Lab Members

Andrew M. Pickering, PhD, MA (Oxon): Associate Professor

Dr. Pickering, a British-born molecular biologist, completed his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at Oxford University. He then moved to the United States to pursue a PhD in Molecular Biology at the University of Southern California, followed by postdoctoral training at UCLA and the University of Michigan.

In 2016, he established his own lab. Currently, he is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology and serves as the Director of the Geroscience Core at the UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging.

His research focuses on the molecular processes that drive aging, with a particular interest in proteostatic dysfunction.

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Danitra Parker, MPH: Program Manager

Danitra earned her undergraduate degree in Biology and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has a strong background in D. melanogaster genetics and the structure-function relationship of mitochondria in health and disease. Since 2020, she has been managing the Pickering Laboratory.

Parker D, Davidson K, Osmulski PA, Gaczynska M, Pickering AM. Proteasome augmentation mitigates age-related cognitive decline in mice. Aging Cell 2025 <IN PRESS>

 

 

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Andy Delgado, BA: PhD Graduate Student

Andy is neuroscientist in training. Originally from Miami, Florida, he completed his BA in Psychology with a minor in Biology at Florida International University in 2020. During his undergraduate studies, he gained extensive training in animal and human behavior through research assistantships, focusing on learning and memory in swine and behavioral interventions for adolescents with ADHD.

Andy moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to pursue a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. There, he began studying molecular mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease under Dr. Pickering’s guidance. In 2023, he relocated with Dr. Pickering to UTHealth Houston to continue his PhD training as part of the Neuroscience program in the Graduate School of Biomedical Science.

His research interests include the molecular processes that impact learning and memory cognitive functions in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, he is studying the role of protein synthesis in Alzheimer’s disease pathology using fruit fly models and examining weekly fluctuations in Alzheimer’s patient plasma biomarkers.

 

 

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JaLeesa Bryant, BS: Research Assistant II

JaLeesa earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from The University of Montevallo. Her current research involves the collection, analysis, and processing of biospecimens from Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. She has a keen interest in genetic abnormalities and changes associated with the aging process. JaLeesa has been a member of the Pickering Lab since 2023.

 

 

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