Laboratory of Aging and Neurodegeneration

Lab Members

Bill Rebeck

PI, Laboratory of Aging and Neurodegeneration

Professor, Department of Neuroscience

A.B., Cornell University
Ph.D., Harvard University

Current Lab Members

Postdoctoral Fellow

Harshul Pandit, PhD

Post-doctoral Fellow

Post-doctoral Scholar in Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky

PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville

MSc in Biochemistry, The M.S. University of Baroda, India

BSc in BioTechnology, Sardar Patel University, India

Staff

Maria Patricia Salinas

My name is Maria Patricia Salinas but I like to go by Paty! I joined Dr. Rebeck’s laboratory in 2025. I am a graduate of Nursing in my country El Salvador C.A, and have a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Theology to serve in the Church in the Hispanic Community. I started working as an animal care technician in 1997 for the Division Of Comparative Medicine (DCM) where I gained experience working with many animal species from rodents, bats, cats, dogs, ferrets, and nonhuman primates. This gave me the opportunity to eventually work in other labs and directly with researchers in the oncology and neuroscience department all here in Georgetown University. I enjoy watching videos of my native country El Salvador with my husband and traveling there as much as possible with him. I also have 2 talented musician sons, who also work in Georgetown, that I am very proud of!

Ph.D Students

Phil Pikus

My name is Philip Pikus, and I'm an MD/PhD candidate in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience completing my thesis work in the Rebeck Lab. My work focuses on the acute effects of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, and the role of APOE genotype and cerebral amyloid angiopathy in levels of an adverse effect known as ARIA.

Outside of the lab, I also coach the Georgetown University club ice hockey team.

Giorgi Shautidze

My name is Giorgi Shautidze, and I'm a PhD candidate in the Pharmacology and Physiology program doing my thesis work in the Rebeck Lab. My work focuses on microglial involvement in Alzheimer's Disease and their role in current treatments for AD. I received my M.S. in Pharmacology from Georgetown in 2024 and fell in love with the community, which is one thing that drew me to the Rebeck Lab. I like to bring a music culture to the lab and offer some bliss for our hard work.

A fun fact about me is that I produce music on the side (going by the pseudonym SHAU).

Co-Mentored Ph.D Students

Paul Edwards

My name is Paul Edwards and I’m a PhD Student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience completing my thesis work in the Pak Lab with co-mentorship from Dr. Bill Rebeck. My work focuses on investigating the mechanistic link between neuronal hyperactivity and tau propagation and determining how APOE genotype modulates this relationship.

Outside the lab, I love music and singing, trying new foods, traveling, and anything sci-fi/fantasy!

Undergraduate and Masters Students

Bailey Villarreal

After completing my undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech, I earned dual degrees in Psychology and Philosophy. Afterward, I attended Georgia State University, where I completed a master’s degree in neurophilosophy, with a thesis titled “The Hard Problem of Consciousness and Neurobiological Naturalism,” mentored by Dr. Sarah F. Brosnan. During my time at Georgia State, I developed an appreciation for approaching philosophical questions about the mind with the scientific rigor of neuroscience. I am now completing a master’s degree in neuroscience at Georgetown and plan to pursue a PhD upon completing my program. My primary research interests are neuro-glial interactions, neurodegenerative disease, retinal degeneration, neuronal dysfunction, synapse formation, cancer biology, and neuroimmunology.

Kayli Morris

Kayli Morris is a graduate researcher in the Rebeck Lab at Georgetown University, where she is pursuing a Master’s in Neuroscience through the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (IPN). Her research focuses on neuroinflammatory mechanisms underlying chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment in mouse models, with particular interest in localizing molecular inflammatory components that shape age-related disease risk and progression.

Fun fact: she has studied abroad twice in France and now loves speaking “Frenglish” whenever she gets the chance.

Jackey Farias

Masters Student, Georgetown University

I'm Jackey, a master's student in the Rebeck lab! I earned my B.S. in neuroscience and psychology and now I'm attending Georgetown for my M.S. in integrative neuroscience, where I was placed in the Rebeck lab. My role here is to look at cerebrovasculature damage with amyloid deposition in immunotherapy treated 5xFAD mice. Fun fact about me: I love making tres leches cake!