Hugo Guerrero-Cazares, MD, PhD
Jhan Carlos Salazar Salazar, PhD
Hugo Guerrero-Cazares, MD, PhD
Lab Director
Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
Dr. Guerrero-Cazares studies how the brain’s neurogenic niche and cerebrospinal fluid influence glioblastoma growth and invasion, using human tissue models to understand tumor behavior and develop better therapies.
Anna Carrano, PhD
Jhan Carlos Salazar Salazar, PhD
Hugo Guerrero-Cazares, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Cancer Biology, and Neuroscience
Dr. Carrano research focuses on how cerebrospinal fluid dynamics influence glioblastoma progression. She aims to identify new therapeutic targets and brings a strong background in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration from her work on Alzheimer’s disease.
Maria F. Gonzalez-Aponte, PhD
Jhan Carlos Salazar Salazar, PhD
Jhan Carlos Salazar Salazar, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Gonzalez-Aponte is a postdoctoral fellow studying how sleep and circadian rhythms influence glioma growth, tumor microenvironment interactions, and treatment responses. Her work aims to uncover novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Washington University in
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Gonzalez-Aponte is a postdoctoral fellow studying how sleep and circadian rhythms influence glioma growth, tumor microenvironment interactions, and treatment responses. Her work aims to uncover novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis, where she demonstrated that glioblastoma exploits circadian signals to enhance growth and that timing chemotherapy (chronotherapy) can improve treatment outcomes.
Jhan Carlos Salazar Salazar, PhD
Jhan Carlos Salazar Salazar, PhD
Jhan Carlos Salazar Salazar, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Salazar Salazar is an evolutionary biologist and cancer genomics researcher whose work integrates phylogenetics, comparative methods, and high-throughput omics to study the origins and evolution of glioblastoma. He uses single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and bioinformatics to investigate tum
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr. Salazar Salazar is an evolutionary biologist and cancer genomics researcher whose work integrates phylogenetics, comparative methods, and high-throughput omics to study the origins and evolution of glioblastoma. He uses single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and bioinformatics to investigate tumor heterogeneity and progression. Originally from Puerto Tejada, Colombia, he earned his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Washington University in St. Louis, where his research focused on the evolution of thermal physiology in Anolis lizards.
Marissa Russo
Aura Figueroa Gonzalez
Aura Figueroa Gonzalez
PhD Candidate
Marissa studies how extracellular vesicles from brain tumor–initiating cells interact with non-cancerous cells in the tumor microenvironment, influencing neurogenesis, proliferation, and malignancy. She earned her B.S. in Brain & Cognitive Sciences with minors in Computational Biology, Spanish, and Psychology from the Uni
PhD Candidate
Marissa studies how extracellular vesicles from brain tumor–initiating cells interact with non-cancerous cells in the tumor microenvironment, influencing neurogenesis, proliferation, and malignancy. She earned her B.S. in Brain & Cognitive Sciences with minors in Computational Biology, Spanish, and Psychology from the University of Rochester, where she researched protein interactions in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and used optogenetics to study Parkinson’s disease.
Aura Figueroa Gonzalez
Aura Figueroa Gonzalez
Aura Figueroa Gonzalez
PhD Candidate
Aura studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving senescence in the brain’s subventricular zone near glioblastoma tumors and how this contributes to a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment. She earned her B.S. in Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering from Universidad de las Américas Puebla and an M.S. in Nanotechnolo
PhD Candidate
Aura studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving senescence in the brain’s subventricular zone near glioblastoma tumors and how this contributes to a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment. She earned her B.S. in Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering from Universidad de las Américas Puebla and an M.S. in Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine from University College London. Her background includes developing nanoparticle-based cancer therapies, molecular diagnostics, and international research experiences.
Genesis Omaña Suarez
Aura Figueroa Gonzalez
Genesis Omaña Suarez
PhD Student
Genesis is a neuroscience PhD student researching how immune cells, especially myeloid cells, interact with neuroglioma synapses—direct connections between glioblastoma cells and neurons that drive tumor growth and invasion. She focuses on how these interactions affect tumor progression, immune suppression, and neuronal hyper
PhD Student
Genesis is a neuroscience PhD student researching how immune cells, especially myeloid cells, interact with neuroglioma synapses—direct connections between glioblastoma cells and neurons that drive tumor growth and invasion. She focuses on how these interactions affect tumor progression, immune suppression, and neuronal hyperexcitability. Now entering her third year, Genesis is also dedicated to fostering a supportive and collaborative lab environment. Outside of research, she enjoys running, hosting game nights, and spending time with her dog, Marquito.
Kimsey Lawrence
Aura Figueroa Gonzalez
Genesis Omaña Suarez
Undergraduate Intern
Kimsey is an undergraduate student at the University of North Florida majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology, with a minor in Environmental Studies. Kimsey is a senior at UNF and plans to pursue her Master’s in Molecular Biology with hopes of becoming a Medical Laboratory Scientist. She has a passion for microbiology
Undergraduate Intern
Kimsey is an undergraduate student at the University of North Florida majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology, with a minor in Environmental Studies. Kimsey is a senior at UNF and plans to pursue her Master’s in Molecular Biology with hopes of becoming a Medical Laboratory Scientist. She has a passion for microbiology and loves working in a research laboratory. She is working directly with Genesis Omaña Suarez to aid her research on how microglia interact with glioblastoma cells.