Research Technologist

Tanya graduated from the University of Tel Aviv, Israel with a B.Sc. in Biology. She joined the Elbaz Lab in 2022 and her current work focuses on the role of the transcription factor ZFP24 in the Peripheral Nervous System and understanding the effect of PNS demyelination on sensory neurons. In addition, Tanya is interested in the study of peripheral neuropathies due to Schwann cells dysfunction.

Braesen Rader, MS – Research Technician

Braesen graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for both his B.S. and M.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology. At the University of Illinois, he investigated the role of STriatal-Enriched protein tyrosine Phosphatase in homeostatic plasticity and epilepsy. After graduating in 2020, he joined the Elbaz lab and his current work focuses on understanding the role that the transcription factors zinc finger protein 24 and Sp7 play in CNS myelination and oligodendrocyte differentiation.

Maia Vardy

Maia graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2020 with a B.A in Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience [Magna cum laude]. At Washington University in St. Louis, she investigated the sexual dimorphism in the neuropathogenesis of West Nile Virus. After graduating in 2020, she joined the Elbaz lab and her current work focuses on understanding the effect of demyelination on sensory neurons. In addition, Maia is interested in secondary metabolites in the brain produced specifically by oligodendrocyte lineage cells.