Ella Zeldich, PhD
Assistant Professor, Anatomy & Neurobiology
Biography
Dr. Ella Zeldich is an Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. She obtained her Ph.D. (Physiology and Pharmacology) from Tel Aviv University in 2009. Her current studies aim to understand the mechanisms leading to intellectual deficits and Alzheimer’s disease in Down Syndrome. As a molecular neuroscientist, Dr. Zeldich investigates the mechanisms leading to intellectual deficits and Alzheimer’s disease in Down Syndrome. Her team uses induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from individuals with DS to generate cortical organoids and assembloids to mimic neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative processes associated with trisomy 21. Dr. Zeldich utilizes cutting-edge technological approaches including CRISPR, single-cell multiome profiling, high-resolution imaging, and xenotransplantation of the organoids through a variety of collaborative studies.
There are several active projects in the lab including:
• Investigating the contribution of X-chromosome-linked genes to cellular phenotypes and AD-related pathology in Down Syndrome
• Defining epigenetic determinants in oligodendrocyte maturation in Down Syndrome.
• Developing strategies to assess activity of trisomic neurons using assembloids and xenotransplanted organoids.
Other Positions
- Member, Genome Science Institute, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Member, Neurophotonics Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Member, Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences
Education
- Tel Aviv University (TAU), PhD
- Tel Aviv University (TAU), MS
- Tel Aviv University (TAU), BS
Classes Taught
- AN777
Publications
- Published on 1/5/2025
Flores-Aguilar L, Hamlett ED, Araya P, Barone E, Bhattacharyya A, Carmona-Iragui M, Chan L, Christian B, Costa ACS, Costanzo F, Del Hoyo Soriano L, Dierssen M, Eichler EE, Fisher E, Galbraith M, Ghosh S, Gimenez S, Guedj F, Guidi S, Iulita MF, Mobley W, Pelleri MC, Potier MC, Rabin KR, Rachubinski A, Rebillat AS, Rubenstein E, Saternos H, Sordo L, Strydom A, Valle-Tamayo N, Waugh KA, Yu E, Zeldich E, Busciglio J, Head E. Imagine, Discover, Inspire: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the Trisomy 21 Research Society. Neuromolecular Med. 2025 Jan 05; 27(1):5. PMID: 39756004.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/13/2024
Zeldich E, Rajkumar S. Identity and Maturity of iPSC-Derived Oligodendrocytes in 2D and Organoid Systems. Cells. 2024 Apr 13; 13(8). PMID: 38667289.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/9/2023
Campbell NB, Patel Y, Moore TL, Medalla M, Zeldich E. Extracellular Vesicle Treatment Alleviates Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Pathology in Cortical Spheroid Model of Down Syndrome. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Feb 09; 24(4). PMID: 36834891.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/3/2022
Farley SJ, Grishok A, Zeldich E. Shaking up the silence: consequences of HMGN1 antagonizing PRC2 in the Down syndrome brain. Epigenetics Chromatin. 2022 Dec 03; 15(1):39. PMID: 36463299.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 9/7/2022
Li Z, Klein JA, Rampam S, Kurzion R, Campbell NB, Patel Y, Haydar TF, Zeldich E. Asynchronous excitatory neuron development in an isogenic cortical spheroid model of Down syndrome. Front Neurosci. 2022; 16:932384. PMID: 36161168.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/4/2022
Klein JA, Li Z, Rampam S, Cardini J, Ayoub A, Shaw P, Rachubinski AL, Espinosa JM, Zeldich E, Haydar TF. Sonic Hedgehog Pathway Modulation Normalizes Expression of Olig2 in Rostrally Patterned NPCs With Trisomy 21. Front Cell Neurosci. 2021; 15:794675. PMID: 35058753.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/15/2021
Arbel Rubinstein T, Reuveni I, Hesin A, Klein-Goldberg A, Olauson H, Larsson TE, Abraham CR, Zeldich E, Bosch A, Chillón M, Hollander KS, Shabtay-Orbach A, Vainer GW, Wolf I, Rubinek T. A Transgenic Model Reveals the Role of Klotho in Pancreatic Cancer Development and Paves the Way for New Klotho-Based Therapy. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Dec 15; 13(24). PMID: 34944918.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 9/9/2021
Shelton SM, Soucy AR, Kurzion R, Zeldich E, Connor JH, Haydar TF. Forebrain Neural Precursor Cells Are Differentially Vulnerable to Zika Virus Infection. eNeuro. 2021 Sep-Oct; 8(5). PMID: 34272257.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/6/2020
Li Z, Tyler WA, Zeldich E, Santpere Baró G, Okamoto M, Gao T, Li M, Sestan N, Haydar TF. Transcriptional priming as a conserved mechanism of lineage diversification in the developing mouse and human neocortex. Sci Adv. 2020 11; 6(45). PMID: 33158872.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/29/2020
Chen CD, Rudy MA, Zeldich E, Abraham CR. A method to specifically activate the Klotho promoter by using zinc finger proteins constructed from modular building blocks and from naturally engineered Egr1 transcription factor backbone. FASEB J. 2020 06; 34(6):7234-7246. PMID: 32347987.
Read at: PubMed
View 25 more publications: View full profile at BUMC