Meet Our Team

My main scientific interests center around understanding the biological and chemical underpinnings impacting mental health states and identifying what can be measured, quantified, and modified to ultimately improve human wellbeing. My work focuses on high-throughput assay development for CNS drug discovery with an emphasis on high-content imaging, automation, and data analysis pipeline development.

​

I have studied Biology and Mathematics at the University of Mainz, Germany, received a B.Sc. in Human Genetics at UCL, London, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Genetics from the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam before arriving at MGH.

My main research goal is to understand the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with CNS proteinopathies and neurodegenerative diseases caused by aberrant accumulation of proteins in the brain, as well as the translational potential into new patient therapies. My work focuses on the generation and characterization of patient-specific stem cell-derived neuronal models of disease, with a focus on tauopathies such as Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), to identify early disease-associated molecular and biochemical changes and therapeutic targets in these patient-derived cellular models. Patient-specific neurons also represent a remarkable platform for testing small-molecule modifiers of disease-relevant phenotypes in drug discovery pipelines. I work with several series of small-molecules that rescue tauopathy phenotypes, with the ultimate goal of identifying disease-modifying therapeutics.
Privileged to work in the outstanding MGH/Harvard community and in close proximity with patient-oriented organizations such as the AFTD and the Tau Consortium that support our work and are global leaders in the effort to “making a difference” toward treating diseases such as FTD and Alzheimer’s disease.

​

My main interest is drug discovery with epigenetic targets.

My long-term scientific goals are to improve our understanding of pathological mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric diseases, and to discover novel therapeutics for these diseases. Much of my work involves elucidating the phenotypic consequences of disease-causing mutations in genes encoding transcription factors and transcriptional coregulator proteins. I screen small molecules for their ability to reverse these phenotypic consequences. In addition to transcription factors, I have also worked on ion channels, GPCRs, and signal transduction pathways involved in neuroplasticity and neuropsychiatric diseases.

I obtained a BA in Psychology at Rutgers University, a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, and post-doctoral training at the Oregon Health & Science University.

My research interests are the molecular and cellular mechanisms which underlie the accumulation and intercellular transmission of prion-like proteins that is observed in neurological disorders with CNS proteinopathy. I believe that understanding how these mechanisms are connected to the diseases’ pathogenesis and how we can modulate them are fundamental for the development of novel pharmacological interventions.

My current research focuses on the potential of using mTOR independent autophagy activating small molecules to clear accumulated misfolded proteins in patient derived iPSC tauopathy models. Being able to enhance the cell’s own degradative capacity which is frequently impaired in CNS proteinopathies might enable us to treat patients that suffer from diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and FTDs.

I studied at the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Germany, where I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Biosciences, a master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology, followed by a Dr. rer. nat. in Biology. In my doctoral studies I investigated genetic modifiers of cell-to-cell transmission and endo-lysosomal escape of the prion-like proteins α-synuclein and tau.

Using a chemical biology approach to study the mechanistic properties of tau aggregation in human neurons. 

My interests lie at the nexus of chemical biology, organic synthesis and neuroscience. My training as an organic chemist helps me synergize my interests in biological pathways with understanding molecular mechanisms of classes of psychoactive molecules. 

I graduated in 2020 from Princeton University with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. As an undergrad, I worked in Martin Wuhr's lab on multiplexed proteomics of non-canonical yeast species. Currently, I am a graduate student in chemical biology at Harvard and my thesis work focuses on using patient-derived iPSC models of tauopathy to assess autophagic methods of tau clearance.

I’m currently a graduate student with the Chemical Biology, and Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine programs at Harvard Medical School. My research interests include using chemical probes to learn about the disease mechanisms of migraine and other headache disorders as well as understanding how drugs that treat these disorders affect the central nervous system. Additionally, I’m investigating possible novel headache treatments derived from natural products.

I’m originally from Stamford, Connecticut, but I’ve spent a large portion of my childhood growing up in North Falmouth, Massachusetts. My hobbies outside of the lab include creating and producing music with my band, watching F1 racing or any other motorsport, as well as cooking new recipes with my girlfriend.

I hold a BSc in Biotechnology from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain, and an MSc in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, with a specialization in Fundamental Neuroscience, from Maastricht University, the Netherlands. My research is driven by a strong interest in the fundamental neurobiological mechanisms underlying the cognitive and emotional effects of psychedelic drugs. Currently, as a PhD student at the Haggarty Lab, I am building on the research that formed the basis of my master’s thesis, focusing on the therapeutic potential of understudied but ethnobotanically significant psychedelic plants and preparations. Collaborating closely with the Medicinal Plant Lab, I adopt a neuroethnopharmacology approach to discover novel neuroplasticity modulators, giving serious consideration to traditional methods of preparation and use of psychedelic plants, and integrating biochemical, imaging, and electrophysiological techniques to study their mechanisms of action.

I'm Hannah Lindmeier and I am a new research technician under Dr. Morini and Dr. Silva in the Slaughenhaupt and Haggarty labs respectively, working on their Tau associated FTD project. I graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA in June 2022, where I received a bachelor’s in biology and did Alzheimer’s research with C. elegans. I worked to develop a protocol to quantify APL-1 levels, with an end goal of using this protocol to apply flavonoids to test if they had an impact on these protein levels. I also spent summer 2021 in an REU program at Florida Atlantic University doing research on another Alzheimer’s project focusing on the relationship between cholesterol and APP.

As a bioorganic chemist by training, I am broadly interested in advancing novel and ethnobotanical therapeutic treatments and illuminating their underlying molecular mechanisms. I earned a BS in Chemistry from Florida International University and a PhD in Chemistry from Harvard University, completing my dissertation on the elucidation of a novel rearrangement mechanism of inhibitor adducts which allows for precision therapy in neuropsychiatric disorders and confers drug resistance in acute myeloid leukemia. While in graduate school, I adapted course curricula and trained teaching fellows in pedagogy through the Derek Bok Center and advised the Netherlands Consulate General in San Francisco on diplomatic science partnerships in clean energy transition technology. I joined the Haggarty lab to support administrative operations and innovation in research programs.

I have worked in various corners of agriculture for nearly a decade with the last few years focusing on greenhouse management. My favorite part of horticulture is propagation and creating efficient, yet approachable SOPs to make the work accessible to people from all academic and professional backgrounds. I hope to bring a practical, hands-on perspective to Haggarty Lab’s plant research.

I have a bachelor’s from Brandeis University and am currently studying for the Massachusetts Pesticide Applicator License exam.

I studied Biology with a sub-focus on Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, conducting neuro-behavioral research in addiction in the Flagel Lab. I then left for London to do both a Masters degree in Art History at The Courtauld (focusing on modernism, specifically the intersection between Psychology, Surrealism, and Philosophy) while conducting neurodevelopment research in the Williams Lab at King’s College London. 

I am currently a 2nd year medical student at HMS, and I am particularly fascinated by how psychedelics can impact neurodevelopment and neuronal plasticity. Moreover, I would love to explore prior botanical research that may reveal much about the under-studied psychedelic plants and their impacts on human physiology.