Principal Investigator
Marissa Gogniat, PhD
Dr. Marissa Gogniat is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She graduated summa cum laude from Emory University with bachelor’s degrees in Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology and Psychology. She earned a doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Neuropsychology from the University of Georgia. She completed her doctoral internship at the VA Maryland Health Care System/University of Maryland School of Medicine Psychology Internship Consortium in the VA Neuropsychology Track and a fellowship in Neuropsychology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center through the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center. She is a licensed psychologist and practicing neuropsychologist.
Dr. Gogniat is dedicated to understanding the neuroprotective mechanisms of health and wellness factors in older adulthood. She enjoys mentoring trainees from different backgrounds.
Research Team
Study Coordinator
Varsha Bhat
Research Assistants
Alisabeth Guepet
Alisabeth is a Sophomore on the pre-medical track at the University of Pittsburgh Frederick Honors College. She is majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in History and certificates in Health Humanities and Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. She is interested in neurodegenerative diseases, specifically their biological, environmental, and childhood lifestyle factors.
Oviya Ignaci
Oviya Ignaci is a sophomore on the pre-medical track at the University of Pittsburgh. She is majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and an intended certificate in Conceptual Foundations in Medicine. She is interested in Alzheimer’s Disease and cultural and environmental factors that accelerate/ decelerate its progression.
Sanni Varanasi
Shivany Dowlat
Shivany is a Sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, studying Psychology and Biology with a minor in Chemistry and a certificate in the Conceptual Foundations of Medicine, on the pre-medical track. She is interested in psychology and neurodegenerative diseases, specifically their biological and environmental factors.
Bella Feather
Bella is a Sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh Frederick Honors College. She is planning to double major in Neuroscience and Anthropology with a certificate in Clinical Research. She is interested in Alzheimer's disease (AD), specifically the cultural and environmental contexts in which AD is prevalent in.
Brina Ratangee
Brina is an MS2 at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She earned a BA in neuroscience and MA in medicine, health & society from Vanderbilt University, where she researched the association between neighborhood disadvantage and cognition, as well as caregiver mental health and end-of-life care interventions. Her work with the CHAMP Lab investigates sedentary behavior and physical activity as modifiable risk factors of Alzheimer's disease, and her broad interests center on understanding how physical and social environments influence health.
Tarun Srivatsan
Tarun is a Junior on the pre-med track at the University of Pittsburgh Frederick Honors College. He is planning to major in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry along with the certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. Tarun is passionate about becoming a neurosurgeon while also researching treatments for slowing the progression of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease.
Lab Alumni
Joseph Storey: Penn State College of Medicine student
Bindu Chunduri: Northwestern NU Docs Program
Amaya Aranda: NIH Postbac Program
Institutional Collaborators:
University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center
UCSF Memory and Aging Center
Sutter Health Research Institute