Dr. Gül Dölen, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Gül Dölen is a Professor and the Bob & Renee Parsons Endowed Chair in the Department of Neuroscience, and Department of Psychology, the Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics and the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr Dölen also maintains an Adjunct Professorship in Neuroscience and Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine. Dr. Dölen is the recipient of several prestigious awards including: the Joukowsky Family Foundation Outstanding Dissertation Award, the Conquer Fragile X Rising Star Award, the Angus MacDonald Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the Society for Social Neuroscience Early Career Award, the Searle Scholars Award, and the Johns Hopkins University President’s Frontier Award.

Biosketch

Headshot

Photo (Mushroom Stone)

Photo (Field work)


Dominick Dickerson

Dominick is a research technician who joined the Dölen lab in 2023. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Empire State University, 

 

Dr. Zhaoquan (Shasha) Wang, Ph.D.

Dr. Wang is a Schmidt Science Fellow who joined the Dölen lab in 2025. He earned his B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, where he also trained at the School of
Medicine. He earned his PhD in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis at Weill Cornell Medical
College and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he studied microglial phagocytosis. He
uses flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and to pursue studies at the
intersection of neuroscience and immunology.
 

Dr. Mahlet Mersha, Ph.D.

Mahlet is a postdoctoral fellow co-mentored by Dr. Dölen and Dr. Zeiler in the Department of Neurology. She earned her PhD from Delaware State University

Makenzie Wilkinson

Kenz is a Graduate student in the Neuroscience Department at the University of California, Berkeley. Kenz did her Postbaccalaureate training as a PREP scholar in the Dölen lab at Johns Hopkins University, where she also completed her undergraduate training.  

Rylee Neville

Rylee Neville is a Postbaccalaureate student in psychology, who joined the Dölen lab in 2025. 

 

Sasha Ballesteros

Sasha Ballesteros is a graduating senior, majoring in psychology, who joined the Dölen lab in 2026. 


 

Justin Kashayar

Justin Kashayar is a rising senior majoring in Linguistics who joined the Dölen lab in 2026. 


 

Kiana Hinkson

Kiana Hinkson is rising Junior majoring in Neuroscience, who joined the Dölen lab in 2026.