Walter received his BA in physics from Florida International University in Miami, Florida in 2011. He stayed at FIU and completed his PhD in chemistry under supervision of Dr. Jaroslava Miksovska in 2016. He then moved to Pasadena, California to pursue postdoctoral training in systems neuroscience under supervision of Dr. Carlos Lois. In January 2023 Walter moved to San Francisco to start his laboratory at the University of California San Francisco in the Department of Physiology.

Vincent received his BA in Biology: Neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis in 2021. During undergrad, he worked with Dr. Paul Shaw to investigate how sleep regulates gene expression to reverse cognitive deficits in Drosophila.  After graduating, he stayed at Wash U until 2022, working with Dr. Jordan McCall to interrogate circuits mediating stress-induced binge eating in mice.  After joining Dr. Walter Gonzalez’ lab in 2023, Vincent began investigating how failures in information transfer between brain regions cause behavioral mistakes in zebra finches.  Outside of lab, he enjoys exploring new places, rock climbing, and listening to music.

Ruth is a junior specialist with an educational background in computer science and a master’s degree in medical imaging. She worked various projects ranging from breast cancer, skin lesion and Alzheimer’s disease sub-typing using both classical image analysis and current deep learning techniques. Her area of interest is in the use of artificial intelligence in medicine and particularly in computational neuroscience. She’s currently working on an open-source atlas based Neuropixel trajectory planning project and wavelet-based spike sorting algorithm. Over the weekend, Ruth enjoys hiking and exploring the Bay Area.

Gerrik Labra started as a Research Technician in the Gonzalez lab on 2023. After receiving an AS at Diablo Valley College in 2020, he transferred to University of California Davis to earn a BS Neurobiology and minor in Quantitative Bioinformatics. There, he attended graduate electives covering Neuroengineering, interned for Daniel Runcie, PhD studying association of anatomical transcriptomics and cognition, then the Wang Lab under Edwin Kulubya, MD. His area of interest is in enhancing learning, focus, and memory. His current project is to analyze the adaptive behavior of male zebra finches when competing to acquire a female via singing and courting behavior. Over the weekends he works as an EMT in SF, spending free time planning for graduate schools and jogging the city at night.

Rameen earned her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Before joining the Gonzales Lab, she conducted research on the regulation of defensive behaviors by the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in Dr. Luis Rosas-Vidal’s lab at Northwestern University. Her current work focuses on using optogenetic techniques to investigate sensory information transfer between brain regions in zebra finches. When not in the lab, Rameen enjoys baking and exploring the diverse cafes in the Bay Area. 

​Leila is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, majoring in Neuroscience and Public Health. Enthusiastic about the field of neuroscience, her diverse interests span areas such as histology, neuroplasticity, neurodegenerative diseases, and sleep. Eager to engage further with this field, Leila plans to pursue her PhD after graduation. Outside of lab, she is a Trader Joe’s enthusiast and loves foreign film scores.

Bryan is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Molecular and Cell Biology, set to graduate in 2027. With a keen interest in neuroscience, he is particularly fascinated by the mechanisms of memory and brain functionality. Outside of the lab, Bryan enjoys running and playing basketball.