Draft:Elva Diaz

Elva Díaz is a pharmacology professor and researcher who specializes in developmental neurobiology. Her laboratory uses rodents to study molecular mechanisms of brain development. .

Early life and education
Elva Díaz was born to Mexican immigrant parents who moved to California during their childhood.

Díaz attended Harvard University for her undergraduate studies where she majored in Biomechanical Science and earned a PhD in Biochemistry at Stanford University. Díaz’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms involved in the development, function, and plasticity of excitatory synapses in the central nervous system (CNS). Díaz is a recipient of the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

One of Díaz’s core areas of research involve the exploration of the potential of pluripotent stem cells combined with immunotherapy to treat brain cancers. In her research she has identified that tumor cells in the brain form pseudo synapses with the CNS to take over nutrients and mimic normal cellular communications.

Elva Díaz also investigates the dynamics of AMPA-type glutamate receptors, key components in fast synaptic transmission essential for memory in the brain. Díaz's team has identified a protein called SynDIG4 that regulates this receptor movement, potentially enhancing memory strength.

Awards

 * Helen Hay Whitney Fellowship, 1999
 * Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, 2004
 * National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award, 2014
 * ADVANCE Scholar Award